¶ Then the people¹ of the land took Jehoahaz² the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's stead in Jerusalem.

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

And the king of Egypt put him down³ at Jerusalem, and condemned⁴ the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

And the king of Egypt made Eliakim⁵ his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho⁶ took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.

Jehoiakim⁷ 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.

Against him came up⁸ Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters⁹, to carry him to Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels¹⁰ of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.

Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written¹¹ in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin¹² his son reigned in his stead.

Jehoiachin was eight years old¹⁶ 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.

¶ And when the year was expired¹⁷, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels¹⁸ of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah¹⁹ his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

¶ Zedekiah was one and twenty²¹ years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.

And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled²² not himself before Jeremiah²³ the prophet speaking from the mouth²⁴ of the LORD.

And he also rebelled²⁵ against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had²⁶ made him swear by God: but he stiffened²⁷ his neck, and hardened²⁸ his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel.

Moreover all the chief²⁹ of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much³⁰ after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted³¹ the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.

And the LORD³² God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers³³, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:

But they mocked³⁴ the messengers of God, and despised³⁵ his words, and misused³⁶ his prophets, until the wrath³⁷ of the LORD arose against his people, till³⁸ there was no remedy³⁹.

Therefore he brought⁴⁰ upon them the king⁴¹ of the Chaldees, who slew⁴² their young men with the sword in the house⁴³ of their sanctuary, and had no compassion⁴⁴ upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.

And all the vessels⁴⁵ of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures⁴⁶ of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon.

And they burnt⁴⁷ the house of God, and brake down⁴⁸ the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.

¶ And them that had escaped⁴⁹ from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign⁵⁰ of the kingdom of Persia:

To fulfil⁵¹ the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land⁵² had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.

¶⁵³Now in the first⁵⁴ year of Cyrus⁵⁵ king of Persia, that the word⁵⁶ of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred⁵⁷ up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation⁵⁸ throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms⁵⁹ of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged⁶⁰ me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there⁶¹ among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.