1 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father’s stead in Jerusalem. 2 Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3 And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 4 And 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.

5 Jehoiakim 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. 6 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon. 7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. 8 Now 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.

9 Jehoiachin 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. 10 And 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.

11 Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 And 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. 13 And 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.

14 Moreover 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. 15 And 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: 16 But 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. 17 Therefore 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. 18 And 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 And 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. 20 And 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: 21 To 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.

22 Now 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, 23 Thus 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.

1 En die volk van die land het Joahas, die seun van Jos¡a, geneem en hom koning gemaak in die plek van sy vader in Jerusalem.

2 Drie en twintig jaar was Joahas oud toe hy koning geword het, en drie maande het hy in Jerusalem geregeer.

3 En die koning van Egipte het hom in Jerusalem afgesit en die land 'n boete opgelê van honderd talente silwer en 'n talent goud.

4 Daarop het die koning van Egipte sy broer ljakim koning gemaak oor Juda en Jerusalem en sy naam verander in Jojakim; maar Nego het sy broer Joahas saamgeneem en hom na Egipte gebring.

5 Vyf en twintig jaar was Jojakim oud toe hy koning geword het, en elf jaar het hy in Jerusalem geregeer; en hy het gedoen wat verkeerd was in die oë van die HERE sy God.

6 Nebukadn,sar, die koning van Babel, het teen hom opgetrek en hom met koperkettings geboei om hom na Babel te vervoer.

7 Ook van die voorwerpe van die huis van die HERE het Nebukadn,sar na Babel gebring en dit in sy tempel in Babel gesit.

8 Die verdere geskiedenis van Jojakim en sy gruwels wat hy bedryf het, en wat verder by hom gevind is, kyk, dit is beskrywe in die Boek van die konings van Israel en Juda; en sy seun Jojagin het in sy plek koning geword.

9 Agttien jaar was Jojagin oud toe hy koning geword het, en drie maande en tien dae het hy in Jerusalem geregeer; en hy het gedoen wat verkeerd was in die oë van die HERE.

10 By die wisseling van die jaar het koning Nebukadn,sar gestuur en hom na Babel laat bring, saam met die kosbare voorwerpe van die huis van die HERE, en sy broer Sedek¡a koning oor Juda en Jerusalem gemaak.

11 Een en twintig jaar was Sedek¡a oud toe hy koning geword het, en elf jaar het hy in Jerusalem geregeer.

12 En hy het gedoen wat verkeerd was in die oë van die HERE sy God; hy het hom nie verootmoedig nie voor Jerem¡a, die profeet, wat gespreek het uit die mond van die HERE.

13 En hy het ook gerebelleer teen koning Nebukadn,sar wat hom by God laat sweer het; maar hy was hardnekkig en het sy hart verhard, sodat hy hom nie tot die HERE, die God van Israel, bekeer het nie.

14 Ook al die owerstes van die priesters en die volk het baie ontrou gehandel, volgens al die gruwels van die heidene, en die huis van die HERE wat Hy in Jerusalem geheilig het, verontreinig.

15 En die HERE, die God van hulle vaders, het vroeg en laat na hulle gestuur deur die diens van sy boodskappers; want Hy het medelyde met sy volk en met sy woning gehad.

16 Maar hulle het die boodskappers van God uitgelag en sy woorde verag en met sy profete gespot, totdat die grimmigheid van die HERE teen sy volk opgekom het, totdat daar geen genesing meer was nie.

17 So het Hy dan die koning van die Chaldeërs teen hulle laat optrek, en die het hulle jongmanne met die swaard in die huis van hulle heiligdom gedood en geen jongman of jongmeisie, oue of gryse, verskoon nie: Hy het alles in sy hand gegee.

18 En al die voorwerpe van die huis van God, groot en klein, en die skatte van die huis van die HERE en die skatte van die koning en van sy vorste, alles het hy na Babel gebring.

19 En hulle het die huis van God verbrand en die muur van Jerusalem omgegooi en al die paleise daarvan met vuur verbrand, sodat al die kosbare voorwerpe daarvan vernietig is.

20 En die wat van die swaard oorgebly het, het hy na Babel in ballingskap weggevoer, en hulle het vir hom en sy seuns slawe geword, totdat die koninkryk van Persië tot heerskappy gekom het,

21 sodat die woord van die HERE deur die mond van Jerem¡a vervul sou word: totdat die land vir sy sabbatte vergoeding gekry het; al die dae van die verwoesting het dit gerus om sewentig jaar vol te maak.

22 En in die eerste jaar van Kores, die koning van Persië, het die HERE -- sodat die woord van die HERE deur die mond van Jerem¡a in vervulling sou gaan -- die gees van Kores, die koning van Persië, opgewek, dat hy 'n oproep deur sy hele koninkryk laat gaan het, selfs ook skriftelik, om te sê:

23 So sê Kores, die koning van Persië: Al die koninkryke van die aarde het die HERE, die God van die hemel, aan my gegee, en Hy het my opgedra om vir Hom 'n huis te bou in Jerusalem wat in Juda is. Enigeen onder julle wat aan sy volk behoort -- mag die HERE sy God met hom wees, en laat hom optrek!