Zedekiah King of Judah^(A)

¹¹ Zedekiah^(B) was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. ¹² He did evil in the eyes of the Lord^(C) his God and did not humble^(D) himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the Lord. ¹³ He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath^(E) in God’s name. He became stiff-necked^(F) and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁴ Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful,^(G) following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

The Fall of Jerusalem^(H)(I)

¹⁵ The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers^(J) again and again,^(K) because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. ¹⁶ But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed^(L) at his prophets until the wrath^(M) of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.^{(N) 17} He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians,^[a](O) who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men^(P) or young women, the elderly or the infirm.^(Q) God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.^{(R) 18} He carried to Babylon all the articles^(S) from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. ¹⁹ They set fire^(T) to God’s temple^(U) and broke down the wall^(V) of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed^(W) everything of value there.^(X)

²⁰ He carried into exile^(Y) to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants^(Z) to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. ²¹ The land enjoyed its sabbath rests;^(AA) all the time of its desolation it rested,^(AB) until the seventy years^(AC) were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.

⁹ I will summon^(A) all the peoples of the north^(B) and my servant^(C) Nebuchadnezzar^(D) king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy^[a](E) them and make them an object of horror and scorn,^(F) and an everlasting ruin.^{(G) 10} I will banish from them the sounds^(H) of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom,^(I) the sound of millstones^(J) and the light of the lamp.^{(K) 11} This whole country will become a desolate wasteland,^(L) and these nations will serve^(M) the king of Babylon seventy years.^(N)

¹² “But when the seventy years^(O) are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon^(P) and his nation, the land of the Babylonians,^[b] for their guilt,” declares the Lord, “and will make it desolate^(Q) forever.