Jehoiakim

34And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there.

Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim, another son of Josiah, king in his father's place. He changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. Then he took Jehoahaz away to Egypt, and Jehoahaz died there.

35And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh: he exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, of every one according to his taxation, to give it unto Pharaohnechoh.

Jehoiakim paid the silver and gold to Pharaoh. To get it, he made the people of the land pay taxes. Each person paid based on how much he owned. All of it went to Pharaoh Neco.

36Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother was Zebidah, daughter of Pedaiah, from the town of Rumah.

37And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.

He did what the LORD said was evil, just as his family before him had done.

1In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.

While 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.

The 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;

This 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.

It 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?

The 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.

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

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.

The 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.

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.

The 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.

Jehoiakim 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.

Nebuchadnezzar, 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.

Nebuchadnezzar 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.

The 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.

13Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour’s service without wages, and giveth him not for his work;

How sad for the man who builds his palace by cheating. He builds his upper rooms by doing wrong. He makes his own people work for nothing. He never pays them what they earned.

14That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is cieled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.

He says, "I will build myself a big palace with large upper rooms." He cuts windows into it. He covers the walls with cedar wood. He paints it bright red.

15Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him?

Does fine cedar wood make you a king? Your father had plenty to eat and drink. He was fair and did what was right. So things went well for him.

16He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD.

He made sure poor and needy people were treated fairly. So things went well for him. Isn't this what it means to know me? says the LORD.

17But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.

But your eyes and your heart want only one thing. You want money you have no right to. You want to kill innocent people. You want to bully and hurt others.

18Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory!

So the LORD says this about Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah. Nobody will cry for him. Nobody will say, "Oh, my brother!" or "Oh, my sister!" Nobody will say, "Oh, my master!" or "Oh, how great he was!"

19He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

He will be buried the way a donkey is buried. He will be dragged away and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem.

1The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;

This message came to Jeremiah about all the people of Judah. It came in the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah. Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah. That same year was the first year that Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon.

2The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,

Jeremiah was a prophet, someone who tells people what God says. He spoke to all the people of Judah. He also spoke to everyone living in Jerusalem. He said:

3From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.

"Josiah, the son of Amon, was king of Judah. From his thirteenth year until today, the LORD has spoken to me. That is twenty-three years. I told you his words again and again. But you have not listened.

4And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.

The LORD also sent you all his servants the prophets, again and again. But you did not listen. You would not even turn your ear to hear.

5They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever:

They said, 'Each of you, turn away from your evil ways. Stop the bad things you are doing. Then you can keep living in the land. The LORD gave this land to you and to your fathers forever.

6And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.

Do not follow other gods. Do not serve them or bow down to them. Do not make me angry with the things your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.'

7Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.

"But you did not listen to me," says the LORD. "You made me angry with the things your hands made. You only brought harm on yourselves."

8Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words,

So the LORD of Heaven's Armies says this. He is the God who leads great armies. "You have not obeyed my words.

9Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.

So I will call for all the families from the north, says the LORD. I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. I will bring them against this land and the people who live here. I will bring them against all the nations around here too. I will destroy them completely. People will stare in shock and whisper about them. The land will lie empty forever.

10Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle.

I will take away every happy sound among them. No more laughing. No more glad voices. No more voices of a bride and groom at a wedding. No more sound of grinding grain. No more light from a lamp.

11And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

This whole land will become empty and ruined. People will stare at it in shock. These nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.

1In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying,

This message came from the LORD to Jeremiah. It came early in the time when Jehoiakim was king of Judah. Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah.

2Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD’s house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD’s house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:

The LORD said: Go stand in the yard of my house, the temple. People come there from all the towns of Judah to worship. Tell them every word I command you to say. Do not leave out even one word.

3If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.

Maybe they will listen. Maybe each one will stop doing wrong and turn back to me. Then I will change my mind about the trouble I planned to send them. I planned it because of the evil things they do.

