📖 2 Kings — Chapter 24 (KJV)
Read the complete King James Version chapter below, then explore the passage sections, check what you remember, and keep your private study notes.
Scripture source: Project Gutenberg KJV, ebook 10.
2 Kings 24:1 In Rhis days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.
2 Kings 24:2 And 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, Raccording to the word of the LORD, which he spake Tby his servants the prophets.
2 Kings 24:3 RSurely 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;
2 Kings 24:4 And also Rfor the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon.
2 Kings 24:5 Now Rthe 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?
2 Kings 24:6 So Jehoiakim Rslept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.
2 Kings 24:7 And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land: for the king of Babylon had taken Rfrom the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt.
2 Kings 24:8 RTJehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother’s name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.
2 Kings 24:9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.
2 Kings 24:10 RAt that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city Twas besieged.
2 Kings 24:11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.
2 Kings 24:12 And RJehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his Tofficers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of This reign.
2 Kings 24:13 And Rhe 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.
2 Kings 24:14 And he carried away all RJerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.
2 Kings 24:15 And Rhe carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his Tofficers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.
2 Kings 24:16 And all the men of might, even Rseven 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.
2 Kings 24:17 And Rthe king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father’s brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.
2 Kings 24:18 RZedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
2 Kings 24:19 RAnd he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
2 Kings 24:20 For Rthrough the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
📚 Study This Chapter
📖 What We’re Reading
2 Kings 24:1–7 — Judah under Babylon
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Jehoiakim serves Nebuchadnezzar and then rebels. Raiding armies afflict Judah, and the narrator connects this downfall with the LORD's earlier warnings and the shedding of innocent blood. Babylon's expansion also ends Egypt's control in the region. Political events unfold within the account's moral and covenant concerns.
Key Truth: God's warnings must not be dismissed.
Check What You Remember
1. Which Babylonian king came against Judah? (2 Kings 24:1)
Find it in 2 Kings 24:1 (KJV).
2. How long did Jehoiakim serve him before rebelling? (2 Kings 24:1)
Find it in 2 Kings 24:1 (KJV).
3. Whose sins are named in the explanation of judgment? (2 Kings 24:3)
Find it in 2 Kings 24:3 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
2 Kings 24:8–16 — Jehoiachin taken captive
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Jehoiachin reigns briefly before Jerusalem is besieged. He surrenders with his household and officials. Babylon carries away temple treasures, leaders, soldiers, and skilled workers, leaving the poorest behind. The loss is religious, political, and practical: exile disrupts the structures on which the nation depended.
Key Truth: Disobedience can bring losses that reach a whole community.
Check What You Remember
1. How old was Jehoiachin when he began to reign? (2 Kings 24:8)
Find it in 2 Kings 24:8 (KJV).
2. To whom did he surrender? (2 Kings 24:12)
Find it in 2 Kings 24:12 (KJV).
3. Who remained in the land after the deportation? (2 Kings 24:14)
Find it in 2 Kings 24:14 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
2 Kings 24:17–20 — Zedekiah's reign
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Babylon appoints Jehoiachin's uncle Mattaniah and changes his name to Zedekiah. He also does evil in the LORD's sight and eventually rebels against Babylon. A new ruler and a new name do not produce a new spiritual direction. The chapter prepares us for Jerusalem's final siege.
Key Truth: A change in position cannot replace a change of heart.
Check What You Remember
1. What was Zedekiah's earlier name? (2 Kings 24:17)
Find it in 2 Kings 24:17 (KJV).
2. How long did Zedekiah reign? (2 Kings 24:18)
Find it in 2 Kings 24:18 (KJV).
3. Against which king did he rebel? (2 Kings 24:20)
Find it in 2 Kings 24:20 (KJV).
Related Scripture (KJV)
Jeremiah 25:9 — Jeremiah also announces Babylon's role in the coming judgment.
This related passage is selected for its connection with this chapter. It is separate from the chapter text.
Reflect and Apply
Where might outward changes be hiding a need for deeper repentance?
Advanced Questions and Answers
Study this chapter’s wording, patterns, contrasts, and meaning in greater depth.
1. How does Jehoiakim’s relation to Babylon change?
2. What moral explanation accompanies the raids against Judah?
3. How does Jehoiachin surrender during the siege?
4. What effect does the deportation have on Judah’s skilled population?
5. How does Zedekiah receive his kingship and name?
Notes
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