2 Chronicles 36

King James Version

Full text for 2 Chronicles 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.

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

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

4And 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.

5Jehoiakim [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.

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

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

8Now 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.

9Jehoiachin [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.

10And 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.

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

12And 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.

13And 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.

14Moreover 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.

15And 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:

16But 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.

17Therefore 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.

18And 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.

19And 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.

20And 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:

21To 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.

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,

23Thus 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

The final chapter of 2 Chronicles details the rapid succession of Judah's last four kings: Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. Each king did evil in the sight of the LORD, leading to increasing foreign domination and the desecration of the temple. Ultimately, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon destroyed Jerusalem, burned the temple, carried away its vessels, and exiled the people, fulfilling divine judgment and prophetic warnings.

Medium Summary

Following Josiah's death, Jehoahaz reigned briefly before being deposed by Pharaoh Necho. His brother, Jehoiakim, was then installed and reigned for eleven years, doing evil in the LORD's sight, leading to Nebuchadnezzar's first incursion and the removal of temple vessels. Jehoiachin, his son, reigned for only three months and ten days, also doing evil, and was subsequently taken to Babylon with more temple treasures. Zedekiah, the last king, reigned eleven years, rebelling against both the LORD and Nebuchadnezzar, despite Jeremiah's warnings. The priests and people also greatly transgressed, polluting the temple. Consequently, the LORD brought the Chaldeans, who destroyed Jerusalem, burned the temple, slew many, and carried the survivors into Babylonian captivity, fulfilling Jeremiah's prophecy regarding the land's desolation.

Long Summary

The chapter begins with the people of the land making Jehoahaz king after Josiah, but he reigned only three months before Pharaoh Necho of Egypt deposed him, imposing tribute and taking him to Egypt. Necho then appointed Eliakim, Jehoahaz's brother, changing his name to Jehoiakim. Jehoiakim reigned eleven years, consistently doing evil in the LORD's sight. During his reign, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against him, binding him and carrying some of the LORD's house vessels to Babylon. Jehoiakim's son, Jehoiachin, succeeded him but reigned for a mere three months and ten days, also doing evil. Nebuchadnezzar soon captured him, taking him and more goodly vessels to Babylon, and appointed Zedekiah, Jehoiachin's brother, as king. Zedekiah reigned eleven years, continuing the pattern of evil and refusing to humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the LORD. He also rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, despite having sworn an oath by God, stiffening his neck and hardening his heart from turning to the LORD. Moreover, the chief priests and the people greatly transgressed, adopting heathen abominations and polluting the hallowed house of the LORD. Despite the LORD's compassionate and persistent sending of messengers, they mocked and despised His words until His wrath arose without remedy. Therefore, Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans were brought upon them, slaying many, destroying the sanctuary, burning the temple, breaking down Jerusalem's walls, and carrying all remaining treasures and survivors into Babylonian exile. This desolation fulfilled Jeremiah's prophecy, allowing the land to enjoy its sabbaths for seventy years. The chapter concludes with the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, where the LORD stirred his spirit to issue a proclamation for the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, inviting all of God's people to return.

Core Concepts

  • Succession of Wicked KingsJudah's final four kings—Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah—each reigned for short periods and consistently did evil in the sight of the LORD, accelerating the nation's decline.
  • Divine JudgmentThe LORD's wrath against Judah escalated due to the persistent wickedness of its kings, priests, and people, culminating in the complete destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.
  • Babylonian CaptivityAs a direct consequence of Judah's sin and rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon repeatedly invaded, plundered the temple, and ultimately carried the surviving population into exile for seventy years.
  • Rejection of Prophetic WarningDespite the LORD's compassionate sending of prophets like Jeremiah, the kings and people mocked His messengers and despised His words, sealing their fate.
  • Desecration of the TempleThe house of the LORD, hallowed in Jerusalem, was polluted by the abominations of the priests and people, leading to its destruction and the carrying away of its sacred vessels.
  • Fulfillment of ProphecyThe seventy-year Babylonian exile and the desolation of the land fulfilled the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, allowing the land to enjoy its sabbaths.
  • Cyrus's DecreeAt the end of the seventy years, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, to issue a proclamation allowing the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the house of the LORD.