4And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,

You are to tell them this. The LORD says: You must listen to me. You must live by my law, the rules I gave you.

5To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;

You must listen to my servants the prophets. Prophets are people who tell others what God says. I sent them to you again and again, but you would not listen.

6Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.

If you will not listen, I will make this house like Shiloh. And I will make this city a name that people all over the world use when they curse.

7So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.

The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah say these words in the LORD's house.

8Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.

Jeremiah finished saying everything the LORD had told him to say. Then the priests, the prophets, and all the people grabbed him. They shouted, "You must die!"

9Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

"Why did you speak in the LORD's name and say such things? You said this house will be like Shiloh. You said this city will be empty, with no one living in it." All the people crowded around Jeremiah in the LORD's house.

10When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king’s house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD’s house.

The leaders of Judah heard what was happening. They came up from the king's palace to the LORD's house. They sat down at the doorway of the New Gate.

11Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.

Then the priests and the prophets spoke to the leaders and to all the people. "This man should be put to death. He spoke against this city. You heard him with your own ears."

12Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.

Then Jeremiah spoke to all the leaders and all the people. "The LORD sent me. He told me to say every word you heard against this house and this city."

13Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.

"So change your ways. Change the things you do. Obey the voice of the LORD your God. Then he may change his mind about the trouble he said he would send you."

14As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.

"As for me, I am in your hands. Do to me whatever you think is good and right."

15But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.

"But be sure of one thing. If you kill me, you are killing a man who has done nothing wrong. That guilt will fall on you, on this city, and on everyone here. The LORD really did send me to say all these words to you."

20And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjathjearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah:

There was another man who spoke for the LORD. He was Urijah son of Shemaiah, from the town of Kirjathjearim. He said the same things Jeremiah said against this city and this land.

21And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt;

King Jehoiakim, his strongest soldiers, and his leaders heard what Urijah said. The king wanted to put him to death. When Urijah heard this, he was afraid. He ran away to Egypt.

22And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt.

So King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt. He sent Elnathan son of Achbor, and some other men went with him.

23And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.

They brought Urijah out of Egypt to King Jehoiakim. The king had him killed with a sword. Then his body was thrown into the graveyard used for ordinary people.

24Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.

But Ahikam son of Shaphan stood by Jeremiah and helped him. So Jeremiah was not handed over to the people to be killed.

1The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,

This message came to Jeremiah from the LORD. Jeremiah was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. It came when Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah.

2Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.

God said, "Go to the Rechabite family and speak to them. Bring them into one of the rooms in the house of the LORD. Then offer them wine to drink."

3Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites;

So I took Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, whose grandfather was Habazziniah. I also took his brothers and all his sons. That was the whole Rechabite family.

4And I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door:

I brought them into the house of the LORD. We went into the room used by the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. That room was near the room of the leaders. It was above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, who guarded the door.

5And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink ye wine.

I set pitchers full of wine and some cups in front of the Rechabite men. I said to them, "Have some wine."

6But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever:

But they said, "We do not drink wine. Our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab gave us a rule. He said we must never drink wine, and neither must our children."

7Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers.

"He also said: never build a house. Do not plant seeds or grape vines, and do not own any. Live in tents all your lives. Then you will live many years in this land, where you move from place to place."

8Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters;

"We have obeyed our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab in everything he told us. We have never drunk wine. Not us, not our wives, not our sons or daughters."

9Nor to build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed:

"We have not built houses to live in. We own no grape fields, no farm fields, and no seed."

10But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.

"We have lived in tents instead. We have obeyed and done just what our forefather Jonadab told us."

11But it came to pass, when Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and for fear of the army of the Syrians: so we dwell at Jerusalem.

"But then Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, marched into our land. We said, 'Come, let us go into Jerusalem.' We were afraid of the army of Babylon and the army of Aram. So now we are living in Jerusalem."