1 Durante o reinado do rei Joaquim, Nabucodonozor, rei da Babilónia, atacou Jerusalém. Joaquim rendeu-se e teve de pagar-lhe tributo durante três anos; depois rebelou-se. 2 O Senhor enviou bandos de caldeus, arameus, moabitas e amonitas contra Judá, a fim de destruir a nação, tal como o Senhor tinha avisado pela boca dos seus profetas que aconteceria. 3 Não havia dúvida de que estes ataques caíam sobre Judá mandados pelo Senhor que decidira castigar duramente Judá, varrê-lo para longe da sua vista, devido aos muitos pecados de Manassés. 4 Pois tinha enchido Jerusalém de sangue e, por isso, o Senhor não quis perdoá-lo.

5 O resto dos acontecimentos da vida de Joaquim está relatado no Livro das Crónicas dos Reis de Judá. 6 Quando morreu, o seu filho Jeconias subiu ao trono em seu lugar. 7 O Faraó egípcio nunca mais saiu da sua terra, porque o rei da Babilónia ocupou toda a região que tinha sido dominada pelo Egito, toda a terra de Judá, desde o ribeiro do Egito até ao rio Eufrates.

8 O novo rei de Judá foi Jeconias. Tinha 18 anos quando começou a reinar e reinou 3 meses em Jerusalém. A sua mãe chamava-se Neusta e era filha de Elnatã, de Jerusalém. 9 Foi um mau reinado aos olhos do Senhor, tal como o do seu pai.

10 Durante o seu reinado, os exércitos do rei da Babilónia cercaram a cidade de Jerusalém. 11 O próprio Nabucodonozor chegou a Jerusalém durante o cerco. 12 O rei Jeconias, com todo o seu estado maior e os responsáveis pela administração do reino e a rainha mãe tiveram de render-se.

Jeconias foi feito prisioneiro e enviado para a Babilónia, durante o oitavo ano do reinado de Nabucodonozor. 13 Os babilónios levaram todos os tesouros do templo e do palácio real. Quebraram os vasos de ouro que o rei Salomão de Israel tinha colocado no templo por indicação do Senhor. 14 O rei Nabucodonozor levou 10 000 cativos de Jerusalém, incluindo as altas individualidades, guerreiros de elite, comerciantes e artesãos. Apenas os mais pobres de entre o povo e os que não tinham profissão foram deixados na sua terra.

15 Nabucodonozor levou assim o rei Jeconias, as suas mulheres, os chefes da administração pública e a rainha mãe para a Babilónia. 16 Também transferiu 7000 dos melhores soldados do exército e 1000 carpinteiros e ferreiros, todos gente capaz e forte para a guerra. 17 O rei da Babilónia nomeou como rei o tio de Jeconias, chamado Matanias, mudando o seu nome para Zedequias.

18 Zedequias tinha 21 anos quando se tornou rei e reinou 11 anos em Jerusalém. O nome de sua mãe era Hamutal, filha de Jeremias de Libna. 19 Fez o que era mau aos olhos do Senhor, conforme os atos anteriormente praticados por Joaquim. 20 As coisas tornaram-se muito más em Jerusalém e em Judá, por causa da ira do Senhor, e ele os baniu da sua presença.

Zedequias revoltou-se contra o rei da Babilónia.

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.