¹⁴ Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful,^(A) 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^(B)(C)

¹⁵ The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers^(D) again and again,^(E) because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. ¹⁶ But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed^(F) at his prophets until the wrath^(G) of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.^(H)

¹⁹ They set fire^(A) to God’s temple^(B) and broke down the wall^(C) of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed^(D) everything of value there.^(E)

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

²² In the first year of Cyrus^(K) king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

²³ “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: