2 KingsChapter 24
Tap any verse to comment or suggest a better wording.
1While Jehoiakim was king, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came and attacked. So Jehoiakim had to serve him. He did this for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. 2So the LORD sent raiders against Jehoiakim. They came to destroy Judah. They were from Chaldea, Aram, Moab, and Ammon. The LORD had said this would happen. He spoke it through his servants the prophets. 3This surely happened to Judah at the LORD's command. He did it to send them away from his presence. It was because of the sins of Manasseh and all he had done. 4It was also because Manasseh had killed people who did no wrong. He filled Jerusalem with their blood. And the LORD would not forgive. 5The rest of what Jehoiakim did is written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. It tells about all he did. 6Jehoiakim died and joined his ancestors. His son Jehoiachin became king in his place. 7The king of Egypt did not march out of his land again. The king of Babylon had taken all of his land. He took it all, from the Brook of Egypt to the Euphrates River. 8Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for three months. His mother's name was Nehushta. She was the daughter of Elnathan, and she came from Jerusalem. 9Jehoiachin did evil in the eyes of the LORD. He did just as his father had done. 10At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched up to Jerusalem. Their army closed in all around the city. 11Then Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city himself. His officers were all around it. 12Then Jehoiachin king of Judah gave up to the king of Babylon. His mother gave up too. So did his servants, his leaders, and his officials. The king of Babylon took Jehoiachin as a prisoner. It was the eighth year that the king of Babylon ruled. 13The king of Babylon took all the treasures from the house of the LORD. He took all the treasures from the king's palace too. The LORD had said this would happen. Solomon king of Israel had made gold things for the LORD's temple. He cut them all into pieces. 14He took all of Jerusalem away as captives. He took all the leaders and brave soldiers. He took all the skilled workers and metal workers. In all, he took 10,000 people. Only the poorest people of the land were left. 15The king of Babylon took Jehoiachin away to Babylon. He took the king's mother and wives too. He took his officials and the leaders of the land. He took them all from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16The king of Babylon also took all 7,000 brave soldiers to Babylon. He took 1,000 skilled workers and metal workers too. All of them were strong and ready to fight. 17Then the king of Babylon made Mattaniah king in Jehoiachin's place. Mattaniah was Jehoiachin's uncle. The king of Babylon gave him a new name, Zedekiah. 18Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 11 years. His mother's name was Hamutal. She was the daughter of Jeremiah, and she came from Libnah. 19Zedekiah did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as Jehoiakim had done. 20All this happened to Jerusalem and Judah because the LORD was angry. In the end he sent them away from his presence. And Zedekiah also rebelled against the king of Babylon.