1And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.
Jehoahaz King of Judah
2Jehoahaz36:2 Hebrew Joahaz, a variant of Jehoahaz; also in verse 4 was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. 3The king of Egypt dethroned him in Jerusalem and imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents36:3 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons of silver and a talent36:3 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms of gold. 4The king of Egypt made Eliakim, a brother of Jehoahaz, king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Necho took Eliakim’s brother Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt.
Jehoiakim King of Judah
5Jehoiakim 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. 6Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked him and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon. 7Nebuchadnezzar also took to Babylon articles from the temple of the Lord and put them in his temple36:7 Or palace there.
8The 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
9Jehoiachin was eighteen36:9 One Hebrew manuscript, some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 24:8); most Hebrew manuscripts eight 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. 10In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon, together with articles of value from the temple of the Lord, and he made Jehoiachin’s uncle,36:10 Hebrew brother, that is, relative (see 2 Kings 24:17) Zedekiah, king over Judah and Jerusalem.
Zedekiah King of Judah
11Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. 12He did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the Lord. 13He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath in God’s name. He became stiff-necked and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord, the God of Israel. 14Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful, 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
15The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. 16But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. 17He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians,36:17 Or Chaldeans who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men or young women, the elderly or the infirm. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. 18He carried to Babylon all the articles 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. 19They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.
20He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. 21The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.
22In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:
23“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:
“ ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord their God be with them.’ ”
1Nnipa a wɔwɔ asase no so no sii Yosia babarima Yehoahas hene wɔ Yerusalem.
Yehoahas Di Hene Wɔ Yuda
2Bere a Yehoahas dii ade no, na wadi mfirihyia aduonu abiɛsa, nanso odii ade asram abiɛsa pɛ. 3Misraimhene Neko a na ɔhwehwɛ sonkahiri a ɛyɛ dwetɛ tɔn abiɛsa ne fa ne sikakɔkɔɔ kilogram aduasa anan afi Yuda no na otuu no ade so. 4Misraimhene yii Yehoahas nuabarima Eliakim sɛ ɔhene foforo ma odii Yuda ne Yerusalem so, na ɔsesaa Eliakim din yɛɛ no Yehoiakim. Na Neko faa Yehoahas dommum de no kɔɔ Misraim.
Yehoiakim Di Hene Wɔ Yuda
5Yehoiakim dii ade no, na wadi mfirihyia aduonu anum, na odii hene wɔ Yerusalem mfirihyia dubaako. Nanso ɔyɛɛ bɔne wɔ Awurade, ne Nyankopɔn, ani so. 6Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar kɔtoaa no, kyeree no de nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn guu no de no kɔɔ Babilonia. 7Nebukadnessar faa ademude a ɛwɔ Awurade Asɔredan no mu bi, de koguu nʼahemfi wɔ Babilonia.
8Yehoiakim ahenni ho nsɛm nkae, bɔne ahorow a ɔyɛe ne biribiara a wohu tiaa no no, wɔkyerɛw guu Israel ne Yuda Ahemfo Nhoma mu. Na ne babarima Yehoiakyin bedii nʼade sɛ ɔhene.
Yehoiakyin Di Hene Wɔ Yuda
9Yehoiakyin bedii ade no, na wadi mfirihyia dunwɔtwe, nanso odii ade Yerusalem asram abiɛsa ne nnafua du pɛ. Yehoiakyin yɛɛ bɔne wɔ Awurade ani so. 10Afe a edi kan wɔ ɔsram a edi kan mu no, ɔhene Nebukadnessar frɛɛ Yehoiakyin sɛ ɔmmra Babilonia. Wɔfaa ademude bebree fii Awurade Asɔredan no mu de kɔɔ Babilonia saa bere no. Na Nebukadnessar yii Yehoiakyin wɔfa Sedekia, sɛ onni hene wɔ Yuda ne Yerusalem.
