1Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah , and made him king in his father’s stead in Jerusalem . 2Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign , and he reigned three months in Jerusalem . 3And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem , and condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold . 4And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem , and turned his name to Jehoiakim . And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother , and carried him to Egypt . 5Jehoiakim was twenty and 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 fetters , to carry him to Babylon . 7Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon , and put them in his temple at Babylon . 8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim , and his abominations which he did , and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah : and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. 9Jehoiachin was eight 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 .
The Exile to Babylon
10And when the year was expired , king Nebuchadnezzar sent , and brought him to Babylon , with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD , and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem . 11Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign , and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem . 12And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God , and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD . 13And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar , who had made him swear by God : but he stiffened his neck , and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel . 14Moreover all the chief of the priests , and the people , transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen ; 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 , rising up betimes , and sending ; because he had compassion on his people , and on his dwelling place : 16But they mocked the messengers of God , and despised his words , and misused his prophets , until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people , till there was no remedy . 17Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees , who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary , and had no compassion upon young man or maiden , old man , or him that stooped for age : he gave them all into his hand . 18And 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 . 19And they burnt the house of God , and brake down the wall of Jerusalem , and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire , and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. 20And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon ; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia : 21To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah , until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths : for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath , to fulfil threescore and ten years .
The Decree of Cyrus
22Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia , that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished , 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 saith Cyrus king of Persia , All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem , which is in Judah . Who is there among you of all his people ? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up .