“ So now, our God– the great, powerful, and awesome God, who keeps covenant fidelity– do not regard as inconsequential all the hardship that has befallen us– our kings, our leaders, our priests, our prophets, our ancestors, and all your people– from the days of the kings of Assyria until this very day!

“我们的神啊，你是至大、至能、至可畏、守约施慈爱的神。我们的君王、首领、祭司、先知、列祖，和你的众民，从亚述列王的时候直到今日所遭遇的苦难，现在求你不要以为小。

“‘现在，我们的上帝啊，你是至大、至能、至可畏、守约施慈爱的上帝；我们的君王、官长、祭司、先知、祖先和你的众百姓，从亚述诸王的时候直到今日所遭遇的一切苦难，求你不要看为小事。

“‘现在，我们的神啊，你是至大、至能、至可畏、守约施慈爱的神；我们的君王、官长、祭司、先知、祖先和你的众百姓，从亚述诸王的时候直到今日所遭遇的一切苦难，求你不要看为小事。

“因此，我们的上帝啊，你是伟大、全能、可畏、守约、施慈爱的上帝，求你不要轻看我们的王、首领、祭司、先知、祖先和你的子民从亚述诸王时代直到今天所受的苦难。

“我们的神啊，你是至大、全能、至可畏、守约施慈爱的神，现在求你不要把我们、我们的君王和领袖、我们的祭司和先知、我们的列祖和你的众民，从亚述列王的日子直到今日所遭遇的一切苦难，看为小事。

「我們的神啊，你是至大、至能、至可畏、守約施慈愛的神。我們的君王、首領、祭司、先知、列祖，和你的眾民，從亞述列王的時候直到今日所遭遇的苦難，現在求你不要以為小。

「『現在，我們的上帝啊，你是至大、至能、至可畏、守約施慈愛的上帝；我們的君王、官長、祭司、先知、祖先和你的眾百姓，從亞述諸王的時候直到今日所遭遇的一切苦難，求你不要看為小事。

「『現在，我們的神啊，你是至大、至能、至可畏、守約施慈愛的神；我們的君王、官長、祭司、先知、祖先和你的眾百姓，從亞述諸王的時候直到今日所遭遇的一切苦難，求你不要看為小事。

「因此，我們的上帝啊，你是偉大、全能、可畏、守約、施慈愛的上帝，求你不要輕看我們的王、首領、祭司、先知、祖先和你的子民從亞述諸王時代直到今天所受的苦難。

“我們的神啊，你是至大、全能、至可畏、守約施慈愛的神，現在求你不要把我們、我們的君王和領袖、我們的祭司和先知、我們的列祖和你的眾民，從亞述列王的日子直到今日所遭遇的一切苦難，看為小事。

『現在呢、我們的上帝啊，至大、至有能力、至可畏懼、守約守堅愛的上帝啊，我們、我們的王和首領、我們的祭司和神言人、我們的列祖和你的眾民、從亞述列王的日子直到今日所遭遇的一切艱難困苦、求你不要看為小事。

我上帝歟、乃至大至能、可畏之上帝、踐約施恩、凡我列王牧伯、祭司先知、列祖庶民、自亞述王迄於今日、所遭患難、祈勿視為微小、

我之上帝、至尊至能、允宜寅畏、許人以恩、必踐其言、凡我列王、諸伯、祭司、先知、長老、庶民、自亞述王迄於今日、所遭患難、爾毋以為未足。

我至大至能至可畏踐約施恩之天主歟、凡我列王、牧伯、祭司、先知、列祖、及主之民眾、自亞述列王之時、至於今日、所遭之患難、求主莫以為不足、

“ Now therefore, our God, the great God, mighty and awesome, who keeps his covenant of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes— the hardship that has come on us, on our kings and leaders, on our priests and prophets, on our ancestors and all your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today.

“ Our God, you are the great God. You are mighty and wonderful. You keep the covenant you made with us. You show us your love. So don’t let all our suffering seem like a small thing to you. We’ve suffered greatly. So have our kings and leaders. So have our priests and prophets. Our people who lived long ago also suffered. And all your people are suffering right now. In fact, we’ve been suffering from the time of the kings of Assyria until today.

“ Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day.

