2 Kings 24

¹ In his times, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for threeyears, but then rebelled against him a second time.

² So he sent armed bands of Chaldaeans, Aramaeans, Moabites and Ammonites against him; he sentthese against Judah to destroy it, in accordance with the word which Yahweh had spoken through his servantsthe prophets.

³ It was entirely due to Yahweh's anger that this happened to Judah; he had resolved to thrust themaway from him because of Manasseh's sins and al that he had done,

⁴ and also because of the innocent blood which he had shed, flooding Jerusalem with innocent blood.Yahweh would not forgive.

⁵ The rest of the history of Jehoiakim, his entire career, is this not recorded in the Book of the Annals ofthe Kings of Judah?

⁶ Then Jehoiakim fell asleep with his ancestors; his son Jehoiachin succeeded him.

⁷ The king of Egypt did not leave his own country again, because the king of Babylon had conqueredeverywhere belonging to the king of Egypt, from the Torrent of Egypt to the River Euphrates.

⁸ Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he came to the throne, and he reigned for three months inJerusalem. His mother's name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.

⁹ He did what is displeasing to Yahweh, just as his father had done.

¹⁰ At that time the troops of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem, and the city wasbesieged.

¹¹ Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon advanced on the city and his generals laid siege to it.

¹² Jehoiachin king of Judah-he, his mother, his retinue, his nobles and his officials -- then surrendered tothe king of Babylon, and the king of Babylon took them prisoner in the eighth year of his reign.

¹³ The latter carried off al the treasures of the Temple of Yahweh and the treasures of the palace andbroke up al the golden furnishings which Solomon king of Israel had made for the sanctuary of Yahweh, asYahweh had foretold.

¹⁴ He carried al Jerusalem off into exile, all the nobles and al the notables, ten thousand of these wereexiled, with al the blacksmiths and metalworkers; only the poorest people in the country were left behind.

¹⁵ He deported Jehoiachin to Babylon, as also the king's mother, his officials and the nobility of thecountry; he made them al leave Jerusalem for exile in Babylon.

¹⁶ Al the men of distinction, seven thousand of them, the blacksmiths and metalworkers, one thousandof them, al the men capable of bearing arms, were led off into exile in Babylon by the king of Babylon.

¹⁷ The king of Babylon deposed Jehoiachin in favour of his paternal uncle Mattaniah, whose name hechanged to Zedekiah.

¹⁸ Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he came to the throne, and he reigned for eleven years inJerusalem. His mother's name was Hamital daughter of Jeremiah, of Libnah.

¹⁹ He did what is displeasing to Yahweh, just as Jehoiakim had done.

²⁰ It was entirely due to Yahweh's anger that this happened to Jerusalem and Judah. It resulted in hiscasting them from his presence. Zedekiah rebel ed against the king of Babylon.