1Then the people of the land took his son, Jehoahaz, and made him king in Jerusalem in Josiah's stead. 2Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign over Judah, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3The king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem, and imposed a levy of a hundred talents (7,500 pounds) of silver, and a talent (75 pounds) of gold upon Judah. 4And the king of Egypt made Eliakim, Jehoahaz’s brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Neco took Jehoahaz 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 eyes of the LORD, his God. 6Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came up against him, bound him in bronze chains, and took him to Babylon. 7Nebuchadnezzar also took some of the articles of the Temple of the LORD, and put them in his temple at Babylon. 8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, his abominable acts, and all he was guilty of, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah; and his son, Jehoiachin, reigned in his stead.

9Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began his reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem; and he did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD. 10And in the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin to Babylon, along with precious items from the Temple of the LORD, and made Zedekiah, Jehoiachin’s brother, king of Judah and Jerusalem.

11Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began his reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12And he did evil in the eyes of the LORD, his God, nor did he humble himself before Jeremiah, the prophet, who spoke for the LORD. 13Then he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear allegiance by God; but he was stubborn, and refused to turning to the LORD God of Israel. 14Moreover, all the leaders of the priests, and the people, transgressed more and more in all their abominable practices of the pagan nations; and polluted the Temple of the LORD which God had hallowed in Jerusalem. 15And the LORD God of their fathers sent His messengers to them again and again, rising early; because He had compassion on His people, and on His dwelling place. 16But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words, and abusing His prophets, until they aroused the wrath of the LORD against His people, until there was no remedy. 17Then He brought the king of the Chaldeans against them, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no pity upon young man or maiden, old man, or those stooped with age; He turned them all over to the king of the Chaldeans. 18And all the utensils and treasures of the Temple of God, great and small, and the treasures of the king, and of his officials; all these, the king of the Chaldeans took to Babylon. 19And they burned the Temple of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces, and destroyed all its precious vessels. 20And he took to Babylon those who had survived the sword, where they served him and his sons until the future rise to power of the kingdom of Persia: 21This was to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by the prophet Jeremiah (Jer.25:11-12), until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths for seventy years; for as long as she lay desolate she kept the Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

22Now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order that the word of the LORD, spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah, might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred the heart of Cyrus, king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom - and also put it in writing – that said: 23“Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia, ‘The LORD God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and He has appointed me to build Him a Temple in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are among His people may go up; and may the LORD, your God, be with you as you go.’”