“ 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.

“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.

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.

“ 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!

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.

Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.

Then I said,“ O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands,

O Lord, we and our kings, princes, and ancestors are covered with shame because we have sinned against you.

Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love.Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.

I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:“ O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands.

We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets, who spoke on your authority to our kings and princes and ancestors and to all the people of the land.

Say to God,“ How awesome are your deeds! Your enemies cringe before your mighty power.

But in midautumn of that year, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family, went to Mizpah with ten men and killed Gedaliah. He also killed all the Judeans and Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.Then all the people of Judah, from the least to the greatest, as well as the army commanders, fled in panic to Egypt, for they were afraid of what the Babylonians would do to them.

In January of the ninth year of King Zedekiah’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came with his entire army to besiege Jerusalem.Two and a half years later, on July 18 in the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign, a section of the city wall was broken down.All the officers of the Babylonian army came in and sat in triumph at the Middle Gate: Nergal sharezer of Samgar, and Nebo sarsekim, a chief officer, and Nergal sharezer, the king’s adviser, and all the other officers of the king of Babylon.When King Zedekiah of Judah and all the soldiers saw that the Babylonians had broken into the city, they fled. They waited for nightfall and then slipped through the gate between the two walls behind the king’s garden and headed toward the Jordan Valley.But the Babylonian troops chased them and overtook Zedekiah on the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who was at Riblah in the land of Hamath. There the king of Babylon pronounced judgment upon Zedekiah.The king of Babylon made Zedekiah watch as he slaughtered his sons at Riblah. The king of Babylon also slaughtered all the nobles of Judah.Then he gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in bronze chains to lead him away to Babylon.Meanwhile, the Babylonians burned Jerusalem, including the royal palace and the houses of the people, and they tore down the walls of the city.Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took as exiles to Babylon the rest of the people who remained in the city, those who had defected to him, and everyone else who remained.But Nebuzaradan allowed some of the poorest people to stay behind in the land of Judah, and he assigned them to care for the vineyards and fields.King Nebuchadnezzar had told Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, to find Jeremiah.“ See that he isn’t hurt,” he said.“ Look after him well, and give him anything he wants.”So Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard; Nebushazban, a chief officer; Nergal sharezer, the king’s adviser; and the other officers of Babylon’s kingsent messengers to bring Jeremiah out of the prison. They put him under the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, who took him back to his home. So Jeremiah stayed in Judah among his own people.The Lord had given the following message to Jeremiah while he was still in prison:“ Say to Ebed melech the Ethiopian,‘ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will do to this city everything I have threatened. I will send disaster, not prosperity. You will see its destruction,but I will rescue you from those you fear so much.Because you trusted me, I will give you your life as a reward. I will rescue you and keep you safe. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”

Pharaoh Neco put Jehoahaz in prison at Riblah in the land of Hamath to prevent him from ruling in Jerusalem. He also demanded that Judah pay 7,500 pounds of silver and 75 pounds of gold as tribute.Pharaoh Neco then installed Eliakim, another of Josiah’s sons, to reign in place of his father, and he changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. Jehoahaz was taken to Egypt as a prisoner, where he died.

“ Then the Lord will bring things on you, your nation, and your family unlike anything since Israel broke away from Judah. He will bring the king of Assyria upon you!”In that day the Lord will whistle for the army of southern Egypt and for the army of Assyria. They will swarm around you like flies and bees.

“ In that day,” says the Lord,“ the enemy will break open the graves of the kings and officials of Judah, and the graves of the priests, prophets, and common people of Jerusalem.They will spread out their bones on the ground before the sun, moon, and stars— the gods my people have loved, served, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered up again or buried but will be scattered on the ground like manure.And the people of this evil nation who survive will wish to die rather than live where I will send them. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!

