Read the Bible

¹ And the people of the land took Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, - and made him king instead of his father, in Jerusalem.² Twenty-three years old, was Joahaz when he began to reign, - and, three months, reigned he in Jerusalem.³ And the king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem, - and condemned the land, in a hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.⁴ And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim, - but Neco took, Joahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.⁵ Twenty-five years old, was Jehoiakim when he began to reign, and, eleven years, reigned he in Jerusalem, - and he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh his God.⁶ Against him, came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, - and bound him in fetters of bronze, to carry him to Babylon.⁷ And, some of the utensils of the house of Yahweh, did Nebuchadnezzar carry to Babylon, - and put them in his own temple in Babylon.⁸ But, the rest of the story of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he made, and that which was found upon him, there they are, written in the book of the Kings of Israel and Judah, - and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.⁹ Eight years old, was Jehoiachin when he began to reign, and, three months and ten days, reigned he in Jerusalem, and he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh;¹⁰ and, when the year came round, King Nebuchadnezzar sent, and carried him to Babylon, with the precious utensils of the house of Yahweh, - and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

¹¹ Twenty-one years old, was Zedekiah when he began to reign, - and, eleven years, reigned he in Jerusalem.¹² And he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh his God,-he humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet, from the mouth of Yahweh.¹³ Moreover also - against King Nebuchadnezzar, he rebelled, who had made him swear by God,-and he stiffened his neck, and emboldened his heart, from turning unto Yahweh, God of Israel.¹⁴ Also, all the rulers of the priests and of the people, abounded in committing treachery, according to all the abominable ways of the nations, - and polluted the house of Yahweh, which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.¹⁵ And, though Yahweh God of their fathers sent unto them through his messengers, zealously sending them, - because he had compassion upon his people and upon his habitation,¹⁶ yet became they mockers of the messengers of God, and despisers of his words, and mimics of his prophets, - until the mounting up of the wrath of Yahweh against his people, until there was no healing.¹⁷ So he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who slew their young men with the sword, in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or virgin, elder or ancient,-all, delivered he into his hand.¹⁸ And, all the utensils of the house of God, both great and small, and the treasures of the house of Yahweh, and the treasures of the king and of his rulers, the whole, carried he to Babylon;¹⁹ and they burned the house of God, and threw down the wall of Jerusalem, - and, all the palaces thereof, burned they with fire, and, all the precious vessels thereof, he destroyed;²⁰ and he exiled the remnant left from the sword, into Babylon, - where they became his and his sons, as servants, until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:²¹ to fulfil the word of God, by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had paid off her sabbaths, - all the days of her lying desolate, she kept sabbath, to fulfil seventy years.

²² But, in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to accomplish the word of God by the mouth of Jeremiah, Yahweh aroused the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made proclamation throughout all his kingdom, moreover also in writing, saying:²³ Thus, saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth, hath Yahweh God of the heavens, given unto me, and, he himself, hath laid charge upon me, to build to him a house, in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people with whom is Yahweh his God? Then let him go up.