2 Chronicles 36

1 And they took [the] people of the land Jehoahaz [the] son of Josiah and they made king him in place of father his in Jerusalem.

Then the people of Judah chose Josiah’s son Jehoahaz and appointed him as the king in Jerusalem.

2 [was] a son of Three and twenty year[s] Jehoahaz when became king he and three months he reigned in Jerusalem.

Jehoahaz was 23 years old when he became the king, but he ruled from Jerusalem for [only] three months.

3 And he removed him [the] king of Egypt in Jerusalem and he imposed a fine on the land one hundred talent[s] of silver and a talent of gold.

King Neco of Egypt [captured him and] prevented him from ruling any longer. He also forced the people of Judah to pay him a tax of almost four tons of silver and about 75 pounds of gold.

4 And he made king [the] king of Egypt Eliakim brother his over Judah and Jerusalem and he changed name his Jehoiakim and Jehoahaz brother his he took Necho and he brought him Egypt towards.

The king of Egypt appointed Jehoahaz’s [younger] brother Eliakim to be the king of Judah. He changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. After Neco captured Jehoahaz, he took him to Egypt.

5 [was] a son of Twenty and five year[s] Jehoiakim when became king he and one [plus] ten year[s] he reigned in Jerusalem and he did the evil in [the] eyes of Yahweh God his.

Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he became the king [of Judah], and he ruled from Jerusalem for 11 years. He did things that Yahweh his God considers to be evil.

6 On him he came up Nebuchadnezzar [the] king of Babylon and he bound him with bronze fetters to take him Babylon towards.

Then the army of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked Jehoiakim’s army. They [captured Jehoiakim and] bound him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon.

7 And some of [the] articles of [the] house of Yahweh he brought Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon and he put them in palace his in Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar’s soldiers also took valuable things from the temple; they took them to Babylon and put them in king [Nebuchadnezzar’s] palace there.

8 And [the] rest of [the] matters of Jehoiakim and abominations his which he did and [what] was found on him there they [are] written on [the] scroll of [the] kings of Israel and Judah and he became king Jehoiachin son his in place of him.

A record of the other things that happened while Jehoiakim was ruling, the detestable things that he did, including the evil things that people said that he did, is written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Israel and Judah’. After [he was taken to Babylon], his son Jehoiachin became the king [of Judah].

9 [was] a son of Eight years Jehoiachin when became king he and three months and ten days he reigned in Jerusalem and he did the evil in [the] eyes of Yahweh.

Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became the king [of Judah], and he ruled from Jerusalem for [only] three months and ten days. He did things that Yahweh considers to be evil.

10 And to [the] return of the year he sent the king Nebuchadnezzar and he brought him Babylon towards with [the] articles of preciousness of [the] house of Yahweh and he made king Zedekiah relative his over Judah and Jerusalem.

During the spring of the next year, King Nebuchadnezzar sent [soldiers] to bring him to Babylon. They also took to Babylon many valuable things from the temple of Yahweh. Then Nebuchadnezzar appointed Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah, to be the king of Judah.

11 [was] a son of Twenty and one year[s] Zedekiah when became king he and one [plus] ten year[s] he reigned in Jerusalem.

Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became the king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for 11 years.

12 And he did the evil in [the] eyes of Yahweh God his not he humbled himself from to before Jeremiah the prophet from [the] mouth of Yahweh.

He did many things that Yahweh his God considered to be evil. And he did not humble himself when the prophet Jeremiah gave him a message from Yahweh [to warn him].

13 And also against the king Nebuchadnezzar he rebelled who he had made swear an oath him by God and he made stiff neck his and he made hard heart his from turning back to Yahweh [the] God of Israel.

He would not return to Yahweh, the God that the people of Israel [said that they worshiped]. Zedekiah also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had forced him to solemnly promise using God’s name [to be loyal to him]. Zedekiah became very stubborn.

