2 Chronicles 36

1 The people of the land took Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, and made him king in Jerusalem in succession to his father.

And the people of the land took Jehoachaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's stead in Jerusalem.

2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for three months.

Twenty and three years old was Joachaz when he became king, and three months did he reign in Jerusalem.

3 Then the king of Egypt removed him from the throne in Jerusalem and imposed a tax on Judah of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

And the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem, and imposed a fine on the land of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

4 Neco, king of Egypt, made Eliakim, Jehoahaz's brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem, and he changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. Neco took Eliakim's brother Jehoahaz back with him to Egypt.

And the king of Egypt made Elyakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoyakim. And Joachaz his brother did Necho take away, and bring him to Egypt.

5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years. He did evil in the sight of the Lord his God.

Twenty and five years old was Jehoyakim when he became king, and eleven years did he reign in Jerusalem: and he did what is evil in the eyes of the Lord his God.

6 Then Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked Jehoiakim. He captured him and put bronze shackles on him, and brought him to Babylon.

Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and he bound him with fetters, to carry him away to Babylon.

7 Nebuchadnezzar also took some items from the Lord's Temple, and he put them in his temple in Babylon.

And some of the vessels of the house of the Lord did Nebuchadnezzar carry to Babylon, and he placed them in his temple at Babylon.

8 The rest of what Jehoiakim, the disgusting sins he committed, and all the evidence against him, are written down in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. His son Jehoiachin took over as king.

And the rest of the acts of Jehoyakim, and his abominable deeds which he did, and that which was found concerning him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoyachin his son became king in his stead.

9 Jehoiachin was eighteen when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for three months and ten days. He did evil in the Lord's sight.

Eight years old was Jehoyachin when he became king, and three months and ten days did he reign in Jerusalem: and he did what is evil in the eyes of the Lord.

10 In the spring of the year, King Nebuchadnezzar summoned him and brought him to Babylon, along with valuable items from the Lord's Temple, and he made Jehoiachin's uncle Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.

And with the expiration of the year did king Nebuchadnezzar send and had him brought to Babylon, with the costly vessels of the house of the Lord: and he made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem,

11 Zedekiah was twenty-one when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years.

Twenty and one years old was Zedekiah when he became king, and eleven years did he reign in Jerusalem.

12 He did evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and he refused to admit his pride when the prophet Jeremiah warned him directly from the Lord.

And he did what is evil in the eyes of the Lord his God: he humbled himself not before Jeremiah the prophet, according to the order of the Lord.

13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath of loyalty by God. Zedekiah was arrogant and hard-hearted, and refused to come back to the Lord, the God of Israel.

And also against king Nebuchadnezzar did he rebel, who had made him swear by God; but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart so as not to return unto the Lord the God of Israel.

14 All the leaders of the priests and the people were also totally faithless and sinful, following all the disgusting practices of the heathen nations. They defiled the Lord's Temple that he had set apart as holy in Jerusalem.

Also all the chiefs of the priests and the people committed manifold trespasses, like all the abominable acts of the [foreign] nations: and they defiled the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.

15 Again and again the Lord, the God of their fathers, warned his people through his prophets, because he wanted to show mercy to them and to his Temple.

And the Lord the God of their fathers sent to them by means of his messengers, making [them] rise early, and sending [them]: because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling-place;

16 But they ridiculed God's messengers, they despised his warnings and mocked his prophets, until the Lord's anger against his people was provoked to such an extent it couldn't be stopped.

But they mocked at the messengers of God, and despised his words, and scorned his prophets, until the fury of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

17 So the Lord brought the king of Babylon to attack them. His army killed by the sword their best young men even in the sanctuary. The Babylonians did not spare young men or young women, the sick or the elderly. God handed them all over to Nebuchadnezzar.

And he brought over them the king of the Chaldeans, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or virgin, the old man, and the aged: all did he give up into his hand.

18 He took back to Babylon all the articles, large and small, from God's Temple, and from the Temple treasury, and from the king and from his officials.

And all the vessels of the house of God, the great and the small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his princes, —all these did he carry to Babylon.

19 Then the Babylonians burned down God's Temple and demolished Jerusalem's walls. They set fire to all the palaces and destroyed everything that had any value.

And they burnt the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and all her palaces they burnt with fire, and all her costly vessels they gave up to destruction.

20 Nebuchadnezzar took into exile in Babylon those who had not been killed. They were slaves for himself and his sons, until the kingdom of Persia took over.

And those that had escaped from the sword did he carry into exile to Babylon: and they were servants to him and to his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to the government:

21 So to fulfill the Lord's prophecy given through Jeremiah, the land enjoyed its Sabbaths as rest all the time it was left desolate, keeping the Sabbath until seventy years were completed.

To fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had satisfied its sabbaths: all the days of its desolation it rested, till seventy years were completed.

22 In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, to fulfill the Lord's prophecy given through Jeremiah, the Lord encouraged Cyrus, king of Persia, to issue a proclamation throughout his kingdom and also to put it in writing, saying,

And in the first year of Cyrus the king of Persia, at the completion of the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, did the Lord stir up the spirit of Cyrus the king of Persia, so that he caused a proclamation to be made throughout all his kingdom, and also by means of writing, saying,

23 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, who has given to me all the kingdoms of the earth, has given me the responsibility to build a Temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone among you who belongs to his people can go there. May the Lord your God be with you.’”

Thus hath said Cyrus the king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord the God of heaven given me, and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.