2 Chronicles 36

2 Chronicles 36
While the war between Egypt and Babylonia was progressing in the East, Josiah was buried, and his son, Jehoahaz was made king. in his stead at Jerusalem.
Only three months was this son allowed to reign, for the returning Egyptians, mindful of Judah's attack upon them under Josiah, paused on their way south to put down the new king, and impose a fine upon the country of a hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold. Though Jehoahaz reigned but three months, it was a long enough period to call for the record as to him,
"And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done." 2 Kings 23:3232And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. (2 Kings 23:32). He was now carried away to Egypt where he died (2 Kings 23:3434And Pharaoh-nechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there. (2 Kings 23:34)), and Eliakam his brother was made king in his stead, with his name changed to Jehoiakim.
Jehoiakim reigned eleven years with a record of evil in the sight of God. Against him came the king of Babylon, and after three years, during which he had rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, he was bound with chains of brass (or bronze) to be carried off to Babylon.
We learn details of Jehoiakim's wickedness, and the trouble of his reign. From 2 Kings 24:1-61In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. 2And the Lord sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by his servants the prophets. 3Surely at the commandment of the Lord came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; 4And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the Lord would not pardon. 5Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 6So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. (2 Kings 24:1‑6) it would appear that he never reached Babylon, but died at Jerusalem; however, part of the vessels of the temple of God were carried to Babylon and placed in Nebuchadnezzar's idol temple there (See Dan. 5:2-42Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. 3Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. 4They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. (Daniel 5:2‑4)).
Jehoiachin succeeded his father, Jehoiakim, on the throne for a brief period; his reign was an evil one according to all that his father had done. Nebuchadnezzar had brought him to Babylon after a short siege at Jerusalem (2 Kings 24:10-1710At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 11And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it. 12And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign. 13And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the Lord, as the Lord had said. 14And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valor, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land. 15And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon. 17And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah. (2 Kings 24:10‑17)) which ended with the removal of all the treasures of the temple, and of the king's house to Babylon, together with all the princes, all the mighty men, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen, and smiths; none remained, but the poorest sort of the people. Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, was made king by Nebuchadnezzar, and his name was changed to Zedekiah. This young man reigned eleven years, characterized by evil as his fathers.
Zedekiah did not humble himself before the prophet Jeremiah, speaking from the mouth of the Lord, and he rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar who had made him take oath by God, and he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart, from returning to the Lord God of Israel.
All the chiefs of the priests, also, and the people, increased their unfaithfulness, according to all the abominations of the nations, and they defiled the temple which God had hallowed in Jerusalem. In the ninth year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar came with all his army, and besieged Jerusalem until the eleventh year. Because of the siege, a famine prevailed in the city, and when there was no bread, the wall was broken through, and all the defenders fled with Zedekiah.
They were caught, and the king was taken to Riblah in northern Syria where his sons were slaughtered before his face, and his own eyes were put out. Zedekiah was bound and carried to Babylon.
The temple, the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem were burned, and the walls of the city were broken down. 2 Kings 25 gives these details and more.
This was the answer, long withheld, to the rejection of God and His Word, by the kings of Judah, and the people (See verses 15, 16, 21). Seventy years were to pass until Cyrus was on the throne of the Medo-Persian, or Persian Empire, which brings us to the book of Ezra.