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 犹大地的人民选了约西亚的儿子约哈斯， 立他在耶路撒冷接续他父亲作王。

2 约哈斯登基的时候， 是二十三岁； 他在耶路撒冷作王共三个月。

3 埃及王在耶路撒冷把他废了， 又罚犹大地缴纳三千四百公斤银子， 三十四公斤金子。

4 后来埃及王立了约哈斯的兄弟以利雅敬作王， 统治犹大和耶路撒冷， 又给他改名叫约雅敬； 尼哥却把约雅敬的兄弟约哈斯带到埃及去了。

5 约雅敬登基的时候， 是二十五岁； 他在耶路撒冷作王共十一年， 行耶和华他的 神看为恶的事。

6 巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒上来攻打他， 用铜链锁住他， 把他带到巴比伦去。

7 尼布甲尼撒又把耶和华殿里一部分的器皿带回巴比伦， 放在巴比伦他的神庙里。

8 约雅敬其余的事迹， 和他所行可憎的事， 以及他的遭遇， 都记在以色列和犹大列王记上。他的儿子约雅斤接续他作王。

9 约雅斤登基的时候， 是八岁； 他在耶路撒冷作王共三个月零十天， 行耶和华看为恶的事。

10 过了年， 尼布甲尼撒派人去把约雅斤和耶和华殿里的珍贵的器皿， 一起带到巴比伦来。他立了约雅斤的叔叔西底家， 作犹大和耶路撒冷的王。

11 西底家登基的时候， 是二十一岁； 他在耶路撒冷作王共十一年，

12 他行耶和华他的 神看为恶的事； 耶利米先知奉耶和华的命令警戒他， 他仍不在耶利米面前谦卑下来。

13 尼布甲尼撒王曾经使他指着 神起誓， 他还是背叛了尼布甲尼撒； 他顽固执拗， 不肯归向耶和华以色列的 神。

14 此外， 所有的祭司长和人民也都大大地得罪 神， 随从列国所行一切可憎的事； 他们污秽了耶和华在耶路撒冷分别为圣的殿。

15 耶和华他们列祖的 神， 因为爱惜自己的子民和居所， 就常常差派使者警戒他们。

16 他们却戏弄 神的使者， 藐视他的话， 讥诮他的先知， 以致耶和华的忿怒临到他的子民身上， 直到无法挽救。

17 耶和华使迦勒底人的王上来攻打他们， 在他们的圣殿里用刀杀了他们的壮丁， 少男和少女以及年老衰弱的， 他们都不怜惜； 耶和华把所有这些人都交在迦勒底王的手里。

18 迦勒底王把 神殿里所有的器皿， 无论大小， 和耶和华殿里的财宝， 以及王和众领袖的财宝， 都带到巴比伦去。

19 迦勒底人烧了 神的殿， 拆毁了耶路撒冷的城墙， 用火烧了城里所有的宫殿， 又毁坏了城里一切珍贵的器皿。

20 脱离刀剑的人， 迦勒底王都把他们掳到巴比伦去， 作他和他的子孙的奴仆， 直到波斯国兴起的时候。

21 这样， 就应验了耶和华借耶利米所说的话： 直到这地享满了安息， 因为这地在荒凉的日子， 就享安息， 直到满了七十年。

22 波斯王古列元年， 耶和华为要应验他借耶利米所说的话， 就感动波斯王古列的心， 使他通告全国， 并且下诏书说：

23 "波斯王古列这样说： ‘耶和华天上的 神已经把地上万国赐给我。他指派我在犹大的耶路撒冷为他建造殿宇。你们中间凡是他的子民， 都可以上去； 愿耶和华他的 神和他同在！ ’"