2 Chronicles

Covers Solomon's reign and the kingdom of Judah's history, emphasizing faithfulness to God.

Chapter 36

1 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father’s stead in Jerusalem.

*Then, the people in the area chose Jehoahaz, Josiah's son, to be their new king in place of his father in Jerusalem.

2 Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.

*Jehoahaz became king at age 23 and ruled for just three months in Jerusalem.

3 And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

*The Egyptian king captured him in Jerusalem and punished the area by paying 100 silver talents and 1 gold talent.

4 And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.

*The Egyptian king made Eliakim's brother a king in Judah and Jerusalem, changing his name to Jehoiakim. Later, Necho captured Jehoahaz, another brother, and brought him to Egypt.

5 Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.

*Jehoiakim became king at age 25 and ruled for 11 years in Jerusalem. During this time, he did many things that were displeasing to God.

6 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.

*Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, captured him and put chains on him to take him to Babylon.

7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.

*Nebuchadnezzar took the Lord's items to Babylon and placed them in his Babylon temple.

8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

*Now, the rest of Jehoiakim's actions and bad things he did are written in a book about the kings of Israel and Judah. His son Jehoiachin took over as king after him.

9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.

*Jehoiachin became a king at age eight and ruled for just three months and ten days in Jerusalem. During his time as king, he did many things that were displeasing to God.

10 And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

*At the end of the year, King Nebuchadnezzar took him to Babylon along with beautiful temple items. He then made Zedekiah, his brother, the king of Judah and Jerusalem.

11 Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.

*Zedekiah became king at age 22 and ruled for 11 years in Jerusalem.

12 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD.

*He did what was displeasing to God and didn't listen to Jeremiah, who spoke for God.

13 And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel.

*He also went against King Nebuchadnezzar, who made him promise by God. But he refused to listen and became stubborn, not allowing his heart to change and turn back to the LORD God of Israel.

14 Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.

*Furthermore, the high priests and the people disobeyed greatly by following the wicked practices of non-believers. They also contaminated God's special house in Jerusalem, which He had set apart for holiness.

15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:

*God, their ancestors' ruler, sent messengers to them early. He did this because he cared about his people and where he lived.

16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

*But they made fun of God's messengers, didn't like his messages, and treated his prophets badly. This went on until God got very angry with his people, and there was nothing they could do to fix it.

17 Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.

*So, he let the Chaldean king attack them. This king killed their young men inside their holy place and showed no mercy to anyone - not boys, girls, old people, or those very old. He took everyone captive.

18 And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon.

*All the God's house boats, big and small, and the LORD's treasures, along with the king's and leaders' treasures, were taken to Babylon by him.

19 And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.

*They set fire to God's home, broke down Jerusalem's wall, burned all the big houses with fire, and destroyed all the beautiful things inside.

20 And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:

*He took those who escaped the sword to Babylon, where they served him and his sons until the Persian kingdom ruled.

21 To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.

*To follow what God said through Jeremiah until the land had its rest periods; during its emptiness, it observed the Sabbath for 70 years.

22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

*In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, to fulfill the prophecy from Jeremiah, the LORD inspired Cyrus to announce throughout his kingdom and write down that: "All people should be allowed to return to their homeland in Judah and rebuild their temple there."

23 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.

*Cyrus, king of Persia, says that the Lord has given him control over all the kingdoms on Earth. He wants to build a house for the Lord in Jerusalem, a city in Judah. He asks who among them will be supported by the Lord and can go ahead to do this task.

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