1 rael and Judah.

1 And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.

Jehoahaz king of Judah

2 Jehoahazwas twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for three months.

3 The king of Egypt dethroned him in Jerusalem and imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talentsof silver and a talentof gold.

4 The king of Egypt made Eliakim, a brother of Jehoahaz, king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Necho took Eliakim’s brother Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt.

Jehoiakim king of Judah

5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lordhis God.

6 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked him and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.

7 Nebuchadnezzar also took to Babylon articles from the temple of the Lordand put them in his templethere.

8 The other events of Jehoiakim’s reign, the detestable things he did and all that was found against him, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king.

Jehoiachin king of Judah

9 Jehoiachin was eighteenyears old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for three months and ten days. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

10 In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon, together with articles of value from the temple of the Lord, and he made Jehoiachin’s uncle,Zedekiah, king over Judah and Jerusalem.

Zedekiah king of Judah

11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years.

12 He did evil in the eyes of the Lordhis God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the Lord.

13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath in God’s name. He became stiff-necked and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord, the God of Israel.

14 Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful, following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

The fall of Jerusalem

15 The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling-place.

16 But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lordwas aroused against his people and there was no remedy.

17 He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians,who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men or young women, the elderly or the infirm. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.

18 He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials.

19 They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.

20 He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power.

21 The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfilment of the word of the Lordspoken by Jeremiah.

22 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfil the word of the Lordspoken by Jeremiah, the Lordmoved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

23 ‘This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

‘ “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lordtheir God be with them.” ’

Footnotes for the Book of 2 Chronicles

a In Hebrew texts 2:1 is numbered 1:18, and 2:2-18 is numbered 2:1-17.

b3HebrewHuram,a variant ofHiram; also in verses 11 and 12

c8Probably a variant ofalmug

d10That is, probably about 3,200 metric tons of wheat

e10That is, probably about 2,700 metric tons of barley

f10That is, about 440,000 litres

a1That is, about 9 metres long and wide and 4.5 metres high

b2That is, about 2.3 metres

c2That is, about 14 metres

d3That is, about 45 centimetres

e5That is, about 7.5 centimetres

f5That is, about 66,000 litres

g17HebrewZeredatha,a variant ofZarethan

a19The Hebrew is plural.

b21See some Septuagint manuscripts, Old Latin, Syriac, Arabic and Targum; HebrewAnd though this temple is now so imposing, all

a4Orand the ascent by which he went up to

b9That is, about 4 metric tons

c10Probably a variant ofalmug-wood

d13That is, about 23 metric tons

e15That is, about 6.9 kilograms

f16That is, about 3.5 kilograms

g21Hebrewof ships that could go to Tarshish

h21HebrewHuram,a variant ofHiram

i25Orcharioteers

a1That is, Judah, as frequently in 2 Chronicles

b3That is, people from the upper Nile region

a In Hebrew texts 14:1 is numbered 13:23, and 14:2-15 is numbered 14:1-14.

b3That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah; here and elsewhere in 2 Chronicles

a4Also known asAbel Beth Maakah

b8That is, people from the upper Nile region

c8Orcharioteers

a2Orand make alliances with

a2That is, Judah, as frequently in 2 Chronicles

b17HebrewJehoahaz,a variant ofAhaziah

a6Orare to stand guard where the Lord has assigned them

b14Orout from the precincts

c16Orcovenant between the Lord and the people and the king that they(see 2 Kings 11:17)

a4Deut. 24:16

b6That is, about 3.4 metric tons; also in verse 9

c17HebrewJoash,a variant ofJehoash; also in verses 18, 21, 23 and 25

d23HebrewJehoahaz,a variant ofAhaziah

e23That is, about 180 metres

f28Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 14:20)David

a5That is, about 3.4 metric tons

b5That is, probably about 1,600 metric tons of wheat

c5That is, probably about 1,350 metric tons of barley

a21Orpurification offering; also in verses 23 and 24

a4Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriacking

b5Orthe Millo

c22Hebrew; Septuagint and VulgateHe gave them rest

a20Also calledAkbor son of Micaiah

b22One Hebrew manuscript, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts do not havehad sent with him.

c22Also calledTikvah

d22Also calledHarhas

e25Orby everything they have done

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/72/32k/2CH/36-2d59a77297cf1c20413affd7101189c2.mp3?version_id=113—