“ And now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of unfailing love, do not let all the hardships we have suffered seem insignificant to you. Great trouble has come upon us and upon our kings and leaders and priests and prophets and ancestors— all of your people— from the days when the kings of Assyria first triumphed over us until now.

So now, our God— the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant— do not view lightly all the hardships that have afflicted us, our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our ancestors and all your people, from the days of the Assyrian kings until today.

“ Now then, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps His covenant and faithfulness, Do not let all the hardship seem insignificant before You, Which has happened to us, our kings, our leaders, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and to all Your people, From the days of the kings of Assyria to this day.

“ Now therefore, our God, The great, the mighty, and awesome God, Who keeps covenant and mercy: Do not let all the trouble seem small before You That has come upon us, Our kings and our princes, Our priests and our prophets, Our fathers and on all Your people, From the days of the kings of Assyria until this day.

Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and lovingkindness, let not all the travail seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.

So now, our God— the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant— do not view lightly all the hardships that have afflicted us, our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our ancestors and all Your people, from the days of the Assyrian kings until today.

Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.

Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness, don’t let all the travail seem little before you, that has come on us, on our kings, on our princes, on our priests, on our prophets, on our fathers, and on all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria to this day.

So realize that the LORD your God is the true God, the faithful God who keeps covenant faithfully with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,

Then I said,“ Please, O LORD God of heaven, great and awesome God, who keeps his loving covenant with those who love him and obey his commandments,

O LORD, we have been humiliated– our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors– because we have sinned against you.

There is no other God like you! You forgive sin and pardon the rebellion of those who remain among your people. You do not remain angry forever, but delight in showing loyal love.You will once again have mercy on us; you will conquer our evil deeds; you will hurl our sins into the depths of the sea.You will be loyal to Jacob and extend your loyal love to Abraham, which you promised on oath to our ancestors in ancient times.

I prayed to the LORD my God, confessing in this way:“ O Lord, great and awesome God who is faithful to his covenant with those who love him and keep his commandments,

We have not paid attention to your servants the prophets, who spoke by your authority to our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors, and to all the inhabitants of the land as well.

Say to God:“ How awesome are your deeds! Because of your great power your enemies cower in fear before you.

But in the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family, came with ten of his men and murdered Gedaliah, as well as the Judeans and Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.Then all the people, from the youngest to the oldest, as well as the army officers, left for Egypt, because they were afraid of what the Babylonians might do.

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it. The siege began in the tenth month of the ninth year that Zedekiah ruled over Judah.It lasted until the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year. On that day they broke through the city walls.Then Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim, who was a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer, who was a high official, and all the other officers of the king of Babylon came and set up quarters in the Middle Gate.When King Zedekiah of Judah and all his soldiers saw them, they tried to escape. They departed from the city during the night. They took a path through the king’s garden and passed out through the gate between the two walls. Then they headed for the Jordan Valley.But the Babylonian army chased after them. They caught up with Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho and captured him. They took him to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon at Riblah in the territory of Hamath and Nebuchadnezzar passed sentence on him there.There at Riblah the king of Babylon had Zedekiah’s sons put to death while Zedekiah was forced to watch. The king of Babylon also had all the nobles of Judah put to death.Then he had Zedekiah’s eyes put out and had him bound in chains to be led off to Babylon.The Babylonians burned down the royal palace, the temple of the LORD, and the people’s homes, and they tore down the wall of Jerusalem.Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, took captive the rest of the people who were left in the city. He carried them off to Babylon along with the people who had deserted to him.But he left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people who owned nothing. He gave them fields and vineyards at that time.Now King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had issued orders concerning Jeremiah. He had passed them on through Nebuzaradan, the captain of his royal guard,“ Find Jeremiah and look out for him. Do not do anything to harm him, but do with him whatever he tells you.”So Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, Nebushazban, who was a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer, who was a high official, and all the other officers of the king of Babylonsent and had Jeremiah brought from the courtyard of the guardhouse. They turned him over to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and the grandson of Shaphan, to take him home with him. But Jeremiah stayed among the people.Now the LORD had spoken to Jeremiah while he was still confined in the courtyard of the guardhouse,“ Go and tell Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian,‘ The LORD God of Israel who rules over all says,“ I will carry out against this city what I promised. It will mean disaster and not good fortune for it. When that disaster happens, you will be there to see it.But I will rescue you when it happens. I, the LORD, affirm it! You will not be handed over to those whom you fear.I will certainly save you. You will not fall victim to violence. You will escape with your life because you trust in me. I, the LORD, affirm it!”’”

