2 Kings 24

Jehoiakim’s Rebellion and Death

1 During  * 24:1–6 2Ch 36:6–8 Jehoiakim’s reign,  * 24:1 2Kg 23:26–27 King Nebuchadnezzar  * 24:1 2Kg 24:10–11; Dn 1:1 of Babylon  * 24:1 2Kg 20:14 attacked.  * 24:1 Jr 35:11 Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years, and then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 The Lord sent Chaldean, Aramean,  * 24:2 2Kg 6:23 Moabite,  * 24:2 2Kg 13:20 and Ammonite raiders against Jehoiakim. He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord he had spoken through his servants the prophets.  * 24:2 2Kg 23:273 Indeed, this happened to Judah at the Lord’s command to remove them from his presence.  * 24:3 2Kg 18:25 It was because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all he had done,  * 24:3 2Kg 23:264 and also because of all the innocent blood he had shed. He had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood,  * 24:4 2Kg 21:16 and the Lord was not willing to forgive.

5 The rest of the events of Jehoiakim’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.  * 24:5 2Kg 23:286 Jehoiakim rested with his ancestors, and his son Jehoiachin became king in his place.  * 24:5–6 Jr 22:18–19

7 Now the king of Egypt did not march out of his land again,  * 24:7 Jr 37:5–7 for the king of Babylon took everything that had belonged to the king of Egypt,  * 24:7 Jr 46:2 from the Brook of Egypt to the Euphrates River.  * 24:7 Gn 15:18; 1Kg 4:21; Is 27:12

Judah’s King Jehoiachin

8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem.  * 24:8–9 2Ch 36:9; Jr 22:24–309 He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight just as his father had done.

Deportations to Babylon

10 At that time  * 24:10–17 2Ch 36:10 the servants of King Nebuchadnezzar  * 24:10 2Kg 24:1; Dn 1:1 of Babylon marched up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. 11 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it. 12 King Jehoiachin of Judah, along with his mother, his servants, his commanders, and his officials,  * 24:12 Or eunuchs surrendered to the king of Babylon.  * 24:12 2Kg 25:27; Jr 22:24–30

So the king of Babylon took him captive in the eighth year of his reign. 13 He also carried off from there all the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king’s palace, and he cut into pieces all the gold articles that King Solomon of Israel had made  * 24:13 1Kg 7:48–50 for the Lord’s sanctuary, just as the Lord had predicted.  * 24:13 2Kg 20:16–18; Is 39:5–714 He deported all Jerusalem and all the commanders and all the best soldiers  * 24:14 Jr 24:1  — ten thousand captives  * 24:14 Jr 52:28 including all the craftsmen and metalsmiths.  * 24:14 Jr 24:1; 29:2 Except for the poorest people of the land,  * 24:14 2Kg 25:12 no one remained.

15 Nebuchadnezzar deported Jehoiachin to Babylon. He took the king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officials, and the leading men of the land into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.  * 24:15 2Ch 36:10; Jr 22:24–2816 The king of Babylon brought captive into Babylon all seven thousand of the best soldiers and one thousand craftsmen and metalsmiths — all strong and fit for war. 17 And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s  * 24:17 Lit his uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.  * 24:17 1Ch 3:15; 2Ch 36:11; Jr 1:3

Judah’s King Zedekiah

18 Zedekiah  * 24:18 Jr 27:1; 28:1 was twenty-one years old when he became king,  * 24:18–20 2Ch 36:11–12; Jr 52:1–3 and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal  * 24:18 2Kg 23:31 daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. 19 Zedekiah did what was evil in the Lord’s sight just as Jehoiakim had done.  * 24:19 2Kg 23:3720 Because of the Lord’s anger,  * 24:20 Dt 4:26; 29:27; 2Kg 23:26 it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he finally banished them from his presence.  * 24:20 2Kg 13:23 Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.  * 24:20 2Ch 36:13; Ezk 17:15