Jehoahaz Succeeds Josiah
(2 Kings 23:31–35)

1And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah, and they made him king in place of his father in Jerusalem.

2Joahaz† was a son of three and twenty years in his reigning, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. 3And the king of Egypt turned him aside at Jerusalem, and he imposed a fine on the land, a hundred talents of silver† and a talent of gold.†

4And the king of Egypt caused Eliakim his brother to reign over Judah and Jerusalem, and he turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Neco took Joahaz his brother and carried him off to Egypt.

Jehoiakim Reigns in Judah
(2 Kings 23:36–37)

5Jehoiakim was a son of twenty-five years in his reigning, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. And he did evil in the eyes of YHWH his God.

6Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him and bound him in bronze to carry him off to Babylon. 7And some of the articles from the house of YHWH, Nebuchadnezzar carried off to Babylon, and he put them in his temple† at Babylon.

8And the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and the abominations that he did, and what was found against him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.

Jehoiachin Reigns in Judah
(2 Kings 24:6–9)

9Jehoiachin was a son of eighteen† years in his reigning, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. And he did evil in the eyes of YHWH.

10And at the return of the year† King Nebuchadnezzar summoned him and took him to Babylon, with the desirable vessels from the house of YHWH, and he caused Zedekiah his brother† to reign over Judah and Jerusalem.

Zedekiah Reigns in Judah
(2 Kings 24:18–20; Jeremiah 52:1–3)

11Zedekiah was a son of twenty-one years in his reigning, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. 12And He did evil in the eyes of YHWH his God; he did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet from the mouth of YHWH.

13And also he rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had caused him to swear by God. And he stiffened his neck and strengthened† his heart against turning to YHWH, God of Israel. 14Moreover, all the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied to commit a trespass according to all the abominations of the nations, and they defiled the house of YHWH that He had consecrated in Jerusalem.

The Fall of Jerusalem
(2 Kings 25:1–7)

15And YHWH, God of their fathers, sent to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. 16And they mocked the messengers of God and despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of YHWH arose against His people, until there was no healing.

17And He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans,† and he killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and he had no compassion on young man or virgin, on the aged or the weak. He gave all into his hand. 18And all the articles from the house of God—great and small, and the treasures of the house of YHWH, and the treasures of the king and of his leaders—the entirety he brought in to Babylon. 19And they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and all its palaces they burned with the fire and destroyed all the desirable vessels.

20And he carried away those who escaped from the sword to Babylon, and they were unto him and unto his sons for servants until the reigning of the kingdom of Persia,

21to fulfill the word of YHWH by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. All the days of her desolation she kept Sabbath, to the fullness of seventy years.†

The Proclamation of Cyrus
(Ezra 1:1–4; Isaiah 45:1–25)

22And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of YHWH by the mouth of Jeremiah, YHWH stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, and he caused to pass over a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also in writing, saying,

23“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia:

‘All the kingdoms of the earth, YHWH God of the heavens has given to me, and He has commanded to me to build for Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

Who is among you⁺ of all his people? YHWH his God be with him, and may he go up.’”

Footnotes:

2 Joahaz is a variant of Jehoahaz; also in verse 4
3 100 talents is approximately 3.77 tons or 3.42 metric tons of silver.
3 A talent is approximately 75.4 pounds or 34.2 kilograms of gold.
7 Or palace
9 One Hebrew manuscript, some LXX manuscripts, and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 24:8); most Hebrew manuscripts eight
10 That is in the spring of the year
10 Or relative or uncle
13 Or hardened or made courageous
17 That is, the Babylonians
21 See Jeremiah 25:12 and Jeremiah 29:10.