1 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father’s stead in Jerusalem. 2 Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3 And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 4 And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.
5 ¶ Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. 6 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon. 7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. 8 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 stead.
9 ¶ Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD. 10 And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.
11 ¶ Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD. 13 And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel.
14 ¶ Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. 15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: 16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. 17 Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand. 18 And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon. 19 And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. 20 And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: 21 To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.
22 ¶ Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 23 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.
Jehoāhāza valdīšana
(2Ķēn 23:31–33)1 Ļaudis ņēma Jošijāhu dēlu Jehoāhāzu un iecēla tēva vietā par ķēniņu Jeruzālemē. 2 Jehoāhāzs sāka valdīt divdesmit trīs gadu vecumā. Viņš valdīja Jeruzālemē trīs mēnešus. 3 Ēģiptes ķēniņš aizveda viņu no Jeruzālemes un uzlika zemei nodevas – simts mērus sudraba un mēru zelta. 4 Ēģiptes ķēniņš Neho iecēla viņa brāli Eljākīmu par Jūdas un Jeruzālemes ķēniņu un pārdēvēja viņu par Jehojākīmu, bet viņa brāli Jehoāhāzu aizveda uz Ēģipti.
Jehojākīma valdīšana un gūsts
(2Ķēn 23:34–24:7)5 Jehojākīms sāka valdīt divdesmit piecu gadu vecumā. Viņš valdīja Jeruzālemē vienpadsmit gadus un darīja to, kas netīkams Kungam, viņa Dievam. 6 Bābeles ķēniņš Nebūkadnecars devās pret viņu, saistīja vara važās un aizveda uz Bābeli. 7 Nebūkadnecars aizveda uz Bābeli arī daudzus Kunga nama traukus un novietoja tos savā templī Bābelē. 8 Pārējie Jehojākīma darbi un preteklības, ko viņš darījis, un viss, kas atrodams pret viņu, – par to rakstīts Israēla un Jūdas ķēniņu grāmatā. Pēc tam sāka valdīt viņa dēls Jehojāhīns.
Jehojāhīna valdīšana un gūsts
(2Ķēn 24:8–17)9 Jehojāhīns sāka valdīt astoņpadsmit gadu vecumā. Viņš valdīja Jeruzālemē trīs mēnešus un desmit dienas. Viņš darīja to, kas netīkams Kungam. 10 Gadu mijā ķēniņš Nebūkadnecars sūtīja pēc viņa un aizveda kopā ar skaistākajiem Kunga nama traukiem uz Bābeli, bet viņa brāli Cedekiju iecēla par ķēniņu Jūdā un Jeruzālemē.
Cedekijas valdīšana
(2Ķēn 24:18–20; Jer 52:1–3a)11 Cedekija sāka valdīt divdesmit viena gada vecumā. Viņš valdīja Jeruzālemē vienpadsmit gadus. 12 Viņš darīja to, kas netīkams Kungam, viņa Dievam, un nepakļāvās pravieša Jeremijas teiktajiem Kunga vārdiem.
Jeruzālemes krišana
(2Ķēn 25:1–21Jer 52:3b–30)13 Viņš sacēlās pat pret ķēniņu Nebūkadnecaru, kurš bija viņu nozvērinājis pie Dieva, – nocietinājis sirdi, viņš spītīgi neatgriezās pie Kunga, Israēla Dieva. 14 Arī galvenie priesteri un tauta kļuva arvien nodevīgāki un darīja tāpat kā visas pretīgās tautas, apgānīdami Kunga namu, kas viņam bija svēts Jeruzālemē.
15 Kungs, viņu tēvu Dievs, atkal un atkal sūtīja pie tiem savus vēstnešus, jo gribēja taupīt savu tautu un mājokli. 16 Bet tie izsmēja Dieva sūtņus, nicināja viņa vārdus un ņirgājās par viņa praviešiem, līdz Kunga dusmas nāca pār tautu – nekas vairs nebija glābjams! 17 Viņš uzsūtīja tiem kaldiešu ķēniņu, un tas svētnīcā kāva jaunekļus ar zobenu – nežēloja ne jaunekļus, ne jaunavas, ne vecus, ne vārgus, visus Dievs atdeva viņam. 18 Arī visus Dieva nama piederumus, gan lielus, gan mazus, un Kunga nama dārgumus, ķēniņa un augstmaņu dārgumus – visu viņš aizveda uz Bābeli. 19 Dieva namu nodedzināja, un Jeruzālemes mūrus sagrāva. Visas pilis nodedzināja, ar uguni un izpostīja visu, kas tur bija vērtīgs. 20 Kurš bija paglābies no zobena, to aizveda trimdā uz Bābeli par vergu sev un saviem dēliem – tā bija līdz Persijas valdīšanai, 21 lai piepildītos Jeremijas teiktais Kunga vārds: līdz zeme būs guvusies sabata gadus, visu laiku tā dusēs izdeldēta, līdz būs apritējuši septiņdesmit gadi.
Kīrs atlaiž jūdus no trimdas
(Ezr 1:1–4)22 Persijas ķēniņa Kīra pirmajā valdīšanas gadā, lai piepildītos Jeremijas teiktais Kunga vārds, Kungs mudināja Persijas ķēniņa Kīra garu, un tas lika izziņot pa visu savu valsti rakstiski un mutiski šādu rīkojumu:
23 “Tā saka Persijas ķēniņš Kīrs: Kungs, debesu Dievs, man ir devis visas zemes valstis un izvēlējies mani, lai es uzceļu viņam templi Jeruzālemē, kas ir Jūdā. Tie, kas no viņa tautas mīt pie jums, lai dodas turp, – Kungs, viņu Dievs, ir ar tiem!”
