1 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father’s place in Jerusalem. 2 Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3 The king of Egypt removed him from office at Jerusalem, and fined the land one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 4 The king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Neco took Joahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.

5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did that which was evil in Yahweh his God’s sight. 6 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him, and bound him in fetters to carry him to Babylon. 7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried some of the vessels of Yahweh’s house 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 place.

9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight. 10 At the return of the year, king Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the valuable vessels of Yahweh’s house, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 He did that which was evil in Yahweh his God’s sight. He didn’t humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from Yahweh’s mouth. 13 He also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God; but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart against turning to Yahweh, the God of Israel. 14 Moreover all the chiefs of the priests and the people trespassed very greatly after all the abominations of the nations; and they polluted Yahweh’s house which he had made holy in Jerusalem.

15 Yahweh, the God of their fathers, sent to them by his messengers, rising up early and sending, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place; 16 but they mocked the messengers of God, despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until Yahweh’s wrath arose against his people, until there was no remedy.

17 Therefore he brought on them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or infirm. He gave them all into his hand. 18 All the vessels of God’s house, great and small, and the treasures of Yahweh’s house, and the treasures of the king and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon. 19 They burned God’s house, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all of its valuable vessels. 20 He carried those who had escaped from the sword away to Babylon, and they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia, 21 to fulfill Yahweh’s word by Jeremiah’s mouth, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. As long as it lay desolate, it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that Yahweh’s word by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 23 "Cyrus king of Persia says, ‘Yahweh, the God of heaven, has given all the kingdoms of the earth to me; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, Yahweh 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!