Jehoiakim reigned eleven years in Judah, but only as a puppet king under the authority of Egypt. Instead of following after the ways of God as did His father Josiah, he chose the path of idolatry and self-reliance. The people did not like Him, mostly because he taxed them heavily in order to pay the tribute tax to Pharaoh (2 Kings 23:31-35). He was a weak king and lacked moral sense and found himself in the midst of great political confusion. At first, he was under the control of Egypt, but then Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon defeated Pharaoh Neco of Egypt and then besieged Jerusalem. Jehoiakim, Zedekiah and Jehoiachin were all wicked leaders leaving the door of Judah wide open for Babylon to destroy it, carrying away the people for seventy long years of captivity.