13 And he also arebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear anoath by God; but he bstiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord God of Israel.
14 Moreover all the leaders of the priests and the people transgressed more and more, according to all the abominations of the nations, and defiled the house of the Lord which He had consecrated in Jerusalem.
The Fall of Jerusalem
15aAnd the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place.
16 But athey mocked the messengers of God, bdespised His words, and cscoffed at His prophets, until the dwrath of the Lord arose against His people, till therewas no remedy.
17aTherefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who bkilled their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, on the aged or the weak; He gave them all into his hand.
18aAnd all the articles from the house of God, great and small, the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his leaders, all these he took to Babylon.
19aThen they burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious possessions.
20 And athose who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, bwhere they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia,
21 to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of aJeremiah, until the land bhad enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate cshe kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.
The Proclamation of Cyrus
22aNow in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of bJeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of cCyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also putit in writing, saying,
23aThus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a1 house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up!
God did not just let them go into sin. He sent messenger after messenger, prophet after prophet, judge after judge, king after king—and they never listened. Maybe for a short time, they would put on a face of righteousness, but that was all it was. Because He loved them, God sent these men and women, but the people never listened. Even though God had compassion on them and wanted to save them from this, they were not willing.