Sedekia Di Hene Wɔ Yuda
11Bere a Sedekia bedii ade no, na wadi mfirihyia aduonu baako, na odii ade wɔ Yerusalem mfirihyia dubaako. 12Ɔyɛɛ bɔne wɔ Awurade, ne Nyankopɔn ani so, na wammrɛ ne ho ase wɔ odiyifo Yeremia a na ɔkasa ma Awurade no anim. 13Ɔtew ɔhene Nebukadnessar anim atua wɔ bere a na waka ntam adi nsew wɔ Onyankopɔn din mu sɛ, obedi no nokware. Na Sedekia yɛ kyenkyenee na opirim ne koma na wampɛ sɛ ɔde ne ho bɛbata Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn ho. 14Asɔfo no ntuanofo nyinaa ne ɔmanfo no kɔɔ so yɛɛ mmaratofo. Wɔyɛɛ abosonsomfo a wɔwɔ aman a atwa ahyia hɔ no nneyɛe no bi, na woguu Awurade Asɔredan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem no ho fi.
15Awurade, wɔn agyanom Nyankopɔn, somaa nʼadiyifo sɛ wɔnkɔbɔ wɔn kɔkɔ mpɛn bebree, efisɛ na ɔwɔ ahummɔbɔ ma ne nkurɔfo ne nʼAsɔredan no. 16Nanso nnipa no dii saa Onyankopɔn abɔfo no ho fɛw, amfa wɔn nsɛm no anyɛ hwee. Wodii adiyifo no ho fɛw ara kosii sɛ Awurade abufuwhyew turuwii a biribiara antumi annwudwo ano.
Yerusalem Asehwe
17Enti Awurade de Babiloniahene ba bɛko tiaa wɔn. Babiloniafo no kunkum Yuda mmea a wɔyɛ mmabun mpo, wɔtaa wɔn kɔɔ Asɔredan no mu a wɔannya ahummɔbɔ amma wɔn. Wokunkum mmofra ne mpanyin, mmarima ne mmea, ahoɔdenfo ne ayarefo. Onyankopɔn de wɔn nyinaa hyɛɛ Nebukadnessar nsa. 18Ɔhene no san sesaw nneɛma no nyinaa, akɛse ne nketewa a na wɔde som wɔ Onyankopɔn Asɔredan mu, ne ademude a na ɛwɔ Awurade Asɔredan no mu ne ahemfi hɔ nyinaa de kɔɔ Babilonia. Ɔde mmapɔmma nyinaa nso kɔe. 19Wɔtoo Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no mu gya, bubuu Yerusalem afasu no, hyew ahemfi no nyinaa, sɛee biribiara a ɛwɔ bo no.
20Nnipa kakra a wɔkae no, wɔsoaa wɔn kɔɔ Babilonia, ma wɔkɔyɛɛ ɔhene no ne ne mmabarima asomfo kosii sɛ Persia ahenni bedii tumi. 21Enti Awurade asɛm a wɔfaa Yeremia so kae no baa mu. Afei, asase no nso nyaa nʼahomegye, ɛdaa mpan mfirihyia aduɔson sɛnea odiyifo no kae no.
Kores Gya Nnommum No Kwan
22Persiahene Kores adedi afe a edi kan mu no, Awurade maa odiyifo Yeremia nkɔmhyɛ no baa mu. Ɔkaa Kores koma ma ɔkyerɛw bɔɔ no dawuru wɔ nʼahenni nyinaa mu se,
23“Sɛnea Persiahene Kores ka ni:
“ ‘Awurade, ɔsorosoro Nyankopɔn de ahenni a ɛwɔ asase so nyinaa ama me. Wayi me sɛ minsi asɔredan mma no wɔ Yerusalem wɔ Yuda asase so. Mo a moyɛ Awurade nkurɔfo nyinaa, monsan nkɔ Israel nkodi saa dwuma yi. Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn nka mo ho.’ ”
