1THEN the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's stead in Jerusalem. 2And Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3And the king of Egypt deposed him, 4And he made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Pharaoh the lame took Jehoahaz his brother and carried him to Egypt, and he died there.

5Jehoiakim was twenty-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 chains to carry him to Babylon. 7Nebuchadnezzar also carried away some of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon and put them in his temple in Babylon. 8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and the abominations which he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah; and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

9Jehoiachin was eighteen 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, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon sent a force against him and brought him to Babylon, both him and the precious vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

11Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who prophesied from the mouth of the LORD. 13And he also rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by the name of the LORD; but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart and would not pray before the LORD God of Israel. 14Moreover all the chiefs of the priests and of the Levites and of the people transgressed very much after all the abominations of the nations, and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.

15And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, giving useful advice in advance; because he had compassion on his people and on the flock that he had chosen; 16But they laughed at the messengers of the LORD and despised their words and mocked his prophets until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. 17Therefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and who had no compassion upon young men or virgins, nor upon the old men, nor upon babies; he delivered them all into his hand. 18And all the vessels of the house of the LORD, 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 burned the house of the LORD and broke down the walls of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all the costly vessels thereof. 20And those who had escaped from the sword he carried away captive to Babylon, where they became servants to him and to his sons until the LORD delivered the kingdom to the Persians; 21To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah the prophet until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths, all the days that it lay desolate until the seventy years were completed.

22Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah the prophet might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, 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 with whom the LORD his God is pleased? Let him go up, and let him come to me.