2 Kings

In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.

1While Jehoiakim was king, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, attacked. Jehoiakim had to obey him for three years. Then Jehoiakim turned against him and stopped obeying.

2And 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.

2The LORD sent groups of fighters against Jehoiakim. They came from Babylon, Syria, Moab, and Ammon. They came to ruin Judah. This is what the LORD had said would happen. He said it through his prophets, the men who spoke his words to people.

3Surely 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;

3This came upon Judah because the LORD said so. He sent them away from himself. It was because of the sins of Manasseh, an earlier king, and all he did.

4And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon.

4It was also because Manasseh killed people who had done nothing wrong. He filled Jerusalem with their blood. The LORD would not forgive that.

5Now 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?

5The other things Jehoiakim did are written down. You can read them in the book of the history of Judah's kings.

6So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

6Then Jehoiakim died, like his fathers before him. His son Jehoiachin became king in his place.

Note"Slept with his fathers" is an old way of saying a king died and was buried with his family.

7And 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.

7The king of Egypt did not march out of his own land again. The king of Babylon had taken all his land. He took it from the brook of Egypt all the way to the Euphrates River.

8Jehoiachin 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.

8Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king. He was king in Jerusalem for only three months. His mother was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan, from Jerusalem.

9And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.

9He did what the LORD says is wrong. He did the same things his father had done.

10At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.

10At that time the soldiers of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon marched to Jerusalem. They surrounded the city so no one could go in or out.

NoteTo "besiege" a city means an army camps all around it. No food or help can get in, so the city has to give up.

11And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.

11Then King Nebuchadnezzar himself came to the city. His soldiers were still holding it shut.

12And 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.

12Jehoiachin, king of Judah, went out and gave himself up. His mother, his servants, his leaders, and his officers went too. The king of Babylon took him away. This was in Nebuchadnezzar's eighth year as king.

13And 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.

13He carried off all the treasure from the LORD's house and from the king's house. He cut up all the gold dishes and cups that King Solomon had made for the temple. The LORD had said this would happen.

NoteThe KJV word "vessels" means bowls, cups, and dishes used in the temple, not boats.

14And 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.

14He took away the people of Jerusalem: the leaders, the brave soldiers, and every skilled worker who made things from wood and metal. That was ten thousand people in all. Only the poorest people were left in the land.

15And 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.

15He took Jehoiachin away to Babylon. He also took the king's mother, the king's wives, his officers, and the important men of the land. He marched them from Jerusalem to Babylon.

16And 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.

16The king of Babylon brought seven thousand strong fighting men to Babylon. He also brought a thousand skilled workers who made things from wood and metal. All of them were strong and ready to fight.

17And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father’s brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

17The king of Babylon made Mattaniah the new king. Mattaniah was Jehoiachin's uncle. The king of Babylon changed his name to Zedekiah.

18Zedekiah 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.

18Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king. He was king in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah.

19And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

19He did what the LORD says is wrong. He did the same things Jehoiakim had done.

20For 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.

20All this happened in Jerusalem and Judah because the LORD was angry. In the end he sent them away from himself. And Zedekiah also turned against the king of Babylon.