40. But the things reported about Jehoiakim, his impurity and godlessness, have been written in the scroll about the times of the kings.
41. His son Jehoiachin ruled in his place. When he was appointed king, he was 18 years old.
42. He ruled in Jerusalem for three months and ten days, and he did evil things in the Lord’s presence.
43. After a year, Nebuchadnezzar removed Jehoiachin to Babylon, along with the Lord’s holy equipment.
44. He appointed Zedekiah king of Judea and Jerusalem when Zedekiah was 21 years old. He ruled for eleven years.
45. He also did evil things in the Lord’s presence and paid no attention to the words Jeremiah the prophet spoke, which came from the Lord.
46. Although King Nebuchadnezzar had made him swear a solemn pledge in the Lord’s name, he swore falsely and rebelled. He was stubborn and broke the laws of the Lord, the God of Israel.
47. The leaders of the people and the priests committed godless and immoral acts far beyond the impure ones of the nations. They even corrupted the Lord’s temple that had been made holy in Jerusalem.
48. The God of their ancestors sent his messenger to call them back, because he was trying to spare them and his dwelling place.
49. But they mocked the messengers and made fun of the prophets on the day that the Lord spoke.Finally, God, with divine anger, brought the Chaldean kings against his chosen nation because of their godless acts.
50. The Chaldeans killed the young people around the holy temple. They spared neither man nor woman, young nor old, for God handed over all of them.
51. They seized and carried off to Babylon all the Lord’s holy equipment, great and small, the treasure chests of the Lord, and the royal stores.
52. They set fire to the Lord’s house. They smashed the walls of Jerusalem. They burned its towers with fire.
53. They utterly ruined all of its radiance. King Nebuchadnezzar led away the survivors to Babylon under guard.
54. They became servants to him and to his sons until the rise of the Persian kingdom, which fulfilled the Lord’s word through Jeremiah,
55. who said, "Until the land has enjoyed its sabbath rest, it will remain untouched, after its destruction, for seventy years."