2 Kings 24

Babylon Controls Jehoiakim

11In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years; then he turned and rebelled against him. 2The Lord sent against him 2bands of Chaldeans, 3bands of Arameans, 4bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites. So He sent them against Judah to destroy it, 5according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken through His servants the prophets. 36Surely at the 7command of the Lord it came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight 8because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4and 9also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the Lord would not forgive. 5Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

Jehoiachin Reigns

6So 10Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son became king in his place. 711The king of Egypt did not come out of his land again, 12for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from 13the brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates.

814Jehoiachin was 15eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9He did evil in the sight of the Lord, 16according to all that his father had done.

Deportation to Babylon

10At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon went up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. 11And Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came to the city, while his servants were besieging it. 1217Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he and his mother and his servants and his captains and his officials. So 18the king of Babylon took him captive in the eighth year of his reign. 1319He carried out from there all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house, and 20cut in pieces all the vessels of gold 21which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the Lord, just as the Lord had said. 14Then 22he led away into exile all Jerusalem and all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, 23ten thousand captives, and 24all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained 25except the poorest people of the land.

15So 26he led Jehoiachin away into exile to Babylon; also the king’s mother and the king’s wives and his officials and the leading men of the land, he led away into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16All the men of valor, 27seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths, one thousand, all strong and fit for war, and these the king of Babylon brought into exile to Babylon.

Zedekiah Made King

1728Then the king of Babylon made 29his uncle Mattaniah king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

1830Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was 31Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 19He did evil in the sight of the Lord, 32according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 20For 33through the anger of the Lord this came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence. And 34Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.