Zedekiah Reigns in Judah

(2 Kings 24:18–20; Jeremiah 52:1–3)

11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. 12 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke for the LORD.

13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. But [Zedekiah] stiffened his neck and hardened[fn] his heart against turning to the LORD, the God of Israel. 14 Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, [following] all the abominations of the nations, and they defiled the house of the LORD, which He had consecrated in Jerusalem.