New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures — With References (Rbi8, en_US, 1984)
2 Chronicles
The Second of Chronicles, 36
1 Then the people of the land took Je·hoʹa·haz the son of Jo·siʹah and made him king in the place of his father in Jerusalem.
2 Twenty-three years old was Je·hoʹa·haz*1 when he began to reign, and for three months he reigned in Jerusalem.
|
3 However, the king of Egypt removed him in Jerusalem and fined the land a hundred silver talents*1 and a gold talent.
|
4 Furthermore, the king of Egypt made E·liʹa·kim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed his name to Je·hoiʹa·kim; but his brother Je·hoʹa·haz, Neʹcho took and brought to Egypt.
5 Twenty-five years old was Je·hoiʹa·kim when he began to reign, and for eleven years he reigned in Jerusalem; and he continued to do what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah his God.
6 Against him Neb·u·chad·nezʹzar the king of Babylon came up that he might bind him with two fetters of copper to carry him off to Babylon.
7 And some of the utensils of the house of Jehovah Neb·u·chad·nezʹzar brought to Babylon and then put them in his palace*1 in Babylon.
|
8 As for the rest of the affairs of Je·hoiʹa·kim and his detestable things that he did and what was to be found against*1 him, there they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah; and Je·hoiʹa·chin his son began to reign in place of him.
|
9 Eighteen*1 years old was Je·hoiʹa·chin when he began to reign, and for three months and ten days he reigned in Jerusalem; and he continued to do what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes.
|
10 And at the return of the year King Neb·u·chad·nezʹzar sent and proceeded to bring him to Babylon with desirable articles of the house of Jehovah. Further, he made Zed·e·kiʹah his [father’s] brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.
11 Twenty-one years old was Zed·e·kiʹah when he began to reign, and for eleven years he reigned in Jerusalem.
12 And he continued to do what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah his God. He did not humble himself on account of Jeremiah the prophet at the order of Jehovah.
13 And even against King Neb·u·chad·nezʹzar he rebelled, who had made him swear by God; and he kept stiffening his neck and hardening his heart so as not to return to Jehovah the God of Israel.
14 Even all the chiefs of the priests and the people themselves committed unfaithfulness on a large scale, according to all the detestable things of the nations, so that they defiled the house of Jehovah which he had sanctified in Jerusalem.
15 And Jehovah the God of their forefathers kept sending against them by means of his messengers, sending again and again,*1 because he felt compassion for his people and for his dwelling.
|
16 But they were continually making jest at the messengers of the [true] God and despising his words and mocking at his prophets, until the rage of Jehovah came up against his people, until there was no healing.
17 So he brought up against them the king of the Chal·deʹans, who proceeded to kill their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, neither did he feel compassion for young man or virgin, old or decrepit. Everything He gave into his hand.
18 And all the utensils, great and small, of the house of the [true] God and the treasures of the house of Jehovah and the treasures of the king and of his princes, everything he brought to Babylon.
19 And he proceeded to burn the house of the [true] God and pull down the wall of Jerusalem; and all its dwelling towers they burned with fire and also all its desirable articles, so as to cause ruin.
20 Furthermore, he carried off those remaining from the sword captive to Babylon, and they came to be servants to him and his sons until the royalty of Persia began to reign;
21 to fulfill Jehovah’s word by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had paid off its sabbaths. All the days of lying desolated it kept sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.
22 And in the first year of Cyrus*1 the king of Persia, that Jehovah’s word by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah roused the spirit of Cyrus the king of Persia, so that he caused a cry to pass through all his kingdom, and also in writing, saying:
|
23 “This is what Cyrus the king of Persia has said, ‘All the kingdoms of the earth Jehovah the God of the heavens*1 has given me, and he himself has commissioned me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among YOU of all his people, Jehovah his God be with him. So let him go up.’”
|