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.’ ”
1Afei, nnipa a wɔwɔ asase no so no sii Yosia babarima Yehoahas ɔhene wɔ Yerusalem.
Yehoahas Di Ɔhene Wɔ Yuda
2Ɛberɛ a Yehoahas dii adeɛ no, na wadi mfirinhyia aduonu mmiɛnsa nanso, ɔdii adeɛ abosome mmiɛnsa pɛ. 3Misraimhene Neko a na ɔhwehwɛ apeatoɔ a ɛyɛ dwetɛ tɔno mmiɛnsa ne fa ne sikakɔkɔɔ kilogram aduasa ɛnan afiri Yuda no na ɔtuu no adeɛ so. 4Misraimhene yii Yehoahas nuabarima Eliakim sɛ ɔhene foforɔ a ɔbɛdi Yuda ne Yerusalem so, na ɔsesaa Eliakim din yɛɛ no Yehoiakim. Na Neko faa Yehoahas sɛ ɔdeduani de no kɔɔ Misraim.
Yehoiakim Di Ɔhene Wɔ Yuda
5Yehoiakim dii adeɛ no, na wadi mfirinhyia aduonu enum, na ɔdii ɔhene Yerusalem mfirinhyia dubaako. Nanso, ɔyɛɛ bɔne wɔ Awurade ne Onyankopɔn ani so. 6Afei, Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar kɔɔ Yerusalem, kɔko faeɛ. Ɔde nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn guu Yehoiakim de no kɔɔ Babilonia. 7Nebukadnessar faa ademudeɛ a ɛwɔ Awurade Asɔredan no mu bi, de kɔguu nʼahemfie wɔ Babilonia.
8Yehoiakim ahennie ho nsɛm nkaeɛ, bɔne ahodoɔ a ɔyɛeɛ ne biribiara a wɔhunu tiaa no no wɔatwerɛ, agu Israel ne Yuda Ahemfo Nwoma mu. Na ne babarima Yehoiakyin bɛdii nʼadeɛ sɛ ɔhene.
Yehoiakyin Di Ɔhene Wɔ Yuda
9Yehoiakyin bɛdii adeɛ no, na wadi mfirinhyia dunwɔtwe, nanso ɔdii adeɛ wɔ Yerusalem abosome mmiɛnsa ne dadu pɛ. Yehoiakyin yɛɛ bɔne wɔ Awurade ani so. 10Afe a ɛdi ɛkan wɔ bosome a ɛdi ɛkan mu no, ɔhene Nebukadnessar frɛɛ Yehoiakyin sɛ ɔmmra Babilonia. Wɔfaa ademudeɛ bebree firii Awurade Asɔredan no mu de kɔɔ Babilonia saa ɛberɛ no. Na Nebukadnessar yii Yehoiakyin wɔfa Sedekia, sɛ ɔnni ɔhene wɔ Yuda ne Yerusalem.
Sedekia Di Ɔhene Wɔ Yuda
11Ɛberɛ a Sedekia bɛdii adeɛ no, na wadi mfirinhyia aduonu baako, na ɔdii adeɛ wɔ Yerusalem mfirinhyia dubaako. 12Ɔyɛɛ bɔne wɔ Awurade, ne Onyankopɔn ani so, na wammrɛ ne ho ase wɔ odiyifoɔ Yeremia a na ɔkasa ma Awurade no anim. 13Afei, ɔsɔre tiaa ɔhene Nebukadnessar wɔ ɛberɛ a na waka ntam adi nse wɔ Onyankopɔn din mu sɛ, ɔbɛdi no nokorɛ. Na Sedekia yɛ kyenkyenee ne asoɔden, na wampɛ sɛ ɔde ne ho bɛbata Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn ho. 14Asɔfoɔ no ntuanofoɔ nyinaa ne ɔmanfoɔ no kɔɔ so yɛɛ mmaratofoɔ. Wɔyɛɛ abosonsomfoɔ a wɔwɔ aman a atwa ahyia hɔ no nneyɛeɛ no bi, na wɔguu Awurade Asɔredan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem no ho fi.
15Awurade, wɔn agyanom Onyankopɔn, somaa nʼadiyifoɔ sɛ wɔnkɔbɔ wɔn kɔkɔ mpɛn bebree, ɛfiri sɛ, na ɔwɔ ahummɔborɔ ma ne nkurɔfoɔ ne nʼAsɔredan no. 16Nanso, nnipa no dii saa Onyankopɔn abɔfoɔ no ho fɛ, amfa wɔn nsɛm no anyɛ hwee. Wɔdii adiyifoɔ no ho fɛ ara kɔsii sɛ Awurade abufuhyeɛ turiiɛ a biribiara antumi annwodwo ano.
Yerusalem Asehweɛ
17Enti, Awurade de Babiloniahene ba bɛko tiaa wɔn. Babiloniafoɔ no kunkumm Yuda mmabunu maa mpo, wɔtaa wɔn kɔɔ Asɔredan no mu. Na wɔannya ahummɔborɔ amma nnipa no. Wɔkunkumm mmɔfra ne mpanin, mmarima ne mmaa, ahoɔdenfoɔ ne ayarefoɔ. Onyankopɔn de wɔn nyinaa maa Nebukadnessar. 18Ɔhene no sane sesaa nneɛma no nyinaa, akɛseɛ ne nketewa a na wɔde som wɔ Onyankopɔn Asɔredan mu, ne ademudeɛ a na ɛwɔ Awurade Asɔredan no mu ne ahemfie hɔ nyinaa de kɔɔ Babilonia. Ɔde mmapɔmma nyinaa nso kɔeɛ. 19Afei, nʼakodɔm no too Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no mu ogya, bubuu Yerusalem afasuo no, hyee ahemfie no nyinaa, sɛee biribiara a ɛwɔ boɔ no.
20Nnipa kakra a wɔkaeɛ no, wɔsoaa wɔn kɔɔ Babilonia, maa wɔkɔyɛɛ ɔhene no ne ne mmammarima asomfoɔ kɔsii sɛ Persia ahennie bɛdii tumi. 21Enti, Awurade asɛm a wɔfaa Yeremia so kaeɛ no baa mu. Afei, asase no nso nyaa nʼahomegyeɛ, ɛdaa mpan mfirinhyia aduɔson sɛdeɛ odiyifoɔ no kaeɛ no.
Kores Gya Nnommumfoɔ Ɛkwan
22Persiahene Kores adedie afe a ɛdi ɛkan mu no, Awurade maa odiyifoɔ Yeremia nkɔmhyɛ baa mu. Ɔkaa Kores akoma ma ɔtwerɛ bɔɔ no dawuro wɔ nʼahennie nyinaa mu sɛ,
23“Sɛdeɛ Persiahene Kores ka nie:
“ ‘Awurade, ɔsorosoro Onyankopɔn de ahennie a ɛwɔ asase so nyinaa ama me. Wayi me sɛ mensi asɔredan mma no wɔ Yerusalem wɔ Yuda asase so. Mo a moyɛ Awurade nkurɔfoɔ nyinaa, monsane nkɔ Israel nkɔdi saa dwuma yi. Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn nka mo ho.’ ”
