﻿2 Chronicles.
Chapter 36.
The people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father. 
Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 
The king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem and imposed a fine on the land of about 7,500 pounds of silver and about 75 pounds of gold. 
The king of Egypt made Eliakim, Joahaz's brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Necho took Joahaz, Eliakim's brother, and brought him to Egypt. 
Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD his God. 
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon. 
Nebuchadnezzar also took some of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon and placed them in his temple in Babylon. 
The rest of Jehoiakim's deeds, the detestable things he did, and what was found against him are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. His son Jehoiachin reigned in his place. 
Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD. 
At the turn of the year, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon with the precious vessels of the house of the LORD. He made Zedekiah, Jehoiachin's brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem. 
Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 
He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD his God. He did not humble himself before the prophet Jeremiah, who spoke from the mouth of the LORD. 
He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against returning to the LORD, the God of Israel. 
All the leading priests and the people also became increasingly unfaithful, following all the detestable practices of the nations. They defiled the house of the LORD, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem. 
The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had compassion on his people and his dwelling place. 
But they mocked God's messengers, despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets until the LORD's wrath rose against his people and there was no remedy. 
So he brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in their sanctuary. He had no compassion on young man or young woman, on the old or the frail. God gave them all into his hand. 
He brought to Babylon all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king and his officials—everything. 
They burned the house of God, tore down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces, and destroyed all its precious articles. 
He exiled to Babylon those who had escaped the sword, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. 
This fulfilled the word of the LORD through Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. Throughout its desolation it rested, until seventy years were fulfilled. 
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia. He issued a proclamation throughout his kingdom and also put it in writing: 
“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem in Judah. Whoever among you belongs to his people, may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.” 
