2 Chronicles is the fourteenth book of the Old Testament and the second of the two books of Chronicles. It continues the history of Israel from the reign of Solomon, focusing on the southern kingdom of Judah while largely ignoring the northern kingdom of Israel. The book details the construction and dedication of Solomon's Temple, the division of the kingdom, and the subsequent reigns of the kings of Judah from Rehoboam to Zedekiah. It emphasizes the importance of proper worship, the role of the Temple, and the consequences of faithfulness or idolatry. The book concludes with the fall of Jerusalem, the Babylonian exile, and the decree of Cyrus allowing the Jews to return and rebuild the Temple. It is considered canonical by all major Christian and Jewish traditions.
2 Chronicles
Chapter 36
Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's place in Jerusalem.
Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
The king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem, and fined the land one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
The king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Neco took Joahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.
Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh his God.
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him, and bound him in fetters to carry him to Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar also carried some of the vessels of the house of Yahweh to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.
Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah; and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.
Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh.
At the return of the year, king Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the valuable vessels of the house of Yahweh, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.
Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh his God. He didn't humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of Yahweh.
He also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God; but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart against turning to Yahweh, the God of Israel.
Moreover all the chiefs of the priests and the people trespassed very greatly after all the abominations of the nations; and they polluted the house of Yahweh which he had made holy in Jerusalem.
Yahweh, the God of their fathers, sent to them by his messengers, rising up early and sending, because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place;
but they mocked the messengers of God, despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until the wrath of Yahweh arose against his people, until there was no remedy.
Therefore he brought on them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or infirm: he gave them all into his hand.
All the vessels of God's house, great and small, and the treasures of the house of Yahweh, and the treasures of the king and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon.
They burned God's house, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its valuable vessels.
He carried those who had escaped from the sword away to Babylon, and they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:
to fulfill the word of Yahweh by Jeremiah's mouth, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. As long as it lay desolate, it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that Yahweh's word by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'All the kingdoms of the earth has Yahweh, the God of heaven, given me; and he has charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may Yahweh his God be with him, and let him go up.'