2 Kings 24

Babylon attacks Jerusalem

During Jehoiakim’s reign, Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar made Jehoiakim his servant for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. The Existing One sent the Chaldean army, the Syrian army, and the Moabite army from the Ammonites, and pitted them against Judah to destroy it, just like the Existing One had said through the prophets. This must have been ordered by the Existing One to remove them from his sight because of the sins Manasseh had committed and for all the innocent bloodshed he had caused.For he had filled Jerusalem with with innocent blood, and the Existing One wouldn’t forgive that. Now the rest of Jehoiakim’s history along with everything he did is recorded in the book The Chronicles of the Kings o Judah. So Jehoiakim slept in the ground with his fathers, and his son Jehoiachin reigned in his place. Egypt’s king didn’t venture out of his country again, because Babylon’s king had conquered all of Egypt from the Brook of Egypt to the Euphrates river.

Jehoiachin becomes king 

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned for three months from Jerusalem. His mom was Nehushta (the daughter of Elnathan from Jerusalem). He did what was evil in the Existing One’s sight, just like his father had done.

Judah enters Babylonian captivity

At that time, Babylon’s forces came to Jerusalem and captured the city. King Nebuchadnezzar came to the city, and Judah’s king surrendered to him, giving over himself, his mother, and his servants to Babylon. Babylon’s king took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign and carried away all the valuables from the Existing One’s house and the king’s house. He destroyed all the gold vessels in the Existing One’s temple which had been made by King Solomon, just like the Existing One foretold. He deported all of Jerusalem: its officials, its warriors, 10,000 captives, the craftsmen, and the smiths. The only ones that he left were the poorest people of the land. He carried away Jehoiachin, the king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officials, and all the rulers from Jerusalem to Babylon. And Babylon took captive all 7,000 warriors and all 1,000 craftsmen and metalworkers because they were strong and fit for war. Babylon’s King appointed Mattaniah (Jehoiachin’s uncle) to be king in his place, changing his name to Zedekiah.

Babylon appoints Zedekiah as king

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years from Jerusalem. His mom was Hamutal (the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah). He did what was evil in the Existing One’s sight, just like Jehoiakim had done. Jerusalem and Judah had angered the Existing One so much that it got to the point where he threw them out from his presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon’s King.