The reign of Joakim, Joachin, and Sedecias – 4th Book of Kings, chapter 24

[1] In his days Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon came up, and Joakim became his servant three years: then again he rebelled against him. [2] And the Lord sent against him the rovers of the Chaldees, and the rovers of Syria, and the rovers of Moab, and the rovers of the children of Ammon: and he sent them against Juda, to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord, which he had spoken by his servants the prophets. [3] And this came by the word of the Lord against Juda, to remove them from before him for all the sins of Manasses which he did. [4] And for the innocent blood that he shed, filling Jerusalem with innocent blood: and therefore the Lord would not be appeased. [5] But the rest of the acts of Joakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Juda? And Joakim slept with his fathers:

[6] And Joachin his son reigned in his stead. [7] And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his own country: for the king of Babylon had taken all that had belonged to the king of Egypt, from the river of Egypt, unto the river Euphrates. [8] Joachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, a and he reigned three months in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Nohesta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. [9] And he did evil before the Lord, according to all that his father had done. [10] At that time the servants of Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was surrounded with their forts.

[11] And Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon came to the city with his servants to assault it. [12] And Joachin king of Juda went out to the king of Babylon, he and his mother, and his servants, and his nobles, and his eunuchs: and the king of Babylon received him in the eighth year of his reign. [13] And he brought out from thence all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house: and he cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the Lord, according to the word of the Lord. [14] And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the valiant men of the army, to the number of ten thousand into captivity: and every artificer and smith: and none were left, but the poor sort of the people of the land. [15] And he carried away Joachin into Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his eunuchs: and the judges of the land he carried into captivity from Jerusalem into Babylon.

[16] And all the strong men, seven thousand, and the artificers, and the smiths a thousand, all that were valiant men and fit for war: and the king of Babylon led them captives into Babylon. [17] And he appointed Matthanias his uncle in his stead: and called his name Sedecias. [18] Sedecias was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Amital, the daughter of Jeremias of Lobna. [19] And he did evil before the Lord, according to all that Joakim had done. [20] For the Lord was angry against Jerusalem and against Juda, till he cast them out from his face: and Sedecias revolted from the king of Babylon.

Commentary

[2] “The Lord sent against him the rovers”: Latrunculos. Bands or parties of men, who pillaged and plundered wherever they came.

Note: Books III and IV of Kings, in some versions of the Bible are called Books I and II of Kings, since the two books that precede them are sometimes called Books of Samuel. These four books of kings continuously recount the historical events they relate, so it is useful to consider them as a group of 4 consecutive books.