2Ki 24-25, 2Ch 36, Isa 47:6, Jer 39:1-8, 51:34-35, 52:1 | ESV | STEP | In his days , Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up , and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years . Then he turned and rebelled against him.

1 ^aIn his days, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 And the Lord sent against him bands of the ^bChaldeans and ^cbands of the Syrians and bands of the Moabites and bands of the Ammonites, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, ^daccording to the word of the Lord that he spoke by his servants the prophets. 3 Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the Lord, to remove them out of his sight, ^efor the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4 and also ^ffor the innocent blood that he had shed. For he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord would not pardon. 5 ^gNow the rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 6 So Jehoiakim ^hslept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place. 7 ⁱAnd the king of Egypt did not come again out of his land, ^jfor the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt ^kfrom the Brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates.

Jehoiachin Reigns in Judah

8 ^lJehoiachin was ^meighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, ⁿaccording to all that his father had done.

Jerusalem Captured

10 At that time the servants of ^oNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 11 And ^pNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it, 12 ^qand Jehoiachin the king of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon, himself and his mother and his servants and his officials and his palace officials. ^rThe king of Babylon took him prisoner ^sin the eighth year of his reign 13 and carried off all the treasures of the house of the Lord ^tand the treasures of the king’s house, ^uand cut in pieces all the vessels of gold in the temple of the Lord, ^vwhich Solomon king of Israel had made, ^was the Lord had foretold. 14 ^xHe carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, ^y10,000 captives, ^zand all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, ^aaexcept the poorest people of the land. 15 ^abAnd he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. The king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officials, and the chief men of the land he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 And the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, ^ac7,000, and the craftsmen and the metal workers, 1,000, all of them strong and fit for war. 17 ^adAnd the king of Babylon ^aemade Mattaniah, ^afJehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place, ^agand changed his name to Zedekiah.

Zedekiah Reigns in Judah

18 ^ahZedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was ^aiHamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 19 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, ^ajaccording to all that Jehoiakim had done. 20 For because of the anger of the Lord it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence.

^akAnd Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

2 Kings 25

Fall and Captivity of Judah

1 ^alAnd in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, ^amNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it. ^anAnd they built siegeworks all around it. 2 So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 3 On the ninth day of the fourth month ^aothe famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. 4 Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, by ^apthe king’s garden, and ^aqthe Chaldeans were around the city. And they went in the direction of the ^arArabah. 5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. 6 Then they captured the king ^asand brought him up to the king of Babylon at ^atRiblah, and they passed sentence on him. 7 They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, ^auand put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains and took him to Babylon.

8 ^avIn the fifth month, on ^awthe seventh day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9 ^axAnd he burned the house of the Lord ^ayand the king’s house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. 10 And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, ^azbroke down the walls around Jerusalem. 11 ^baAnd the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile. 12 But the captain of the guard left ^bbsome of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.

13 ^bcAnd the pillars ^bdof bronze that were in the house of the Lord, and ^bethe stands and ^bfthe bronze sea that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon. 14 ^bgAnd they took away the pots and the shovels and the snuffers and the dishes for incense and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service, 15 the fire pans also and the bowls. What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver. 16 As for the two pillars, the one sea, and the stands that Solomon had made for the house of the Lord, ^bhthe bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. 17 ^biThe height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, ^{▼▼A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters} and on it was a capital of bronze. The height of the capital was three cubits. A latticework and pomegranates, all of bronze, were all around the capital. And the second pillar had the same, with the latticework.

18 ^bkAnd the captain of the guard took ^blSeraiah the chief priest and ^bmZephaniah the second priest and the three keepers of the threshold; 19 and from the city he took an officer who had been in command of the men of war, and ^bnfive men of the king’s council who were found in the city; and the secretary of the commander of the army, who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were found in the city. 20 And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at ^boRiblah. 21 And the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at ^bpRiblah in the land of Hamath. ^bqSo Judah was taken into exile out of its land.

