2 Chronicles 36

1 Then the people [nation, community] of the land [earth, territory] took Jehoahaz [whom Jehovah has seized] son [descendant, offspring] of Josiah [whom Jehovah heals] and made him king [to reign, ruler] in Jerusalem [city of peace] in place [underneath, instead] of his father [parent, ancestor]. word study 2 Jehoahaz [Jehovah has grasped, the name of two Israelites] was twenty-three [three and twenty, a significant numerical value] years old [a period of time, a year of life] when he became king [to reign, to rule as a king], and he reigned [to advise or counsel, to rule] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital city of Palestine] three [thrice, a quantity of repetition] months [the new moon and the lunar cycle]. word study 3 And the king [ruler, monarch] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] dethroned [removed from power, deposed] him in Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Palestine] and imposed [laid upon, condemned] on Judah [the land, a territory] a levy [tax, fine] of a hundred [many, numerous] talents [units of weight or currency] of silver [valuable metal, money] and a talent [a large amount] of gold [a precious metal, wealth]. word study 4 Then Neco [Pharaoh Necho] king of Egypt made Eliakim [his brother, relative] brother of Jehoahaz king over Judah [the tribe, the region] and Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital], and he changed Eliakim’s name [identity, character] to Jehoiakim [Jehovah raises up, God establishes]. But Neco took [captured, seized] Eliakim’s brother [relative, kin] Jehoahaz [Jehovah has grasped, God has taken hold] and carried him off [brought, took away] to Egypt [the land, the country]. word study 5 Jehoiakim [Jehovah raises up, a king of Judah] was twenty-five [a son of twenty and five years] years old when he became king, and he reigned [to advise or counsel, to rule as a king] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital city] eleven [one and ten] years. And he did [to make or do something] evil [bad, morally wrong] in the sight [before the eyes, in the presence] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] his God [Elohim, the supreme God, the one supreme deity]. word study 6 Then Nebuchadnezzar [a powerful king of Babylon] king of Babylon came up [to ascend, rose against] against Jehoiakim and bound [to tie, restrain] him with bronze [copper, base metal] shackles [fetters, chains] to take him to Babylon [a city of confusion, mixing]. word study 7 Nebuchadnezzar [a powerful king of Babylon] also took to Babylon some of the articles [vessels, utensils] from the house [temple, dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], and he put them in his temple [large public building, palace] in Babylon [a city and empire, meaning confusion or mixing]. word study 8 As for the rest [remainder, what is left] of the acts [chronicles, events] of Jehoiakim [Jehovah raises up], the abominations [detestable things, idolatrous practices] he committed [did, made], and all that was found [discovered, uncovered] against him [upon him, in his case], they are indeed written [recorded, inscribed] in the Book [scroll, written document] of the Kings [rulers, monarchs] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob] and Judah [the tribe of Judah]. And his son [descendant, offspring] Jehoiachin [Jehovah establishes] reigned [ruled, governed] in his place [stead, position]. word study 9 Jehoiachin [son of Jehovah, eight or eighteen years old] was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned [ruled as a monarch] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Judah] three months [a quarter of a year, a season] and ten days [a decade of days]. And he did [performed, committed] evil [bad, wicked, morally wrong] in the sight [presence, eyes] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 10 In the spring [at the turn of the year, during the return of the year], King Nebuchadnezzar [the powerful king of Babylon] summoned Jehoiachin and brought him to Babylon [Babel, the city of confusion], along with the articles [utensils, valuable items] of value [desirable things, precious vessels] from the house [temple, dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. And he made Jehoiachin’s relative [uncle, brother] Zedekiah [Jehovah is righteous] king over Judah [the tribe of Judah, the region of Judah] and Jerusalem [the city of peace]. word study 11 Zedekiah [a son of twenty-one years, one and twenty years old] was twenty-one years old [at the beginning of his reign] when he became king [began to reign, started his rule], and he reigned [as a ruler, in a position of authority] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital city] eleven [ten and one] years. word study 12 And he did evil [wickedness, morally bad] in the sight [eye, presence] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] his God [Elohim, the supreme God] and did not humble [lower himself, submit] himself before Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] the prophet [one who speaks for God], who spoke [uttered words] for the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. word study 13 He also [even, too] rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar [the powerful king of Babylon], who had made him swear [take an oath, make a vow] by God [Elohim, the one supreme God]. But Zedekiah stiffened [made rigid, hardened] his neck [the back of the neck] and hardened [made stubborn, strengthened] his heart [the innermost part, including mind, will, and