2 Kings 24

New American Standard Bible

Babylon Controls Jehoiakim

24 ^(A)In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years; then he turned and revolted against him. ² And the Lord sent against him ^(B)bands of Chaldeans, ^(C)bands of Arameans, ^(D)bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites. He sent them against Judah to destroy it, ^(E)in accordance with the word of the Lord which He had spoken through His servants the prophets. ^3 (F)It indeed came upon Judah at the ^[a]command of the Lord, to remove them from His sight ^(G)due to the sins of Manasseh, in accordance with everything that he had done, ⁴ and ^(H)also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the Lord was unwilling to forgive. ⁵ Now 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?

Jehoiachin Reigns

⁶ So ^(I)Jehoiakim ^[b]lay down with his fathers, and his son Jehoiachin became king in his place. ⁷ Now ^(J)the king of Egypt did not come out of his land again, ^(K)because the king of Babylon had taken everything that belonged to the king of Egypt from ^(L)the brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates.

^8 (M)Jehoiachin was ^(N)eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. ⁹ He did evil in the sight of the Lord, ^(O)in accordance with all that his father had done.

Deportation to Babylon

¹⁰ At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon went up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. ¹¹ And Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came to the city, while his servants were besieging it. ¹² Then ^(P)Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, his mother, his servants, his commanders, and his officials. And ^(Q)the king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign. ^13 (R)He also brought out from there all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house, and he ^(S)smashed all the articles of gold ^(T)that Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the Lord, just as the Lord had said. ¹⁴ Then ^(U)he led into exile all the people of Jerusalem and all the commanders and all the valiant warriors, ^(V)ten thousand exiles, and ^(W)all the craftsmen and the smiths. None were left ^(X)except the poorest people of the land.

¹⁵ So ^(Y)he led Jehoiachin into exile to Babylon; also the king’s mother, the king’s wives, and his officials and the leading men of the land, he led into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. ¹⁶ And all the valiant men, ^(Z)seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths, a thousand, all strong and fit for war, these too the king of Babylon brought into exile to Babylon.

Zedekiah Made King

^17 (AA)Then the king of Babylon made ^[c]his uncle Mattaniah king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

^18 (AB)Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was ^(AC)Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. ¹⁹ He did evil in the sight of the Lord, ^(AD)in accordance with everything that Jehoiakim had done. ²⁰ For it was ^(AE)due to the anger of the Lord that this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, until He cast them out of His presence. And ^(AF)Zedekiah revolted against the king of Babylon.