2 Kings 24

Judah Overrun by Enemies

1 In *2 Chr. 36:6; Jer. 25:1, 9; Dan. 1:1his days Nebuchadnezzar king of *2 Kin. 20:14Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 *Jer. 25:9; 32:28; 35:11; Ezek. 19:8And the Lord sent against him raiding bands of Chaldeans, bands of Syrians, bands of Moabites, and bands of the people of Ammon; He sent them against Judah to destroy it, *2 Kin. 20:17; 21:12–14; 23:27according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken by His servants the prophets. 3 Surely at the commandment of the Lordthis came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight *2 Kin. 21:2, 11; 23:26because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4 *2 Kin. 21:16and also because of the innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the Lord would not pardon.

5 Now 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? 6 *2 Chr. 36:6, 8; Jer. 22:18, 19So Jehoiakim rested with his fathers. Then Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.

7 And *Jer. 37:5–7the king of Egypt did not come out of his land anymore, for *Jer. 46:2the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the Brook of Egypt to the River Euphrates.

The Reign and Captivity of Jehoiachin

8 *1 Chr. 3:16; 2 Chr. 36:9Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father had done.

10 *Dan. 1:1At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, as his servants were besieging it. 12 *Jer. 22:24–30; 24:1; 29:1, 2; Ezek. 17:12Then Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his servants, his princes, and his officers went out to the king of Babylon; and the king of Babylon, *2 Chr. 36:10in the eighth year of his reign, took him prisoner.

The Captivity of Jerusalem

13 *2 Kin. 20:17; Is. 39:6And he carried out from there all the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house, and he *Dan. 5:2, 3cut in pieces all the articles of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the Lord, *Jer. 20:5as the Lord had said. 14 Also *Is. 3:2, 3; Jer. 24:1he carried into captivity all Jerusalem: all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, *2 Kin. 24:16; Jer. 52:28ten thousand captives, and *1 Sam. 13:19all the craftsmen and smiths. None remained except *2 Kin. 25:12the poorest people of the land. 15 And *2 Chr. 36:10; Esth. 2:6; Jer. 22:24–28; Ezek. 17:12he carried Jehoiachin captive to Babylon. The king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officers, and the mighty of the land he carried into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 *Jer. 52:28All the valiant men, seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths, one thousand, all whowere strong and fit for war, these the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.

Zedekiah Reigns in Judah

17 Then *Jer. 37:1the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, *1 Chr. 3:15; 2 Chr. 36:10Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place, and *2 Chr. 36:4changed his name to Zedekiah.

18 *2 Chr. 36:11; Jer. 52:1Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was*2 Kin. 23:31Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 19 *2 Chr. 36:12He also did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 20 For because of the anger of the Lordthis happened in Jerusalem and Judah, that He finally cast them out from His presence. *2 Chr. 36:13; Ezek. 17:15Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.