“1 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and
made him king in his father’s stead in Jerusalem. 2 Jehoahaz [was]
twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three
months in Jerusalem. 3 And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem,
and condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of
gold. 4 And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah
and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz
his brother, and carried him to Egypt. 5 Jehoiakim [was] twenty and five
years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in
Jerusalem: and he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD his
God. 6 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him
in fetters, to carry him to Babylon. 7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried of
the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his
temple at Babylon. 8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his
abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they
[are] written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and
Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. 9 Jehoiachin [was] eight years
old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in
Jerusalem: and he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD. 10
And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him
to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made
Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.”
“11 Zedekiah [was] one and twenty years old when he began to reign,
and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 And he did [that which was]
evil in the sight of the LORD his God, [and] humbled not himself before
Jeremiah the prophet [speaking] from the mouth of the LORD. 13 And he
also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by
God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto
the LORD God of Israel. 14 Moreover all the chief of the priests, and
the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the
heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in
Jerusalem. 15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his
messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on
his people, and on his dwelling place: 16 But they mocked the messengers
of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the
wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till [there was] no remedy.
17 Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew
their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had
no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for
age: he gave [them] all into his hand. 18 And all the vessels of the
house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the
LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all [these] he
brought to Babylon. 19 And they burnt the house of God, and brake down
the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and
destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. 20 And them that had escaped
from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to
him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: 21 To fulfil
the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had
enjoyed her sabbaths: [for] as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath,
to fulfil threescore and ten years.”
“22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of
the LORD [spoken] by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the
LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a
proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and [put it] also in writing,
saying, 23 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the
earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to
build him an house in Jerusalem, which [is] in Judah. Who [is there]
among you of all his people? The LORD his God [be] with him, and let him
go up.” (2 Chronicles 36:1-23 AV)
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