1Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's place in Jerusalem. 2Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3And the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem and laid a fine of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold on the land. 4And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother and carried him to Egypt.

5Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. 6Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon came up against him and bound him in chains to carry him to Babylon. 7And Nebuchadnezzar carried away some of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon and put them in his temple at Babylon. 8And 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.

9In the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Jehoiachin became king and reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.

10And when the year had ended, King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon with the valuable vessels of the house of the LORD. And he made his brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.

11Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet who spoke from the mouth of the LORD. 13And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. But he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart instead of turning to the LORD God of Israel. 14Moreover, all the chief of the priests and the people transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen. And they polluted the house of the LORD which He had made holy in Jerusalem.

15And the LORD God of their fathers sent word to them by His messengers, again and again, for He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. 16But they mocked the messengers of God and despised His words, and illtreated His prophets until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people until there was no remedy. 17And He caused the king of the Chaldeans to go up against them. And he killed their choice ones by the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no pity on the young man and the virgin, nor on the old man and the very aged; He gave all into his hand. 18And 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 rulers, he brought all these to Babylon. 19And they burned the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all the palaces of it with fire, and destroyed all its beautiful vessels. 20Then the ones who had escaped from the sword, he carried away to Babylon where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia, 21To fulfill the Word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days of the desolation it kept the Sabbath to the full measure of seventy years.

22And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, so that the Word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing, saying, 23"Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: 'All the kingdoms of the earth have been given to me by the LORD God. And He has commanded me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!' "