1 Then the people of the land {am-ha-aretz: influential social class} took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and installed him as king in Jerusalem, in his father’s place {tachat-aviv: dynastic succession}.
2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years {shanah: age unit} old when his reign began, and his rule in Jerusalem {Yerushalayim: royal seat} lasted three months.
3 The king of Egypt {melekh-mitzrayim: Egyptian ruler} removed him from rule in Jerusalem and assessed the land a tribute {va-ya-anosh: imposed payment} of a hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold.
4 The king of Egypt appointed Eliakim, Jehoahaz’s brother, as king over Judah {yehudah: Davidic province} and Jerusalem and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Necho subsequently took Jehoahaz, his brother, and brought him to Egypt {mitsraymah: Nile territory}.
5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he ruled eleven years in Jerusalem. He acted wickedly in the eyes of the LORD {YHWH, Sovereign Judge} his God {Elohav, Divine Protector}.
6 Nebuchadnezzar {Nevukhadnetzar: Imperial Conqueror}, king of Babylon, marched against him and fastened him with bronze shackles {banḥushtayim: dual metal restraints} to bring him to Babylon.
7 Nebuchadnezzar brought some of the vessels {klei: sacred implements} from the house of the LORD {YHWH, Holy Dweller} to Babylon, and he placed them in his temple in Babylon.
8 And the rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim, including the abominations {toevah: gross offenses} he practiced and what was found {nimtza: incriminating evidence} against him, are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.
9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he ruled {malakh: exercised sovereignty} three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Judge}.
10 When the year turned, King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, together with the precious vessels from the house of the LORD {YHWH, Temple Sovereign}, and he made Zedekiah, his brother, king over Judah {Yehudah, Southern Kingdom} and Jerusalem.
11 Zedekiah {Tsidkiyahu: Judah’s last king} was twenty-one years old at the start of his reign {malko: royal accession}, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
12 And he did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD {YHWH: Moral Judge} his God, and he did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet {navi: spokesman}, who spoke from the mouth of the LORD.
13 He rebelled even against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God {Elohim, Witness to Oaths}. He stiffened his neck {oref: Stubborn Resistance} and made his heart hard, so that he would not turn back to the LORD {YHWH, Faithful Restorer}, the God of Israel.
14 Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied unfaithful acts {limoal-maal: repeated unfaithfulness}, practicing all the abominations of the nations, and they defiled the house of the LORD {YHWH, Sacred Guardian} that He had consecrated in Jerusalem.
15 And the LORD God {YHWH Elohei, Covenant-Keeping God} of their fathers sent His messengers to them, rising early and sending, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place {me’ono: sacred habitation}.
16 And they were mocking the messengers of God {Elohim, Divine Sender} and despising His words {devar: declaration}, and ridiculing His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD {YHWH, Justice Enforcer} rose against His people, until there was no remedy {marpe: healing}.
17 He {YHWH, Divine Judge} brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans and killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary. He had no pity on the young man or the virgin, the old man or the aged; He delivered them all into his hand {yad: power or control}.
18 He took to Babylon all the vessels of the house of God {Elohim, Temple Custodian}, both great and small, along with the treasures of the house of the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Sovereign}, and the treasures of the king and his officials.
19 They burned the house of God {Elohim, Worship Center}, tore down the wall of Jerusalem, set all its palaces {armnoteha: royal residences} on fire, and destroyed all its precious vessels.
20 He carried into exile the remnant {she’erit: those spared} from the sword {cherev: instrument of destruction} to Babylon, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia.
21 This happened to fulfill the word of the LORD {YHWH, Promise Keeper} spoken by Jeremiah: the land lay desolate and rested, keeping its sabbaths {shabbaton: periods of rest}, until seventy years were completed.
22 And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, so that the word of the LORD {YHWH, Promise Keeper} by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled {likhlot: prophetic fulfillment}, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia and issued a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing, saying:
23 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: “The LORD the God of the heavens {YHWH Elohei hashamayim: Sovereign over all creation} has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed {pakad: divine commission} me to build for Him a house in Jerusalem in Judah. Whoever among you belongs to His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.”