14 Also all [the] leaders of the priests and the people they increased (to act unfaithfully *Q(K)*) unfaithfulness according to all [the] abominations of the nations and they made unclean [the] house of Yahweh which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and also the people [of Judah] became more wicked again, doing all the detestable things that the people of the other nations did, and causing the temple in Jerusalem that Yahweh had caused to be holy to become [an] unacceptable [place to worship him].

15 And he sent Yahweh [the] God of ancestors their to them by [the] hand of messengers his rising early and sending for he had compassion on people his and on dwelling place his.

Yahweh, the God whom the ancestors [of the people of Judah belonged to/worshiped], gave messages to his prophets many times, and the prophets told those messages to the people of Judah. Yahweh did that because he pitied his people and did not want his temple to be destroyed.

16 And they were deriding [the] messengers of God and despising words his and mocking at prophets his until came up [the] anger of Yahweh on people his until there not [was] healing.

But the people continually made fun of God’s messengers. They despised God’s messages. They ridiculed his prophets, until finally God became extremely angry with his people, with the result that nothing could stop him [from destroying Judah].

17 And he brought up on them [the] king of ([the] Chaldeans *Q(k)*) and he killed young men their with the sword in [the] house of sanctuary their and not he had compassion on young man and young woman [the] old and [the] decrepit everyone he gave in hand his.

He incited the king of Babylonia to attack [Judah with his army]. They killed the young men with their swords, even in the temple. They did not spare/pity anyone, young men or young women or old people. God enabled the army of Nebuchadnezzar to kill all of them.

18 And all [the] articles of [the] house of God great and small and [the] treasures of [the] house of Yahweh and [the] treasures of the king and officials his everything he brought Babylon.

His soldiers took to Babylon all the things that were used in God’s temple—big things and little things, all the valuable things, and the valuable things that belonged to the king and his officials.

19 And they burned [the] house of God and they pulled down [the] wall of Jerusalem and all palaces its they burned with fire and all [the] articles of preciousness its to destroy.

They burned the temple, and they broke down the wall surrounding Jerusalem. They burned all the palaces [in Jerusalem] and destroyed all the remaining valuable things there.

20 And he took into exile the remainder from the sword to Babylon and they became for him and for sons his slaves until reigned [the] kingdom of Persia.

Nebuchadnezzar’s soldiers took to Babylon the remaining people who had not been killed with their swords. Then those people became the king’s slaves and his son’s slaves, until the [army of the] king of Persia conquered [the army of Babylonia].

21 To fulfill [the] word of Yahweh by [the] mouth of Jeremiah until it has accepted the land sabbaths its all [the] days of the desolation of it it rested to complete seventy year[s].

[Moses had said that every seventh year the people must not plant their fields; they must allow the soil to rest. But the people had not done that. So after the army of Babylonia destroyed Judah, ] the soil was allowed to rest. That continued for 70 years, fulfilling what Yahweh told Jeremiah and what Jeremiah had predicted/prophesied would happen.

22 And in year one of Cyrus [the] king of Persia to fulfill [the] word of Yahweh by [the] mouth of Jeremiah he stirred up Yahweh [the] spirit of Cyrus [the] king of Persia and he caused to pass a proclamation in all kingdom his and also in writing saying.

During the first year that Cyrus was the king of Persia, in order that what Yahweh told Jeremiah would happen would occur, Yahweh motivated Cyrus to write this and proclaim it throughout his kingdom:

23 Thus he says Cyrus - [the] king of Persia all [the] kingdoms of the earth he has given to me Yahweh [the] God of the heavens and he he has appointed me to build for him a house in Jerusalem which [is] in Judah who? [is] among you from all people his Yahweh God his [be] with him and let him go up.

“I, Cyrus, the king of Persia, declare that Yahweh, the God [who rules] in heaven, has enabled me to become the ruler of all the kingdoms of this world. And he wants me to [command that my workers] build a temple {a temple be built} for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of his people living among you people of Persia are allowed to go to Jerusalem. And I will pray that Yahweh will be with them.”