Jehoahaz King of Judah

1Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's stead in Jerusalem.

2Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.

3And the king of Egypt dethroned him at Jerusalem, and imposed on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

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.

Jehoiakim King of Judah

5Jehoiakim 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.

6Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.

7Nebuchadnezzar also carried part of the articles of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.

8Now 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.

Jehoiakin King of Judah

9Jehoiachin 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.

10And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the costly articles from the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

Zedekiah King of Judah

11Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.

12And 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.

13And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart against turning unto the LORD God of Israel.

14Moreover all the leaders of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much according to all the abominations of the nations; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.

The Fall of Jerusalem

15And the LORD God of their fathers sent word to them by his messengers, sending them time and again; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:

16But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

17Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed 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 was stooped for age: he gave them 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 princes; all these he brought to Babylon.

19And they burnt the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its costly possessions.

20And those that had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia:

21To fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths: for as long as it lay desolate it kept sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years.

The Proclamation of Cyrus

22Now 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, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

23Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth has the LORD God of heaven given me; and he has charged me to build him a 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.