1. rael and Judah.
1. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.
2. Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for three months.
3. The king of Egypt dethroned him in Jerusalem and imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
4. The king of Egypt made Eliakim, a brother of Jehoahaz, king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Necho took Eliakim’s brother Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt.
5. Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God.
6. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked him and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.
7. Nebuchadnezzar also took to Babylon articles from the temple of the Lord and put them in his temple there.
8. The other events of Jehoiakim’s reign, the detestable things he did and all that was found against him, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king.
9. Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for three months and ten days. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord.
10. In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon, together with articles of value from the temple of the Lord, and he made Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah, king over Judah and Jerusalem.
11. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years.
12. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the Lord.
13. He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath in God’s name. He became stiff-necked and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord, the God of Israel.
14. Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful, following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.
15. The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling-place.
16. But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.
17. He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men or young women, the elderly or the infirm. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.
18. He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials.
19. They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.
20. He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power.
21. The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfilment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.
22. In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfil the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:
23. ‘This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:‘ “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord their God be with them.” ’Footnotes for the Book of 2 Chroniclesa In Hebrew texts 2:1 is numbered 1:18, and 2:2-18 is numbered 2:1-17.b 3 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hiram; also in verses 11 and 12c 8 Probably a variant of almugd 10 That is, probably about 3,200 metric tons of wheate 10 That is, probably about 2,700 metric tons of barleyf 10 That is, about 440,000 litresa 1 That is, about 9 metres long and wide and 4.5 metres highb 2 That is, about 2.3 metresc 2 That is, about 14 metresd 3 That is, about 45 centimetrese 5 That is, about 7.5 centimetresf 5 That is, about 66,000 litresg 17 Hebrew Zeredatha, a variant of Zarethana 19 The Hebrew is plural.b 21 See some Septuagint manuscripts, Old Latin, Syriac, Arabic and Targum; Hebrew And though this temple is now so imposing, alla 4 Or and the ascent by which he went up tob 9 That is, about 4 metric tonsc 10 Probably a variant of almug-woodd 13 That is, about 23 metric tonse 15 That is, about 6.9 kilogramsf 16 That is, about 3.5 kilogramsg 21 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshishh 21 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hirami 25 Or charioteersa 1 That is, Judah, as frequently in 2 Chroniclesb 3 That is, people from the upper Nile regiona In Hebrew texts 14:1 is numbered 13:23, and 14:2-15 is numbered 14:1-14.b 3 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah; here and elsewhere in 2 Chroniclesa 4 Also known as Abel Beth Maakahb 8 That is, people from the upper Nile regionc 8 Or charioteersa 2 Or and make alliances witha 2 That is, Judah, as frequently in 2 Chroniclesb 17 Hebrew Jehoahaz, a variant of Ahaziaha 6 Or are to stand guard where the Lord has assigned themb 14 Or out from the precinctsc 16 Or covenant between the Lord and the people and the king that they (see 2 Kings 11:17)a 4 Deut. 24:16b 6 That is, about 3.4 metric tons; also in verse 9c 17 Hebrew Joash, a variant of Jehoash; also in verses 18, 21, 23 and 25d 23 Hebrew Jehoahaz, a variant of Ahaziahe 23 That is, about 180 metresf 28 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 14:20) Davida 5 That is, about 3.4 metric tonsb 5 That is, probably about 1,600 metric tons of wheatc 5 That is, probably about 1,350 metric tons of barleya 21 Or purification offering; also in verses 23 and 24a 4 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac kingb 5 Or the Milloc 22 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate He gave them resta 20 Also called Akbor son of Micaiahb 22 One Hebrew manuscript, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts do not have had sent with him.c 22 Also called Tikvahd 22 Also called Harhase 25 Or by everything they have done