The Reign and Captivity of Jehoahaz^(A)

36 Then ^(B)the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father’s place in Jerusalem. ^2 [a]Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. ³ Now the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem; and he imposed on the land a tribute of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. ⁴ Then the king of Egypt made ^[b]Jehoahaz’s brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took ^[c]Jehoahaz his brother and carried him off to Egypt.

The Reign and Captivity of Jehoiakim^(C)

^5 (D)Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did ^(E)evil in the sight of the Lord his God. ^6 (F)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him, and bound him in ^[d]bronze fetters to ^(G)carry him off to Babylon. ^7 (H)Nebuchadnezzar also carried off some of the articles from the house of the Lord to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. ⁸ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, the abominations which he did, and what was found against him, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. Then ^[e]Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.

The Reign and Captivity of Jehoiachin^(I)

^9 (J)Jehoiachin was ^[f]eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord. ¹⁰ At the turn of the year ^(K)King Nebuchadnezzar summoned him and took him to Babylon, ^(L)with the costly articles from the house of the Lord, and made ^(M)Zedekiah,^{[g] [h]}Jehoiakim’s brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem.

Zedekiah Reigns in Judah^(N)

^11 (O)Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. ¹² He did evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and ^(P)did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord. ¹³ And he also ^(Q)rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God; but he ^(R)stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord God of Israel. ¹⁴ Moreover all the leaders of the priests and the people transgressed more and more, according to all the abominations of the nations, and defiled the house of the Lord which He had consecrated in Jerusalem.

The Fall of Jerusalem^(S)

^15 (T)And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. ¹⁶ But ^(U)they mocked the messengers of God, ^(V)despised His words, and ^(W)scoffed at His prophets, until the ^(X)wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy.

^17 (Y)Therefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who ^(Z)killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, on the aged or the weak; He gave them all into his hand. ^18 (AA)And all the articles from the house of God, great and small, the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his leaders, all these he took to Babylon. ^19 (AB)Then they burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious possessions. ²⁰ And ^(AC)those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, ^(AD)where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, ²¹ to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of ^(AE)Jeremiah, until the land ^(AF)had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate ^(AG)she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

The Proclamation of Cyrus^(AH)

^22 (AI)Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of ^(AJ)Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of ^(AK)Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,

Hananiah’s Falsehood and Doom

28 And ^(A)it happened in the same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the ^(B)fourth year and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of ^(C)Azur the prophet, who was from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying, ² “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘I have broken ^(D)the yoke of the king of Babylon. ^3 (E)Within two full years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon ^(F)took away from this place and carried to Babylon. ⁴ And I will bring back to this place ^[a]Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah who went to Babylon,’ says the Lord, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’ ”

⁵ Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the people who stood in the house of the Lord, ⁶ and the prophet Jeremiah said, ^(G)“Amen! The Lord do so; the Lord perform your words which you have prophesied, to bring back the vessels of the Lord’s house and all who were carried away captive, from Babylon to this place. ⁷ Nevertheless hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: ⁸ The prophets who have been before me and before you of old prophesied against many countries and great kingdoms—of war and disaster and pestilence. ⁹ As for ^(H)the prophet who prophesies of ^(I)peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the Lord has truly sent.”

¹⁰ Then Hananiah the prophet took the ^(J)yoke off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck and broke it. ¹¹ And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Even so I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon ^(K)from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years.’ ” And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.

¹² Now the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying, ¹³ “Go and tell Hananiah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made in their place yokes of iron.” ¹⁴ For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ^(L)“I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him. ^(M)I have given him the beasts of the field also.” ’ ”

¹⁵ Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Hear now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, but ^(N)you make this people trust in a ^(O)lie. ¹⁶ Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you shall ^(P)die, because you have taught ^(Q)rebellion against the Lord.’ ”

¹⁷ So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.