emotions] against turning [returning, turning back] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], the God [Elohim, the supreme God] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob]. word study 14 Furthermore, all [the entire leadership] the leaders of the priests [spiritual rulers, those set apart to serve God] and the people [the nation] multiplied [greatly increased, became more numerous] their unfaithful deeds [acts of disobedience, treacherous behavior], following [imitating, walking in the ways of] all [every kind of] the abominations [detestable practices, disgusting customs] of the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples], and they defiled [made unclean, polluted] the house [temple, dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], which [that which] He had consecrated [set apart, made holy] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital of Judah]. word study 15 Again and again the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], the God [Elohim, the supreme God] of their fathers [ancestors, forefathers], sent word [by His messengers, rising up early] to His people [nation, community] through His messengers [prophets, representatives] because He had compassion [pity, spared] on them and on His dwelling place [habitation, Temple]. word study 16 But they [continually, habitually] mocked [ridiculed, scorned] the messengers [prophets, representatives] of God [Elohim, the supreme God], despising [holding in contempt, rejecting] His words [messages, commands] and scoffing [mocking, ridiculing] at His prophets [spokesmen, seers], until the wrath [intense anger, rage] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] against His people [nation, community] was stirred up [arose, kindled] beyond remedy [with no cure, irreversibly]. word study 17 So He brought up against them the king [ruler, monarch] of the Chaldeans [Babylonians, people of Chaldea], who put their young men [youth, chosen ones] to the sword [cutting instrument, weapon] in the sanctuary [holy place, temple], sparing [having pity, showing compassion] neither young men [youth] nor young women [virgins, maidens], neither elderly [old, aged] nor infirm [weak, decrepit]. God [the Almighty, Creator] gave them all [everything, the whole] into the hand [power, control] of Nebuchadnezzar [the king of Babylon], word study 18 who carried off everything [all the vessels, utensils] to Babylon—all the articles [objects, tools] of the house [dwelling place, temple] of God [Elohim, the supreme God], both large [great, important] and small [little, insignificant], and the treasures [stored wealth, riches] of the house [temple, sanctuary] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] and of the king [ruler, monarch] and his officials [princes, leaders]. word study 19 Then the Chaldeans [Babylonians, enemies of God’s people] set fire [to burn, kindle flames] to the house [dwelling place, temple] of God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] and broke down [to tear, destroy] the wall [barrier, protection] of Jerusalem [city of peace, capital of Palestine]. They burned down [with fire, to destroy] all [everything, the entirety] the palaces [citadels, high fortresses] and destroyed [to ruin, corrupt] every article [object, utensil] of value [desire, beloved thing]. word study 20 Those who escaped [had not been killed by, survived] the sword [cutting instrument, tool for battle] were carried by Nebuchadnezzar into exile [as captives, as prisoners] in Babylon [city of confusion, Babel], and they became servants [slaves, bond servants] to him and his sons [descendants, heirs] until the kingdom [royal power, dominion] of Persia [ancient country, empire] came to power [reigned, ruled]. word study 21 So the land [the earth, territory] enjoyed its Sabbath [day of worship] rest all the days [periods of time] of the desolation [being laid waste, emptiness], until seventy [a complete cycle] years were completed, in fulfillment [to fill, make complete] of the word [declaration, promise] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] through Jeremiah [whom God has appointed, a prophet]. word study 22 In the first [initial, beginning] year of Cyrus [king of the Persian empire] king of Persia [the ancient country from India to Egypt], to fulfill [accomplish, complete] the word [divine message, prophecy] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] spoken [uttered, proclaimed] through Jeremiah [the major prophet], the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme Ruler] stirred [roused, motivated] the spirit [breath of life, mind and emotions] of Cyrus king of Persia [the ruler of the Persian kingdom] to send [issue, proclaim] a proclamation [official declaration, announcement] throughout his kingdom [royal domain, territory] and to put it in writing [written record, document] as follows [saying, declaring]: word study 23 “This is what Cyrus [king of the Persian empire] king of Persia says: ‘The LORD [Yehovah, the God of Israel], the God [Elohim, the supreme deity] of heaven [the visible sky and the spiritual realm], who has given me all [every single one] the kingdoms of the earth [the world, all nations], has appointed me [charged, commanded] to build a house [temple, place of worship] for Him at Jerusalem [the city of peace] in Judah [the southern kingdom]. Whoever among you belongs to His people [the nation of Israel], may the LORD [the God of covenant promise] his God be with him [in fellowship, guiding], and may he go up [ascend, return to the homeland].’” word study