Pharaoh Necho imprisoned him in Riblah in the land of Hamath and prevented him from ruling in Jerusalem. He imposed on the land a special tax of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.Pharaoh Necho made Josiah’s son Eliakim king in Josiah’s place, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. He took Jehoahaz to Egypt, where he died.

The LORD will bring on you, your people, and your father’s family a time unlike any since Ephraim departed from Judah– the king of Assyria!”At that time the LORD will whistle for flies from the distant streams of Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.

The LORD says,“ When that time comes, the bones of the kings of Judah and its leaders, the bones of the priests and prophets and of all the other people who lived in Jerusalem will be dug up from their graves.They will be spread out and exposed to the sun, the moon and the stars. These are things they adored and served, things to which they paid allegiance, from which they sought guidance, and worshiped. The bones of these people will never be regathered and reburied. They will be like manure used to fertilize the ground.However, I will leave some of these wicked people alive and banish them to other places. But wherever these people who survive may go, they will wish they had died rather than lived,” says the LORD who rules over all.

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah.He did what displeased the LORD just as Jehoiakim had done.What follows is a record of what happened to Jerusalem and Judah because of the LORD’s anger when he drove them out of his sight. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against Jerusalem with his whole army and set up camp outside it. They built siege ramps all around it. He arrived on the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year that Zedekiah ruled over Judah.The city remained under siege until Zedekiah’s eleventh year.By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city was so severe the residents had no food.They broke through the city walls, and all the soldiers tried to escape. They left the city during the night. They went through the gate between the two walls that is near the king’s garden.( The Babylonians had the city surrounded.) Then they headed for the Jordan Valley.But the Babylonian army chased after the king. They caught up with Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and his entire army deserted him.They captured him and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the territory of Hamath and he passed sentence on him there.The king of Babylon had Zedekiah’s sons put to death while Zedekiah was forced to watch. He also had all the nobles of Judah put to death there at Riblah.He had Zedekiah’s eyes put out and had him bound in chains. Then the king of Babylon had him led off to Babylon and he was imprisoned there until the day he died.On the tenth day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard who served the king of Babylon, arrived in Jerusalem.He burned down the LORD’s temple, the royal palace, and all the houses in Jerusalem, including every large house.The whole Babylonian army that came with the captain of the royal guard tore down the walls that surrounded Jerusalem.Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, took into exile some of the poor, the rest of the people who remained in the city, those who had deserted to him, and the rest of the craftsmen.But he left behind some of the poor and gave them fields and vineyards.The Babylonians broke the two bronze pillars in the temple of the LORD, as well as the movable stands and the large bronze basin called the“ The Sea.” They took all the bronze to Babylon.They also took the pots, shovels, trimming shears, basins, pans, and all the bronze utensils used by the priests.The captain of the royal guard took the gold and silver bowls, censers, basins, pots, lampstands, pans, and vessels.The bronze of the items that King Solomon made for the LORD’s temple( including the two pillars, the large bronze basin called“ The Sea,” the twelve bronze bulls under“ The Sea,” and the movable stands) was too heavy to be weighed.Each of the pillars was about 27 feet high, about 18 feet in circumference, three inches thick, and hollow.The bronze top of one pillar was about seven and one-half feet high and had bronze latticework and pomegranate-shaped ornaments all around it. The second pillar with its pomegranate-shaped ornaments was like it.There were ninety-six pomegranate-shaped ornaments on the sides; in all there were one hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments over the latticework that went around it.The captain of the royal guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest who was second in rank, and the three doorkeepers.From the city he took an official who was in charge of the soldiers, seven of the king’s advisers who were discovered in the city, an official army secretary who drafted citizens for military service, and sixty citizens who were discovered in the middle of the city.Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.The king of Babylon ordered them to be executed at Riblah in the territory of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile away from its land.Here is the official record of the number of people Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile: In the seventh year, 3, 023 Jews;in Nebuchadnezzar’s eighteenth year, 832 people from Jerusalem;in Nebuchadnezzar’s twenty-third year, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, carried into exile 745 Judeans. In all 4, 600 people went into exile.In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, Evil-Merodach, in the first year of his reign, pardoned King Jehoiachin of Judah and released him from prison.He spoke kindly to him and gave him a more prestigious position than the other kings who were with him in Babylon.Jehoiachin took off his prison clothes and ate daily in the king’s presence for the rest of his life.He was given daily provisions by the king of Babylon for the rest of his life until the day he died.

