The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Chronicles 36
1 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king
in his father’s place in Jerusalem.
2 Joahaz was twenty-three years old
when he began to reign; and he reigned
three months in Jerusalem.
3 The king of Egypt removed him from
office at Jerusalem, and fined the land one
hundred talents of silver and a talent† of
gold.
4 The king of Egypt made Eliakim his
brother king over Judah and Jerusalem,
and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Neco
took Joahaz his brother, and carried him to
Egypt.
5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old
when he began to reign, and he reigned
eleven years in Jerusalem. He did that
which was evil in Yahweh his God’s sight.
6 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came
up against him, and bound him in fetters
to carry him to Babylon.
7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried some of
the vessels of Yahweh’s house 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 place.
9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when
he began to reign, and he reigned three
months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did
that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight.
10 At the return of the year, King
Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him
to Babylon, with the valuable vessels of
Yahweh’s house, and made Zedekiah his
brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.
11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old
when he began to reign, and he reigned
eleven years in Jerusalem.
12 He did that which was evil in Yahweh
his God’s sight. He didn’t humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking
from Yahweh’s mouth.
13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by
God; but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart against turning to Yahweh,
the God of Israel.
14 Moreover all the chiefs of the priests
and the people trespassed very greatly after allthe abominations ofthenations; and
they polluted Yahweh’s house which he
had made holy in Jerusalem.
15 Yahweh, the God of their fathers, sent
to them by his messengers, rising up early
and sending, because he had compassion
on his people and on his dwelling place;
16 but they mocked the messengers of
God, despised his words, and scoffed at
his prophets, until Yahweh’s wrath arose
against his people, until there was no remedy.
17 Therefore he brought on them the
king of the Chaldeans, who killed their
young men with the sword in the house
of their sanctuary, and had no compassion
on young man or virgin, old man or infirm.
He gave them all into his hand.
18 All the vessels of God’s house, great
and small, and the treasures of Yahweh’s
house, and the treasures of the king and of
his princes, all these he brought to Babylon.
19 They burned God’s house, broke
down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its
palaces with fire, and destroyed all of its
valuable vessels.
20 He carried those who had escaped
from the sword away to Babylon, and they
were servants to him and his sons until the
reign of the kingdom of Persia,
21 to fulfill Yahweh’s word by Jeremiah’s
mouth, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths.
As long as it lay desolate, it kept
Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.
22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of
Persia, that Yahweh’s word by the mouth
of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of
Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also
in writing, saying,
23 Cyrus king of Persia says,Yahweh,the God of heaven,
has given all the kingdoms of the earth to me; and he has
commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever
there is among you of all his people, Yahweh his God be with him, and let him go
up.