²⁰ It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust^(A) them from his presence.^(B)

The Fall of Jerusalem^(C)(D)(E)

Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

¹³ He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath^(A) in God’s name. He became stiff-necked^(B) and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord, the God of Israel.

⁹ The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan^(A) works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders^(B) that serve the lie, ¹⁰ and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.^(C) They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.^{(D) 11} For this reason God sends them^(E) a powerful delusion^(F) so that they will believe the lie^(G)

²⁰ Where is the wise person?^(A) Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age?^(B) Has not God made foolish^(C) the wisdom of the world?

¹⁵ But the king rebelled^(A) against him by sending his envoys to Egypt^(B) to get horses and a large army.^(C) Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the treaty and yet escape?^(D)

¹⁶ “‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, he shall die^(E) in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose treaty he broke.^{(F) 17} Pharaoh^(G) with his mighty army and great horde will be of no help to him in war, when ramps^(H) are built and siege works erected to destroy many lives.^{(I) 18} He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Because he had given his hand in pledge^(J) and yet did all these things, he shall not escape.

¹⁹ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will repay him for despising my oath and breaking my covenant.^{(K) 20} I will spread my net^(L) for him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment^(M) on him there because he was unfaithful^(N) to me.