2 Chronicles 36
Babylon meddles with Judah
The people took Josiah’s son Jehoahaz and made him king in his father’s place. Jehoahaz was 23 years old when he began his reign, and he reigned for 3 months from Jerusalem. Then Egypt’s king overthrew him and demanded they pay a tribute of 7,500 pounds of silver and 7,500 pounds of gold. Egypt’s king appointed Eliakim (his brother) as king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Neco took his brother Jehoahaz away and brought him to Egypt.
Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he began his reign, and he reigned for 11 years from Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of his God the Existing One
Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar came against him, tied him up in chains, and carried him away to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also took some of the vessels that were in the Existing One’s house and put them in his palace in Babylon. The rest of Jehoiakim’s history including the abominations he carried out, and the charges against him, are recorded in the book of Kings. And then his son Jehoiachin reigned in his place.
Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 3 months and 10 days from Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the Existing One’s sight. That spring, King Nebuchadnezzar came and brought him to Babylon along with all the valuable from the Existing One’s house and established his brother Zedekiah as Judah’s king.
Zedekiah was 21 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for 11 years from Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of his God the Existing One. He didn’t humble himself before prophet Jeremiah who delivered the Existing One’s message. He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. He stubbornly hardened his heart against turning to Israel’s God the Existing One. All the officers over the priests and people were just as unfaithful, following all the abominations of other countries. They polluted the Existing One’s house that had been made holy in Jerusalem.
God’s patience runs out
The Existing One, the God of their forefathers, persistently sent his messengers to them because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept making fun of God’s messengers, despising his words and laughing at his prophets, until the Existing One got so angry that there was no way out of it.
Babylon Captures Judah
That’s why he brought the Chaldean king against them who used swords to kill their young men in the sanctuary. They had no mercy on man or woman, old or young. He handed them all over to him. All the valuables in God’s house and the king’s palace were all brought to Babylon. They burned God’s house and broke down Jerusalem’s wall, burning the city and destroying all its valuables. Anyone who wasn’t killed was taken into captivity where they became slaves until the Persian empire was established. This fulfilled the message that the Existing One spoke through Jeremiah. The land enjoyed its Sabbath and lay desolate for 70 years.
Persia lets Israelites return home
In the first year that King Cyrus began his reign over Persia, the Existing One fulfilled Jeremiah’s prophecy and stirred up Cyrus’s spirit to proclaim a decree. The decree said: “Persia’s King Cyrus says, ‘Heaven’s God the Existing One has given me all the kingdoms in the world, and he has told me to build him a house in Jerusalem of Judah. If any of you belong to the Existing One, you may go back for this task. And may your God be with you!’”