1During Jehoiakim’s rule, Nebuchadnezzar marched into the land and attacked it. He was king of Babylon. He became Jehoiakim’s master for three years. But then Jehoiakim decided he didn’t want to remain under Nebuchadnezzar’s control. 2The Lord sent robbers against Jehoiakim from Babylon, Aram, Moab and Ammon. He sent them to destroy Judah. That’s what the Lord had said would happen. He had spoken that message through his servants the prophets. 3These things happened to Judah in keeping with what the Lord had commanded. He brought enemies against his people in order to remove them from his land. He removed them because of all the sins Manasseh had committed. 4Manasseh had spilled the blood of many people who weren’t guilty of doing anything wrong. In fact, he spilled so much of their blood that he filled Jerusalem with it. So the Lord refused to forgive him.
5The other events of the rule of Jehoiakim are written down. Everything he did is written in the official records of the kings of Judah. 6Jehoiakim joined the members of his family who had already died. Jehoiakim’s son Jehoiachin became the next king after him.
7The king of Egypt didn’t march out from his own country again. That’s because the king of Babylon had taken so much of his territory. It reached from the Wadi of Egypt all the way to the Euphrates River.
Jehoiachin King of Judah
8Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta. She was the daughter of Elnathan. She was from Jerusalem. 9Jehoiachin did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did just as his father Jehoiakim had done.
10At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, marched to Jerusalem. They surrounded it and got ready to attack it. 11Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city. He arrived while his officers were attacking it. 12Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, handed himself over to Nebuchadnezzar. Jehoiachin’s mother did the same thing. And so did all his attendants, nobles and officials.
The king of Babylon took Jehoiachin away as his prisoner. It was in the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s rule. 13Nebuchadnezzar removed the treasures from the Lord’s temple. He also removed the treasures from the royal palace. He cut up the gold objects that Solomon, the king of Israel, had made for the temple. That’s what the Lord had announced would happen. 14Nebuchadnezzar took all the people of Jerusalem to the land of Babylon as prisoners. That included all the officers and fighting men. It also included all the skilled workers. The total number of prisoners was 10,000. Only the poorest people were left in the land.
15Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin to Babylon as his prisoner. He also took the king’s mother from Jerusalem to Babylon. And he took Jehoiachin’s wives, his officials and the most important people of the land. 16The king also forced the whole army of 7,000 soldiers to go away to the land of Babylon. Those men were strong and able to go to war. And the king forced 1,000 skilled workers to go to Babylon. 17Nebuchadnezzar made Jehoiachin’s uncle Mattaniah king in his place. And Nebuchadnezzar changed Mattaniah’s name to Zedekiah.
Zedekiah King of Judah
18Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 11 years. His mother’s name was Hamutal. She was the daughter of Jeremiah. She was from Libnah. 19Zedekiah did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did just as Jehoiakim had done. 20The enemies of Jerusalem and Judah attacked them because the Lord was angry. In the end the Lord threw them out of his land.
The Fall of Jerusalem
Zedekiah also refused to remain under the control of Nebuchadnezzar.
1Yehoiakim ahenni mu no, Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar bɛtow hyɛɛ Yuda asase so. Yehoiakim maa ne nsa so, na otuaa tow maa no mfe abiɛsa, nanso ɔtew Nebukadnessar so atua. 2Na Awurade somaa akofo fi Babilonia, Aram, Moab ne Amon, kɔko tiaa Yuda, sɛee no, sɛnea Awurade nam nʼadiyifo so hyɛɛ ho nkɔm no. 3Saa amanehunu yi baa Yuda so, sɛnea Awurade hyɛe no, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a obeyi wɔn afi nʼanim, esiane bɔne dodow a Manase yɛe no nti, 4a na mogya a edi bem a ohwie guu no ka ho bi. Efisɛ ɔde mogya a edi bem fɔw Yerusalem dotoo; ɛno nti na Awurade mpɛ sɛ ɔde bɛkyɛ.
5Yehoiakim ahenni ho nsɛm nkae ne dwuma a odii nyinaa no, wɔankyerɛw angu Yuda Ahemfo Abakɔsɛm Nhoma no mu ana? 6Bere a Yehoiakim wui no, ne babarima Yehoiakyin na odii nʼade sɛ ɔhene.
7Misraimhene ansan amma bio, efisɛ na Babiloniahene afa nsase a anka na Misraimfo no agye no nyinaa, efi Misraim asuwa no so, kosi Asubɔnten Eufrate ho.
Yehoiakyin Di Yudahene
8Bere a Yehoiakyin dii ade no, na wadi mfe dunwɔtwe, na odii hene wɔ Yerusalem asram abiɛsa. Na ne na yɛ Elnatan a ofi Yerusalem no babea Nehusta. 9Yehoiakyin yɛɛ bɔne wɔ Awurade ani so, sɛnea nʼagya yɛe no ara pɛ.
10Yehoiakyin ahenni mu no, Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar asraafo mu mpanyimfo betuaa Yerusalem ano. 11Otua no mu no, Nebukadnessar ankasa baa kuropɔn no mu. 12Na ɔhene Yehoiakyin ne nʼafotufo, atitiriw, mpanyimfo ne ɔhemmea de wɔn ho maa Babiloniafo. Nebukadnessar dii ade ne mfe awotwe so no, ɔkyeree Yehoiakyin de no too afiase. 13Sɛnea Awurade aka dedaw no, Nebukadnessar tasee agyapade a ɛwɔ Awurade Asɔredan mu hɔ no ne ahemfi hɔ nyinaa. Wɔsɛee sikakɔkɔɔ nnwetɛbona a Israelhene Salomo de sisii asɔredan mu hɔ no nyinaa. 14Ɔhene Nebukadnessar kyekyeree nneduafo mpem du fii Yerusalem a ahenemma nyinaa ne asraafo akofo, adwumfo ne atomfo a wodi mu ka ho. Ɛno nti, ahiafo nko ara na ogyaw wɔn wɔ asase no so.
15Nebukadnessar faa ɔhene Yehoiakyin de no kɔɔ Babilonia sɛ odeduani a ne yerenom ne ne mpanyimfo, ɔhemmea ne Yerusalem nnipa atitiriw ka ho. 16Ɔfaa akofo a wɔte apɔw no mpem ason, adwumfo ne atomfo apem a wɔn nyinaa yɛ mmarima a wɔn ho yɛ den na wɔfata akodi. 17Babiloniahene de Yehoiakyin wɔfa Matania dii ade sɛ ɔhene foforo. Ɔsesaa Matania din frɛɛ no Sedekia.
Sedekia Di Yudahene
18Bere a Sedekia dii ade no, na wadi mfirihyia aduonu baako. Odii ade wɔ Yerusalem mfirihyia dubaako. Na ne na din de Hamutal a ɔyɛ Yeremia a ofi Libna no babea. 19Na Sedekia yɛɛ bɔne wɔ Awurade ani so, sɛnea Yehoiakim yɛe no. 20Awurade abufuw nti na eyinom nyinaa baa Yerusalem ne Yuda so, na akyiri no, oyii nʼani fii wɔn so.
Yerusalem Asehwe
Afei, Sedekia sɔre tiaa Babiloniahene.
