 1 The people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's place in Jerusalem. 2 Jehoahaz was 23 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3 The king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and laid a fine of 100 talents of silver and a talent of gold on the land. 4 The king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother and carried him to Egypt. 5 Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did the evil in the sight of the Lord his God. 6 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came up against him and bound him in chains to carry him to Babylon. 7 Nebuchadnezzar carried away some of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. 8 The rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and his abominations that he did and that were found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place. 9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. And he did the evil in the sight of the Lord. 10 When the year ended, King Nebuchadnezzar brought him to Babylon with the valuable vessels from the house of the Lord and he made his brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem. 11 Zedekiah was 21 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 He did the evil in the sight of the Lord his God. He was not humbled before Jeremiah the prophet, from the mouth of the Lord. 13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. But he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart from turning to the Lord God of Israel. 14 All the chief of the priests and the people transgressed much after all the abominations of the nations. They polluted the house of the Lord that He had made holy in Jerusalem. 15 The Lord God of their fathers sent to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending, for He had pity on His people and on His dwelling place. 16 But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and ill treated His prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people until there was no healing. 17 He caused the king of the Chaldeans to go up against them and he killed their choice ones by the sword in the house of their holy place. He had no pity on the young man and the virgin, the old man and the very aged. He gave all into his hand. 18 All the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his rulers, he brought all to Babylon. 19 They burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all the palaces of it with fire, and destroyed all its beautiful vessels. 20 The ones who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia, 21 to fulfill the Word of the Lord in the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days of the desolation it kept the Sabbath, to the full measure of 70 years. 22 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, so that the Word of the Lord in the mouth of Jeremiah might be done, the Lord stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also in writing saying, 23 Thus says King Cyrus of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth have been given to me by the Lord God. And He has commanded me to build Him a house in Jerusalem that is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.
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