2 Chronicles

Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father’s stead in Jerusalem.

1The people of the land chose Jehoahaz, the son of Josiah. They made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.

2Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.

2Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for three months.

3And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

3The king of Egypt took him off the throne in Jerusalem. He made the land pay a fine of a hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold.

NoteA talent was a big weight of silver or gold, about 75 pounds. This fine was a huge amount of money.

4And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.

4The king of Egypt made Eliakim, the brother of Jehoahaz, king over Judah and Jerusalem. He changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. Then Necho took Jehoahaz away to Egypt.

5Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.

5Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years. He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD his God.

6Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.

6Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, came to fight him. He tied Jehoiakim with chains to take him to Babylon.

7Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.

7Nebuchadnezzar also took some things from the LORD's house, the building in Jerusalem where people worshiped God. He carried them to Babylon and put them in his own temple there.

8Now 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 stead.

8The rest of the things Jehoiakim did are written down. So are the disgusting things he did and all that was found against him. You can read them in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. His son Jehoiachin became king after him.

9Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.

9Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for three months and ten days. He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD.

NoteThe King James Version says Jehoiachin was eight years old. Other old copies say eighteen, and most modern Bibles use that number.

10And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

10In the spring King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him. He brought Jehoiachin to Babylon along with the fine things from the LORD's house. He made Zedekiah, a relative of Jehoiachin, king over Judah and Jerusalem.

11Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.

11Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years.

12And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD.

12He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD his God. He would not listen humbly to Jeremiah, a prophet who spoke the words God gave him.

13And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel.

13Zedekiah also turned against King Nebuchadnezzar. He had promised in God's name to stay loyal to him. But Zedekiah was stubborn and hard inside. He would not turn back to the LORD, the God of Israel.

14Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.

14The leaders of the priests and the people were unfaithful again and again. They copied the disgusting things the other nations did. They spoiled the LORD's house in Jerusalem, which God had set apart for himself.

15And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:

15The LORD, the God of their fathers, kept sending messages to them. He sent his messengers again and again. He did this because he cared about his people and about his house.

16But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

16But they laughed at God's messengers. They ignored his words and made fun of his prophets. At last the LORD became angry with his people. By then nothing could fix it.

17Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.

17So God brought the king of the Chaldeans, that is Babylon, against them. That king killed their young men with swords, even inside the holy house. He showed no pity for young men or young women. He showed no pity for old people or those bent over with age. God handed them all over to him.

18And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon.

18He carried everything off to Babylon. He took all the things from God's house, big and small. He took the treasures of the LORD's house, and of the king and his officials.

19And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.

19They burned God's house down. They broke down the wall around Jerusalem. They burned all its palaces and destroyed everything of value.

20And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:

20The people who lived through the fighting were taken away to Babylon. There they had to serve the king and his sons. That lasted until Persia became the ruling kingdom.

21To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.

21This happened just as the LORD had said through Jeremiah. The land finally got its sabbaths, its times of rest. It lay empty and rested for seventy years.

22Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

22In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, God's word through Jeremiah came true. The LORD stirred up Cyrus to make an announcement. Cyrus sent it all through his kingdom and also wrote it down.

23Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.

23Cyrus, king of Persia, said this: "The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has told me to build him a house in Jerusalem, in Judah. Is anyone here one of his people? May the LORD his God be with him. Let him go up there."