The Fall of Jerusalem^(A)(B)

¹⁵ The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers^(C) again and again,^(D) because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. ¹⁶ But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed^(E) at his prophets until the wrath^(F) of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.^{(G) 17} He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians,^[a](H) who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men^(I) or young women, the elderly or the infirm.^(J) God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.^{(K) 18} He carried to Babylon all the articles^(L) 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^(M) to God’s temple^(N) and broke down the wall^(O) of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed^(P) everything of value there.^(Q)

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