Zedekiah Reigns in Judah

11 kZedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 He did evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and ldid not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord. 13 And he also mrebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God; but he nstiffened 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

15 oAnd 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 pthey mocked the messengers of God, qdespised His words, and rscoffed at His prophets, until the swrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy.

17 tTherefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who ukilled 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. 18 vAnd 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. 19 wThen 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 xthose who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, ywhere 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 zJeremiah, until the land ahad enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate bshe kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.