The people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in his father’s place in Jerusalem.Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.The king of Egypt prevented him from ruling in Jerusalem and imposed on the land a special tax of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.The king of Egypt made Jehoahaz’s brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Necho seized his brother Jehoahaz and took him to Egypt.Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the LORD his God.King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked him, bound him with bronze chains, and carried him away to Babylon.Nebuchadnezzar took some of the items in the LORD’s temple to Babylon and put them in his palace there.The rest of the events of Jehoiakim’s reign, including the horrible sins he committed and his shortcomings, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Israel and Judah. His son Jehoiachin replaced him as king.Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the LORD.At the beginning of the year King Nebuchadnezzar ordered him to be brought to Babylon, along with the valuable items in the LORD’s temple. In his place he made his relative Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he ruled for eleven years in Jerusalem.He did evil in the sight of the LORD his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, the LORD’s spokesman.He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him vow allegiance in the name of God. He was stubborn and obstinate, and refused to return to the LORD God of Israel.All the leaders of the priests and people became more unfaithful and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations. They defiled the LORD’s temple which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.The LORD God of their ancestors continually warned them through his messengers, for he felt compassion for his people and his dwelling place.But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his warnings, and ridiculed his prophets. Finally the LORD got very angry at his people and there was no one who could prevent his judgment.He brought against them the king of the Babylonians, who slaughtered their young men in their temple. He did not spare young men or women, or even the old and aging. God handed everyone over to him.He carried away to Babylon all the items in God’s temple, whether large or small, as well as what was in the treasuries of the LORD’s temple and in the treasuries of the king and his officials.They burned down the LORD’s temple and tore down the wall of Jerusalem. They burned all its fortified buildings and destroyed all its valuable items.He deported to Babylon all who escaped the sword. They served him and his sons until the Persian kingdom rose to power.This took place to fulfill the LORD’s message delivered through Jeremiah. The land experienced its sabbatical years; it remained desolate for seventy years, as prophesied.In the first year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, in fulfillment of the promise he delivered through Jeremiah, the LORD moved King Cyrus of Persia to issue a written decree throughout his kingdom.It read:“ This is what King Cyrus of Persia says:‘ The LORD God of the heavens has given to me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build for him a temple in Jerusalem in Judah. May the LORD your God energize you who belong to his people, so you may be able to go back there!”

Assyria, the club I use to vent my anger, is as good as dead, a cudgel with which I angrily punish.I sent him against a godless nation, I ordered him to attack the people with whom I was angry, to take plunder and to carry away loot, to trample them down like dirt in the streets.But he does not agree with this, his mind does not reason this way, for his goal is to destroy, and to eliminate many nations.

So look, the sovereign master is bringing up against them the turbulent and mighty waters of the Euphrates River– the king of Assyria and all his majestic power. It will reach flood stage and overflow its banks.It will spill into Judah, flooding and engulfing, as it reaches to the necks of its victims. He will spread his wings out over your entire land, O Immanuel.”

So the LORD has this to say about Josiah’s son, King Jehoiakim of Judah: People will not mourn for him, saying,“ This makes me sad, my brother! This makes me sad, my sister!” They will not mourn for him, saying,“ Poor, poor lord! Poor, poor majesty!”He will be left unburied just like a dead donkey. His body will be dragged off and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem.’”

