Judah's Last Kings
Study note
After Josiah's death, Judah's last four kings ruled in quick succession. Jehoahaz lasted only three months before Egypt deposed him. Jehoiakim ruled eleven years doing evil and was taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. Jehoiachin ruled only three months and ten days before Nebuchadnezzar took him to Babylon too, along with treasures from the temple. Finally, Zedekiah was placed on the throne.
1 The people of the land chose Jehoahaz son of Josiah. They made him king in Jerusalem to take his father's place. Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's stead in Jerusalem.
2 Jehoahaz was 23 years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for only three months. Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
3 The king of Egypt removed him from power in Jerusalem and forced the land to pay a fine of about 3.75 tons of silver and 75 pounds of gold. And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
4 The king of Egypt put Jehoahaz's brother Eliakim on the throne of Judah and Jerusalem and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Then Necho took Jehoahaz away to Egypt. And 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.
5 Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years. He did what the Lord his God considered evil. Jehoiakim 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.
6 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked him. He put him in bronze chains and took him to Babylon. Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.
7 Nebuchadnezzar also took some items from the Lord's temple back to Babylon. He put them in his own temple there. Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.
8 Everything else about Jehoiakim's rule, the terrible things he did, and all the charges against him are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. His son Jehoiachin became the next king. 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 stead.
9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for just three months and ten days. He did what the Lord considered evil. Jehoiachin 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.
10 In spring, King Babylon sent for Jehoiachin. He took him to Babylon with prized items from the Lord's temple. He made Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem. Zedekiah was Jehoiachin's kin. And 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.
Zedekiah and the Fall of Jerusalem
Study note
Zedekiah was 21 when he became king and reigned eleven years. He did evil and refused to humble himself before the prophet Jeremiah. He rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar despite having sworn an oath of loyalty to him. The priests and people also became increasingly unfaithful, defiling the temple with pagan practices. God sent messenger after messenger to warn them, because he had compassion on his people and his temple. But they mocked God's messengers, despised his words, and ridiculed his prophets until God's wrath could no longer be held back.
11 Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years. Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
12 He did what the Lord his God considered evil. He refused to humble himself before the prophet Jeremiah, who spoke the word of the Lord. And 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.
13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear loyalty in God's name. He became stubborn and hardened his heart, refusing to turn back to the Lord, the God of Israel. And 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.
14 All the leading priests and the people also grew worse and worse. They copied the disgusting practices of the nations around them. They made the Lord's temple unclean, even though he had made it holy in Jerusalem. Moreover 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.
15 The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent warnings again and again through his messengers. He felt pity for his people and his temple. And 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:
16 But they made fun of God's messengers, ignored his words, and laughed at his prophets. Finally, the Lord's anger rose against his people until there was no remedy for things. But 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.
The Destruction of Jerusalem
Study note
God brought the king of Babylon against them. The Babylonians killed the young men in the temple, had no mercy on anyone — young or old, male or female — and took everything. They burned God's temple, broke down Jerusalem's wall, burned all the palaces, and destroyed every valuable item. The survivors were carried off to Babylon, where they became servants until Persia rose to power. The land lay desolate for seventy years, fulfilling Jeremiah's prophecy and giving the land its missed Sabbath rests.
17 So God brought the king of Babylon to attack them. He killed their young men with swords right inside the temple. He showed no mercy to young men or young women, to old people or to the sick. God handed them all over to Nebuchadnezzar. Therefore 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.
18 Nebuchadnezzar carried everything from God's temple to Babylon, both large and small items. He also took the treasures from the Lord's temple, from the king's palace, and from the officials' homes. And 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.
19 They set fire to God's temple. They tore down Jerusalem's wall. They burned all the palaces. They wrecked every prized thing in the city. And 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.
20 He took everyone who survived the sword to Babylon as prisoners. They became servants to him and his sons until the Persian empire took power. And 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:
21 This is how the Lord's word spoken through Jeremiah came true. The land finally got its rest. For the whole time it lay empty, it kept its Sabbath rest, until seventy years had passed. To 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.
Cyrus's Decree: Hope Returns
Study note
In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia — fulfilling Jeremiah's prophecy — the Lord moved Cyrus's heart. Cyrus issued a proclamation throughout his empire: 'The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a temple in Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you — may the Lord their God be with them, and let them go up.' These last words of hope set the stage for the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, when the exiles would return to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple.
22 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus to make an announcement throughout his whole kingdom. He also had it written down. This happened so the Lord's word spoken through Jeremiah would come true. Now 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,
23 The announcement said, "This is what Cyrus king of Persia declares: 'The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has chosen me to build a temple for him in Jerusalem in the land of Judah. Anyone among his people is free to go. May the Lord their God be with them.'" Thus 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.