27 Thirty-seven years after Yehudah’s King Yehoyakin had been exiled to Babylon, Evil-Merodak had just become the new king of Babylon and he released Yehoyakin from prison on the 27th of the twelfth month. 28 He spoke kindly to Yehoyakin and honoured him more than the other kings who’d been taken to Babylon. 29 He was allowed to change out of his prison clothes, and was permitted to eat at the king’s table for the rest of his life, 30 as well as being given a daily monetary allowance.