Babylon’s fresh meat: Judah
1Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar [1] invaded Judah. [2] His armies captured the cities, arrested Judah’s King Jehoiakim, and forced Judah to pledge allegiance to Babylon. That lasted three years. Then King Jehoiakim rebelled.2That’s when the LORD sent prophets to warn the people of Judah that raiders were coming. Then the LORD unleashed the raiders. Intruders came from Babylon, Syria, Moab, and Ammon. The LORD sent them to attack and destroy. 3The LORD did this to punish the people of Judah for enabling and embracing the massive sins of King Manasseh. [3] 4That king murdered enough innocent people to paint Jerusalem red with their blood. The LORD wasn’t willing to let that slide.
5The rest of Jehoiakim’s story and all he accomplished are recorded in the History of Judah’s Kings. [4] 6Jehoiakim died and his son Jehoiachin became the next king.
7Down on Judah’s border with Egypt, Babylonians blocked Egyptians from traveling anywhere north of Egypt’s border with Judah. Babylon controlled all the land from the Dry Creek [5] of Egypt to the Euphrates River. [6]
King Jehoiachin in captivity
(2 Chronicles 36:9-10) 8Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king of Judah. He reigned in Jerusalem for three months. His mother was Nehushta. She was the daughter of Elnathan, a citizen of Jerusalem. 9Jehoiachin was an evil king, just like his dad had been. The LORD did not approve.
10Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar brought his army back to Judah. His soldiers laid siege to Jerusalem, cutting off all its contact with the world outside the city walls. 11Nebuchadnezzar joined his soldiers in the siege. Jerusalem has fallen
12Judah’s King Jehoiachin surrendered. [7] He brought with him his mother, servants, officials, and army officers. Nebuchadnezzar took them prisoner during his eighth year as Babylon’s king.
13Nebuchadnezzar looted the Temple treasury and the king’s palace. He chopped up the Temple’s gold utensils and furnishings that artisans made during King Solomon’s reign. The LORD had warned Judah this would happen.
14Nebuchadnezzar left for home with 10,000 captives. They included all survivors of the Jerusalem siege, all palace officials, all Judah’s army, along with artisans such as blacksmiths. [8] Babylonians left only the poorest of the population. 15Babylon’s king took the king’s mother, wives, officials, and all the most influential people of Judah. He forced them to leave Jerusalem and go with him to Babylon.
16Captives included 7,000 of Judah’s elite fighting force and 1,000 artisans. They were all fit enough to fight for Babylon one day. King Zedekiah, approved by Babylon
(2 Chronicles 36:11-16; Jeremiah 52:1-3) 17Nebuchadnezzar appointed Judah’s next king: Mattaniah. He was King Jehoiachin’s uncle. Nebuchadnezzar changed Mattaniah’s name to Zedekiah. 18Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king of Judah. He reigned in Jerusalem for 11 years. His mother was Hamutal. She was the daughter of Jeremiah, who lived in the town of Libnah. 19He was another bad king, as far as the LORD was concerned. He was as evil as Jehoiakim had been.
20The people of Jerusalem and Judah got God so angry that he deported them.
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8Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king of Judah. He reigned in Jerusalem for three months. His mother was Nehushta. She was the daughter of Elnathan, a citizen of Jerusalem. 9Jehoiachin was an evil king, just like his dad had been. The LORD did not approve.
10Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar brought his army back to Judah. His soldiers laid siege to Jerusalem, cutting off all its contact with the world outside the city walls. 11Nebuchadnezzar joined his soldiers in the siege.
13Nebuchadnezzar looted the Temple treasury and the king’s palace. He chopped up the Temple’s gold utensils and furnishings that artisans made during King Solomon’s reign. The LORD had warned Judah this would happen.
14Nebuchadnezzar left for home with 10,000 captives. They included all survivors of the Jerusalem siege, all palace officials, all Judah’s army, along with artisans such as blacksmiths. [8] Babylonians left only the poorest of the population. 15Babylon’s king took the king’s mother, wives, officials, and all the most influential people of Judah. He forced them to leave Jerusalem and go with him to Babylon.
16Captives included 7,000 of Judah’s elite fighting force and 1,000 artisans. They were all fit enough to fight for Babylon one day.King Zedekiah, approved by Babylon
10Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar brought his army back to Judah. His soldiers laid siege to Jerusalem, cutting off all its contact with the world outside the city walls. 11Nebuchadnezzar joined his soldiers in the siege.
Jerusalem has fallen
12Judah’s King Jehoiachin surrendered. [7] He brought with him his mother, servants, officials, and army officers. Nebuchadnezzar took them prisoner during his eighth year as Babylon’s king.13Nebuchadnezzar looted the Temple treasury and the king’s palace. He chopped up the Temple’s gold utensils and furnishings that artisans made during King Solomon’s reign. The LORD had warned Judah this would happen.
14Nebuchadnezzar left for home with 10,000 captives. They included all survivors of the Jerusalem siege, all palace officials, all Judah’s army, along with artisans such as blacksmiths. [8] Babylonians left only the poorest of the population. 15Babylon’s king took the king’s mother, wives, officials, and all the most influential people of Judah. He forced them to leave Jerusalem and go with him to Babylon.
16Captives included 7,000 of Judah’s elite fighting force and 1,000 artisans. They were all fit enough to fight for Babylon one day.
King Zedekiah, approved by Babylon
(2 Chronicles 36:11-16; Jeremiah 52:1-3) 17Nebuchadnezzar appointed Judah’s next king: Mattaniah. He was King Jehoiachin’s uncle. Nebuchadnezzar changed Mattaniah’s name to Zedekiah. 18Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king of Judah. He reigned in Jerusalem for 11 years. His mother was Hamutal. She was the daughter of Jeremiah, who lived in the town of Libnah. 19He was another bad king, as far as the LORD was concerned. He was as evil as Jehoiakim had been.
20The people of Jerusalem and Judah got God so angry that he deported them.
Related maps
17Nebuchadnezzar appointed Judah’s next king: Mattaniah. He was King Jehoiachin’s uncle. Nebuchadnezzar changed Mattaniah’s name to Zedekiah. 18Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king of Judah. He reigned in Jerusalem for 11 years. His mother was Hamutal. She was the daughter of Jeremiah, who lived in the town of Libnah. 19He was another bad king, as far as the LORD was concerned. He was as evil as Jehoiakim had been.
20The people of Jerusalem and Judah got God so angry that he deported them.
20The people of Jerusalem and Judah got God so angry that he deported them.
