¹³ The Lord warned^(A) Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers:^(B) “Turn from your evil ways.^(C) Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.”^(D)

¹⁴ But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked^(E) as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. ¹⁵ They rejected his decrees and the covenant^(F) he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols^(G) and themselves became worthless.^(H) They imitated the nations^(I) around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”

¹⁶ They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves,^(J) and an Asherah^(K) pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts,^(L) and they worshiped Baal.^{(M) 17} They sacrificed^(N) their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens^(O) and sold^(P) themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

¹⁸ So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence.^(Q) Only the tribe of Judah was left,

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.

²⁵ From the time your ancestors left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again^(A) I sent you my servants^(B) the prophets.^(C)