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Bible story · 2 Kings 25:27–30
A Seat Out of Prison
Read it yourself in the King James Bible: 2 Kings 25:27–30 ↗
“And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life.”
2 Kings 25:29 (KJV)The Story
Jehoiachin became king of Judah at eighteen. He reigned for only three months. Then the armies of Babylon surrounded Jerusalem, and the young king surrendered. He was carried off to Babylon in chains and thrown into prison.
He stayed there for thirty-seven years.
Jerusalem was burned. The temple was destroyed. The line of David seemed to be finished, its last king rotting in a foreign cell.
Then a new king came to the throne of Babylon, a man named Evil-merodach. In the very first year of his reign, he did something no one expected. He “did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison.”
He spoke kindly to him. He gave him a seat of honor above the other captured kings in Babylon. He took away his prison clothes.
And for the rest of his life, Jehoiachin ate at the king’s table. He received “a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.”
Reflection
The books of Kings end with a long, sad story of Israel’s failure. But the very last verses aren’t about destruction. They’re about a prisoner getting new clothes and a daily allowance.
More Bible stories from 2 Kings. More about: Second Chances
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Day 12 of Book 7
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