1 Durante o reinado de Jeoaquim, Nabucodonosor, rei da Babilônia, invadiu a terra de Judá. Jeoaquim se rendeu e lhe pagou tributo por três anos, mas depois se rebelou. 2 Então o Senhor enviou bandos de saqueadores babilônios,*24.2 Ou caldeus. sírios, moabitas e amonitas contra o reino de Judá para destruí-lo, como tinha anunciado por meio de seus profetas. 3 Essas desgraças aconteceram a Judá por ordem do Senhor. Ele havia resolvido expulsar Judá de sua presença por causa dos muitos pecados de Manassés, 4 que havia enchido Jerusalém de sangue inocente. O Senhor não perdoou esse pecado.

5 Os demais acontecimentos do reinado de Jeoaquim e tudo que ele fez estão registrados no Livro da História dos Reis de Judá. 6 Quando Jeoaquim morreu e se reuniu a seus antepassados, seu filho Joaquim foi seu sucessor.

7 Depois disso, o rei do Egito não se atreveu a sair de suas fronteiras, pois o rei da Babilônia conquistou toda a região que antes havia pertencido ao Egito, desde o ribeiro do Egito até o rio Eufrates.

8 Joaquim tinha 18 anos quando começou a reinar, e reinou em Jerusalém por três meses. Sua mãe se chamava Neústa e era filha de Elnatã, de Jerusalém. 9 Fez o que era mau aos olhos do Senhor, como seus antepassados.

10 Durante o reinado de Joaquim, os oficiais de Nabucodonosor, rei da Babilônia, subiram contra Jerusalém e a cercaram. 11 O próprio Nabucodonosor chegou à cidade durante o cerco. 12 Então Joaquim, rei de Judá, a rainha-mãe, os conselheiros, os comandantes e os oficiais se renderam aos babilônios.

No oitavo ano de seu reinado, Nabucodonosor levou Joaquim como prisioneiro. 13 Conforme o Senhor havia declarado de antemão, Nabucodonosor levou embora todos os tesouros do templo do Senhor e do palácio real. Removeu*24.13 Ou Cortou em pedaços. todos os utensílios de ouro que Salomão, rei de Israel, havia colocado no templo. 14 O rei Nabucodonosor deportou gente de toda a cidade de Jerusalém, incluindo todos os comandantes e os melhores soldados, artífices e ferreiros, dez mil pessoas ao todo. Só ficaram na terra os mais pobres.

15 Nabucodonosor levou cativos para a Babilônia o rei Joaquim, a rainha-mãe, as esposas e os oficiais do rei e todos os nobres de Jerusalém. 16 Também deportou sete mil soldados, todos fortes e aptos para a guerra, além de mil artífices e ferreiros. 17 Então o rei da Babilônia escolheu Matanias, tio de Joaquim,*24.17 Em hebraico, tio dele. como rei de Judá e mudou o nome dele para Zedequias.

18 Zedequias tinha 21 anos quando começou a reinar, e reinou em Jerusalém por onze anos. Sua mãe se chamava Hamutal e era filha de Jeremias, de Libna. 19 Fez o que era mau aos olhos do Senhor, como Jeoaquim antes dele. 20 Estas coisas aconteceram por causa da ira do Senhor contra o povo de Jerusalém e de Judá. Por fim, ele os expulsou de sua presença e os mandou para o exílio.

Zedequias se rebelou contra o rei da Babilônia.

1 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets.*24.2 by: Heb. by the hand of 3 Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; 4 And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he 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 So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. 7 And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land: for the king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt.

8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother’s name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.*24.8 Jehoiachin: also called Jeconiah and Coniah 9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.

10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.*24.10 was…: Heb. came into siege 11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it. 12 And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.*24.12 officers: or, eunuchs*24.12 his reign: Nebuchadnezzar’s eighth year 13 And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said. 14 And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land. 15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.*24.15 officers: or, eunuchs 16 And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.

17 And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father’s brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah. 18 Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 19 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 20 For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.