Top of Page
Page Style
the reign of Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded Judah. Jehoiakim became his vassal, but after three years he turned and rebelled against him. 2 The Lord sent Chaldean, Aramean, Moabite, and Ammonite raiders against Jehoiakim. He sent them to destroy Judah, in accordance with the word of the Lord that He spoken through His servants the prophets. 3 All this befell Judah at the Lord’s command, to remove Judah from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all he had done, 4 and for the innocent blood he had shed. For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord would not forgive.
5 As for the other events of the reign of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written about in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah? 6 So Jehoiakim rested with his fathers; and his son Jehoiachin succeeded him as king.
7 The king of Egypt did not march out of his own land again, for the king of Babylon had captured all the territory that belonged to the king of Egypt, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Euphrates River.
8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem. 9 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his fathers had done.
10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king the Babylon marched against Jerusalem, and laid siege to the city. 11 Then Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to Jerusalem while his troops were besieging it. 12 At this, Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his servants, his officers, and his officials all surrendered to the king of Babylon.
In the eighth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, he took Jehoiachin king of Judah captive. 13 Nebuchadnezzar also carried off from Jerusalem all the treasures of the House of the Lord and all the treasures of the king’s palace. He also cut up and stripped off all the gold objects that Solomon king of Israel had made for the Lord’s temple, just as the Lord had foretold. 14 He deported all of Jerusalem into exile: all the commanders, all the fighting men, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and artisans. No one remained, except the poorest people of the land.
15 Nebuchadnezzar deported Jehoiachin to Babylon. He also took captive from Jerusalem to Babylon the king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officials, and the leading men of the land. 16 The king of Babylon also deported to Babylon seven thousand fighting men, and a thousand craftsmen and artisans. 17 Then the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in place of him, and changed Mattaniah’s name to Zedekiah.
18 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. 19 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done. 20 Indeed, the Lord became so angry with Jerusalem and Judah that He finally banished them from His presence.
Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.