24 During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar^(A) king of Babylon invaded^(B) the land, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. But then he turned against Nebuchadnezzar and rebelled.^{(C) 2} The Lord sent Babylonian,^[a](D) Aramean,^(E) Moabite and Ammonite raiders^(F) against him to destroy^(G) Judah, in accordance with the word of the Lord proclaimed by his servants the prophets.^{(H) 3} Surely these things happened to Judah according to the Lord’s command,^(I) in order to remove them from his presence^(J) because of the sins of Manasseh^(K) and all he had done, ⁴ including the shedding of innocent blood.^(L) For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord was not willing to forgive.^(M)

⁵ As for the other events of Jehoiakim’s reign,^(N) and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ⁶ Jehoiakim rested^(O) with his ancestors. And Jehoiachin^(P) his son succeeded him as king.

⁷ The king of Egypt^(Q) did not march out from his own country again, because the king of Babylon^(R) had taken all his territory, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Euphrates River.

Jehoiachin King of Judah^(S)

⁸ Jehoiachin^(T) was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta^(U) daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem. ⁹ He did evil^(V) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father had done.

¹⁰ At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar^(W) king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it, ¹¹ and Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city while his officers were besieging it. ¹² Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered^(X) to him.

In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon, he took Jehoiachin prisoner. ¹³ As the Lord had declared,^(Y) Nebuchadnezzar removed the treasures^(Z) from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace, and cut up the gold articles^(AA) that Solomon^(AB) king of Israel had made for the temple of the Lord. ¹⁴ He carried all Jerusalem into exile:^(AC) all the officers and fighting men,^(AD) and all the skilled workers and artisans—a total of ten thousand. Only the poorest^(AE) people of the land were left.

¹⁵ Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin^(AF) captive to Babylon. He also took from Jerusalem to Babylon the king’s mother,^(AG) his wives, his officials and the prominent people^(AH) of the land. ¹⁶ The king of Babylon also deported to Babylon the entire force of seven thousand fighting men, strong and fit for war, and a thousand skilled workers and artisans.^{(AI) 17} He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.^(AJ)

Zedekiah King of Judah^(AK)

¹⁸ Zedekiah^(AL) was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal^(AM) daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. ¹⁹ He did evil^(AN) in the eyes of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done. ²⁰ It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust^(AO) them from his presence.^(AP)

The Fall of Jerusalem^(AQ)(AR)(AS)

Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

Jehoiakim King of Judah^(A)

⁵ Jehoiakim^(B) was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God. ⁶ Nebuchadnezzar^(C) king of Babylon attacked him and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.^{(D) 7} Nebuchadnezzar also took to Babylon articles from the temple of the Lord and put them in his temple^[a] there.^(E)

⁸ The other events of Jehoiakim’s reign, the detestable things he did and all that was found against him, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king.

Jehoiachin King of Judah^(F)

⁹ Jehoiachin^(G) was eighteen^[b] years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. ¹⁰ In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon,^(H) together with articles of value from the temple of the Lord, and he made Jehoiachin’s uncle,^[c] Zedekiah, king over Judah and Jerusalem.

Zedekiah King of Judah^(I)

¹¹ Zedekiah^(J) was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. ¹² He did evil in the eyes of the Lord^(K) his God and did not humble^(L) himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the Lord. ¹³ He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath^(M) in God’s name. He became stiff-necked^(N) and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁴ Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful,^(O) following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

The Fall of Jerusalem^(P)(Q)

¹⁵ The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers^(R) again and again,^(S) because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. ¹⁶ But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed^(T) at his prophets until the wrath^(U) of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.^{(V) 17} He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians,^[d](W) who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men^(X) or young women, the elderly or the infirm.^(Y) God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.^{(Z) 18} He carried to Babylon all the articles^(AA) from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. ¹⁹ They set fire^(AB) to God’s temple^(AC) and broke down the wall^(AD) of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed^(AE) everything of value there.^(AF)

²⁰ He carried into exile^(AG) to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants^(AH) to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. ²¹ The land enjoyed its sabbath rests;^(AI) all the time of its desolation it rested,^(AJ) until the seventy years^(AK) were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.

⁷ Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god.^[a](A)

Unfaithful Israel

⁶ During the reign of King Josiah,^(P) the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what faithless^(Q) Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree^(R) and has committed adultery^(S) there. ⁷ I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister^(T) Judah saw it.^{(U) 8} I gave faithless Israel^(V) her certificate of divorce^(W) and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear;^(X) she also went out and committed adultery. ⁹ Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land^(Y) and committed adultery^(Z) with stone^(AA) and wood.^{(AB) 10} In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return^(AC) to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,^(AD)” declares the Lord.^(AE)

¹¹ The Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous^(AF) than unfaithful^(AG) Judah.^{(AH) 12} Go, proclaim this message toward the north:^(AI)

¹⁴ “Return,^(AR) faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband.^(AS) I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion. ¹⁵ Then I will give you shepherds^(AT) after my own heart,^(AU) who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. ¹⁶ In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the Lord, “people will no longer say, ‘The ark^(AV) of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered;^(AW) it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. ¹⁷ At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne^(AX) of the Lord, and all nations^(AY) will gather in Jerusalem to honor^(AZ) the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.^{(BA) 18} In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel,^(BB) and together^(BC) they will come from a northern^(BD) land to the land^(BE) I gave your ancestors as an inheritance.

¹⁹ “I myself said,