Gedaliah Made Governor of Judah

22 And over the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed ^brGedaliah the son of ^bsAhikam, son of Shaphan, governor. 23 ^btNow when all the captains and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, they came with their men to Gedaliah at ^buMizpah, namely, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite. 24 And Gedaliah swore to them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid because of the Chaldean officials. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.” 25 ^bvBut in the seventh month, ^bwIshmael the son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down Gedaliah and put him to death along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. 26 ^bxThen all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

Jehoiachin Released from Prison

27 ^byAnd in the thirty-seventh year of ^bzthe exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously ^cafreed ^{▼▼Hebrew reign, lifted up the head of} Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. 28 And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life ^cche dined regularly at the king’s table, 30 and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, as long as he lived.

2 Chronicles 36

Judah’s Decline

1 ^cdThe people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and made him king in his father’s place in Jerusalem. 2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3 Then the king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem and ^celaid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent ^{▼▼A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms} of gold. 4 And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Jehoahaz his brother and carried him to Egypt.

5 ^cgJehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. 6 ^chAgainst him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon ^ciand bound him in chains ^cjto take him to Babylon. 7 ^ckNebuchadnezzar also carried part of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his palace in Babylon. 8 ^clNow 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.

9 ^cmJehoiachin was eighteen ^{▼▼Septuagint (compare 2 Kings 24:8); most Hebrew manuscripts eight} years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 10 In ^cothe spring of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, ^cpwith the precious vessels of the house of the Lord, and made his brother ^cqZedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.

11 ^crZedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. He did not humble himself before ^csJeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord. 13 ^ctHe also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. ^cuHe stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord, the God of Israel. 14 All the officers of the priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations. And they polluted the house of the Lord that he had made holy in Jerusalem.

15 The Lord, the God of their fathers, ^cvsent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 ^cwBut they kept mocking the messengers of God, ^cxdespising his words and scoffing at his prophets, ^cyuntil the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.

Jerusalem Captured and Burned

17 ^czTherefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged. He gave them all into his hand. 18 ^daAnd 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 princes, all these he brought to Babylon. 19 ^dbAnd they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its precious vessels. 20 He ^dctook into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, ^ddand they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, 21 to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had ^deenjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate ^dfit kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

The Proclamation of Cyrus

22 ^dgNow in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, ^dhthat the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, ^dithe Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 23 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up.’”

Isaiah 47:6

6 ^djI was angry with my people;
I profaned my heritage;
I gave them into your hand;
^dkyou showed them no mercy;
on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy.

Jeremiah 39:1-8

The Fall of Jerusalem

1 ^dlIn the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, a breach was made in the city. 3 Then all ^dmthe officials of the king of Babylon came ^dnand sat in the middle gate: Nergal-sar-ezer of Samgar, Nebu-sar-sekim ^dothe Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, with all the rest of the officers of the king of Babylon. 4 When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled, going out of the city at night by way of the king’s garden through the gate between the two walls; and they went toward ^dpthe Arabah. 5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in ^dqthe plains of Jericho. And when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, at ^drRiblah, in the land of Hamath; ^dsand he passed sentence on him. 6 The king of Babylon ^dtslaughtered the sons of Zedekiah at ^duRiblah before his eyes, and the king of Babylon ^dvslaughtered all the nobles of Judah. 7 ^dwHe put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains to take him to Babylon. 8 ^dxThe Chaldeans burned the king’s house and the house of the people, ^dyand broke down the walls of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 51:34-35

34 “Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon ^dzhas devoured me;
he has crushed me;
he has made me an empty vessel;
^eahe has swallowed me like ^eba monster;
he has filled his stomach with my delicacies;
he has rinsed me out. ^{▼▼Or he has expelled me}
35 The violence done to me and to my kinsmen be upon Babylon,”
let the inhabitant of Zion say.
“My blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea,”
let Jerusalem say.

Jeremiah 52:1

The Fall of Jerusalem Recounted

1 ^edZedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.