In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria marched up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.The king of Assyria sent his chief adviser from Lachish to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem, along with a large army. The chief adviser stood at the conduit of the upper pool which is located on the road to the field where they wash and dry cloth.Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace supervisor, accompanied by Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph, the secretary, went out to meet him.The chief adviser said to them,“ Tell Hezekiah:‘ This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says:“ What is your source of confidence?Your claim to have a strategy and military strength is just empty talk. In whom are you trusting, that you would dare to rebel against me?Look, you must be trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed staff. If someone leans on it for support, it punctures his hand and wounds him. That is what Pharaoh king of Egypt does to all who trust in him!Perhaps you will tell me,‘ We are trusting in the LORD our God.’ But Hezekiah is the one who eliminated his high places and altars and then told the people of Judah and Jerusalem,‘ You must worship at this altar.’Now make a deal with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, provided you can find enough riders for them.Certainly you will not refuse one of my master’s minor officials and trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen.Furthermore it was by the command of the LORD that I marched up against this land to destroy it. The LORD told me,‘ March up against this land and destroy it!’”’”Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the chief adviser,“ Speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Judahite dialect in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”But the chief adviser said,“ My master did not send me to speak these words only to your master and to you. His message is also for the men who sit on the wall, for they will eat their own excrement and drink their own urine along with you!”The chief adviser then stood there and called out loudly in the Judahite dialect,“ Listen to the message of the great king, the king of Assyria.This is what the king says:‘ Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you, for he is not able to rescue you!Don’t let Hezekiah talk you into trusting in the LORD by saying,“ The LORD will certainly rescue us; this city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.”Don’t listen to Hezekiah!’ For this is what the king of Assyria says,‘ Send me a token of your submission and surrender to me. Then each of you may eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water from his own cistern,until I come and take you to a land just like your own– a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.Hezekiah is misleading you when he says,“ The LORD will rescue us.” Has any of the gods of the nations rescued his land from the power of the king of Assyria?Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Indeed, did any gods rescue Samaria from my power?Who among all the gods of these lands have rescued their lands from my power? So how can the LORD rescue Jerusalem from my power?’”They were silent and did not respond, for the king had ordered,“ Don’t respond to him.”Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace supervisor, accompanied by Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph, the secretary, went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn in grief and reported to him what the chief adviser had said.

“‘ If, in spite of all these things, you do not obey me, I will discipline you seven times more on account of your sins.

The captain of the royal guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah, the priest who was second in rank, and the three doorkeepers.From the city he took a eunuch who was in charge of the soldiers, five of the king’s advisers who were discovered in the city, an official army secretary who drafted citizens for military service, and sixty citizens from the people of the land who were discovered in the city.Nebuzaradan, captain of the royal guard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.The king of Babylon ordered them to be executed at Riblah in the territory of Hamath. So Judah was deported from its land.

You must not tremble in their presence, for the LORD your God, who is present among you, is a great and awesome God.

Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem paid him a thousand talents of silver to gain his support and to solidify his control of the kingdom.

For the sovereign LORD is awe-inspiring; he is the great king who rules the whole earth!

King Shalmaneser of Assyria threatened him; Hoshea became his subject and paid him tribute.

During Josiah’s reign Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt marched toward the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah marched out to fight him, but Necho killed him at Megiddo when he saw him.

“ Everything that has happened to us has come about because of our wicked actions and our great guilt. Even so, our God, you have exercised restraint toward our iniquities and have given us a remnant such as this.

Come and witness God’s exploits! His acts on behalf of people are awesome!

Zedekiah’s sons were executed while Zedekiah was forced to watch. The king of Babylon then had Zedekiah’s eyes put out, bound him in bronze chains, and carried him off to Babylon.

He prayed:“ O LORD, God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven above or on earth below! You maintain covenantal loyalty to your servants who obey you with sincerity.

I will walk in hostile rage against you and I myself will also discipline you seven times on account of your sins.

“‘ If you walk in hostility against me and are not willing to obey me, I will increase your affliction seven times according to your sins.

I will punish the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and all the other people of the land who passed between the pieces of the calf.I will hand them over to their enemies who want to kill them. Their dead bodies will become food for the birds and the wild animals.I will also hand King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials over to their enemies who want to kill them. I will hand them over to the army of the king of Babylon, even though they have temporarily withdrawn from attacking you.For I, the LORD, affirm that I will soon give the order and bring them back to this city. They will fight against it and capture it and burn it down. I will also make the towns of Judah desolate so that there will be no one living in them.”’”

I myself will also walk in hostility against you and strike you seven times on account of your sins.

During Pekah’s reign over Israel, King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, including all the territory of Naphtali. He deported the people to Assyria.