The last days of the Southern Kingdom

The following is a summary table of the kings of Judah after Josiah.

Name of King	Age	Duration	Mother	Judgment	Reference
Jehoahaz	23	3 months	Hamutal	evil	23:31-32
Jehoiakim (Eliakim)	25	11	Zebidah	evil	23:36-37
Jehoiachin	18	3 months	Nehushta	evil	24:8-9
Zedekiah (Mattaniah) uncle of Jehoiachin	21	11	Hamutal	evil	24:17-19

Josiah was killed by Pharaoh Neco in Megiddo (2 Kings 23:29). People made Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, king. Pharaoh captured him and demanded a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold (2 Kings 23:33). Pharaoh made Eliakim, son of Josiah, king and changed his name to Jehoiakim (2 Kings 23:34). Jehoahaz died in Egypt. After the death of Jehoiakim, his son Jeoiachin reigned (2 Kings 24:6). Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came and besieged Jerusalem. Jehoiachin did not resist.
And the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths, one thousand, all of them strong and fit for war (2 Kings 24:16).
This was the first Babylonian Captivity.
Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon (2 Kings 24:20b).

And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem, and laid siege to it; and they built siegeworks against it round about.
So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land (2 Kings 25:1-3).
Jerusalem was besieged for three years and was breached. Zedekiah fled and was captured.
Then they captured the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, who passed sentence upon him.
They slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters, and took him to Babylon (2 Kings 25:6-7).
The last thing King Zedekiah saw was the death of his sons! What a terrible fate.
Then the Babylonian captain burnt down the Temple, tore down the walls of Jerusalem, carried away more people into captivity.
And the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile.
But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen (2 Kings 25:11-12).
This was the second Babylonian Captivity.

Dear Lord, Your law is the way of life. Let us choose life and obey Your law. Amen.