1During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the land, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. But then he turned against Nebuchadnezzar and rebelled. 2The Lord sent Babylonian,24:2 Or Chaldean Aramean, Moabite and Ammonite raiders against him to destroy Judah, in accordance with the word of the Lord proclaimed by his servants the prophets. 3Surely these things happened to Judah according to the Lord’s command, in order to remove them from his presence because of the sins of Manasseh and all he had done, 4including the shedding of innocent blood. For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord was not willing to forgive.
5As for the other events of Jehoiakim’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 6Jehoiakim rested with his ancestors. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king.
7The king of Egypt did not march out from his own country again, because the king of Babylon had taken all his territory, from the Wadi of Egypt to the River Euphrates.
Jehoiachin king of Judah
8Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem. 9He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father had done.
10At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it, 11and Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city while his officers were besieging it. 12Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered to him.
In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon, he took Jehoiachin prisoner. 13As the Lord had declared, Nebuchadnezzar removed the treasures from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace, and cut up the gold articles that Solomon king of Israel had made for the temple of the Lord. 14He carried all Jerusalem into exile: all the officers and fighting men, and all the skilled workers and artisans – a total of ten thousand. Only the poorest people of the land were left.
15Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin captive to Babylon. He also took from Jerusalem to Babylon the king’s mother, his wives, his officials and the prominent people of the land. 16The king of Babylon also deported to Babylon the entire force of seven thousand fighting men, strong and fit for war, and a thousand skilled workers and artisans. 17He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.
Zedekiah king of Judah
18Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. 19He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done. 20It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence.
The fall of Jerusalem
Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
1Pa nthawi ya ulamuliro wa Yehoyakimu, Nebukadinezara mfumu ya Babuloni anadzathira nkhondo dzikolo ndipo Yehoyakimu anakhala pansi pa ulamuliro wake zaka zitatu. Koma kenaka anasintha maganizo ake nawukira Nebukadinezara. 2Yehova anatumiza magulu a Ababuloni, Aaramu, Amowabu ndi Aamoni, kudzathira nkhondo Yuda. Iye anawatumiza kudzawononga Yuda molingana ndi mawu amene Yehova ananeneratu kudzera mwa aneneri ake. 3Ndithu, izi zinachitikira Yuda monga momwe Yehova analamulira nʼcholinga choti awachotse pamaso pake chifukwa cha machimo a Manase ndi zonse zimene anachita, 4kuphatikizapo kukhetsa magazi a anthu osalakwa. Chifukwa iye anadzaza Yerusalemu ndi magazi a anthu osalakwa ndipo Yehova sanafune kumukhululukira.
5Ntchito zina za Yehoyakimu ndi zonse zimene anachita, kodi sizinalembedwe mʼbuku la mbiri ya mafumu a Yuda? 6Yehoyakimu anamwalira ndipo anayikidwa mʼmanda pamodzi ndi makolo ake. Ndipo Yehoyakini mwana wake analowa ufumu mʼmalo mwake.
7Mfumu ya Igupto sinatulukenso mʼdziko lake chifukwa mfumu ya Babuloni inalanda mayiko onse kuchokera ku Mtsinje wa ku Igupto mpaka ku Mtsinje wa Yufurate.
Yoyakini Mfumu ya Yuda
8Yehoyakini anakhala mfumu ali ndi zaka 18 ndipo analamulira mu Yerusalemu miyezi itatu. Amayi ake anali Nehusita mwana wa Elinatani wa ku Yerusalemu. 9Iye anachita zoyipa pamaso pa Yehova monga anachitira abambo ake.
10Nthawi imeneyo ankhondo a Nebukadinezara mfumu ya Babuloni anabwera ku Yerusalemu nazinga mzindawo ndi misasa ya nkhondo 11ndipo Nebukadinezara anafika ku mzindawo pamene ankhondo ake anawuzinga. 12Yehoyakini mfumu ya Yuda pamodzi ndi amayi ake, atumiki ake, anthu ake olemekezeka ndiponso akuluakulu onse anadzipereka kwa mfumu ya ku Babuloni.
Mfumu ya Babuloni inagwira Yoyakini ukapolo mʼchaka chachisanu ndi chitatu cha ufumu wake. 13Monga ananenera Yehova, Nebukadinezara anachotsa chuma chonse cha mʼNyumba ya Yehova ndiponso cha mʼnyumba ya mfumu ndipo anatenga ziwiya zonse zagolide za ku Nyumba ya Yehova zimene Solomoni mfumu ya Israeli anapanga. 14Anatenga anthu onse a mu Yerusalemu kupita nawo ku ukapolo. Akuluakulu onse pamodzi ndi anthu ankhondo, anthu onse aluso ndi amisiri osula onse pamodzi analipo 10,000. Osauka okha ndiye anatsala mʼdzikomo.
15Nebukadinezara anatenga Yehoyakini ngati kapolo kupita naye ku Babuloni. Mu Yerusalemu anatenganso amayi a mfumu, akazi ake, akuluakulu ake ndiponso anthu olemekezeka mʼdzikomo. 16Mfumu ya Babuloni inatumizanso ku Babuloni anthu ankhondo 70,000, anthu amphamvu ndi okonzeka kupita ku nkhondo, anthu aluso ndi amisiri osula 1,000. 17Iye analonga ufumu Mataniya, malume wa Yoyakini mʼmalo mwake ndipo anasintha dzina lake kuti akhale Zedekiya.
Zedekiya Mfumu ya Yuda
18Zedekiya anakhala mfumu ali ndi zaka 21 ndipo analamulira mu Yerusalemu zaka 11. Amayi ake anali Hamutali mwana wa Yeremiya wa ku Libina. 19Iye anachita zoyipa pamaso pa Yehova monga anachitira Yehoyakimu. 20Zonsezi zinachitikira Yerusalemu ndi Yuda chifukwa cha mkwiyo wa Mulungu ndipo pa mapeto pake anawachotsa pamaso pake.
Kuwonongeka kwa Yerusalemu
Ndipo Zedekiya anawukira mfumu ya Babuloni.