Zedekiah was twenty one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah.But Zedekiah did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, just as Jehoiakim had done.These things happened because of the Lord’s anger against the people of Jerusalem and Judah, until he finally banished them from his presence and sent them into exile. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.So on January 15, during the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon led his entire army against Jerusalem. They surrounded the city and built siege ramps against its walls.Jerusalem was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah’s reign.By July 18 in the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign, the famine in the city had become very severe, and the last of the food was entirely gone.Then a section of the city wall was broken down, and all the soldiers fled. Since the city was surrounded by the Babylonians, they waited for nightfall. Then they slipped through the gate between the two walls behind the king’s garden and headed toward the Jordan Valley.But the Babylonian troops chased King Zedekiah and overtook him on the plains of Jericho, for his men had all deserted him and scattered.They captured the king and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath. There the king of Babylon pronounced judgment upon Zedekiah.The king of Babylon made Zedekiah watch as he slaughtered his sons. He also slaughtered all the officials of Judah at Riblah.Then he gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in bronze chains, and the king of Babylon led him away to Babylon. Zedekiah remained there in prison until the day of his death.On August 17 of that year, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard and an official of the Babylonian king, arrived in Jerusalem.He burned down the Temple of the Lord, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He destroyed all the important buildings in the city.Then he supervised the entire Babylonian army as they tore down the walls of Jerusalem on every side.Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took as exiles some of the poorest of the people, the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had declared their allegiance to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen.But Nebuzaradan allowed some of the poorest people to stay behind to care for the vineyards and fields.The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars in front of the Lord’s Temple, the bronze water carts, and the great bronze basin called the Sea, and they carried all the bronze away to Babylon.They also took all the ash buckets, shovels, lamp snuffers, basins, dishes, and all the other bronze articles used for making sacrifices at the Temple.The captain of the guard also took the small bowls, incense burners, basins, pots, lampstands, ladles, bowls used for liquid offerings, and all the other articles made of pure gold or silver.The weight of the bronze from the two pillars, the Sea with the twelve bronze oxen beneath it, and the water carts was too great to be measured. These things had been made for the Lord’s Temple in the days of King Solomon.Each of the pillars was 27 feet tall and 18 feet in circumference. They were hollow, with walls 3 inches thick.The bronze capital on top of each pillar was 7 1/2 feet high and was decorated with a network of bronze pomegranates all the way around.There were 96 pomegranates on the sides, and a total of 100 pomegranates on the network around the top.Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took with him as prisoners Seraiah the high priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three chief gatekeepers.And from among the people still hiding in the city, he took an officer who had been in charge of the Judean army; seven of the king’s personal advisers; the army commander’s chief secretary, who was in charge of recruitment; and sixty other citizens.Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took them all to the king of Babylon at Riblah.And there at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon had them all put to death. So the people of Judah were sent into exile from their land.The number of captives taken to Babylon in the seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign was 3,023.Then in Nebuchadnezzar’s eighteenth year he took 832 more.In Nebuchadnezzar’s twenty third year he sent Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who took 745 more— a total of 4,600 captives in all.In the thirty seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, Evil merodach ascended to the Babylonian throne. He was kind to Jehoiachin and released him from prison on March 31 of that year.He spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and gave him a higher place than all the other exiled kings in Babylon.He supplied Jehoiachin with new clothes to replace his prison garb and allowed him to dine in the king’s presence for the rest of his life.So the Babylonian king gave him a regular food allowance as long as he lived. This continued until the day of his death.

Then the people of the land took Josiah’s son Jehoahaz and made him the next king in Jerusalem.Jehoahaz was twenty three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months.Then he was deposed by the king of Egypt, who demanded that Judah pay 7,500 pounds of silver and 75 pounds of gold as tribute.The king of Egypt then installed Eliakim, the brother of Jehoahaz, as the next king of Judah and Jerusalem, and he changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. Then Neco took Jehoahaz to Egypt as a prisoner.Jehoiakim was twenty five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God.Then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and captured it, and he bound Jehoiakim in bronze chains and led him away to Babylon.Nebuchadnezzar also took some of the treasures from the Temple of the Lord, and he placed them in his palace in Babylon.The rest of the events in Jehoiakim’s reign, including all the evil things he did and everything found against him, are recorded in The Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. Then his son Jehoiachin became the next king.Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. Jehoiachin did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.In the spring of the year King Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin to Babylon. Many treasures from the Temple of the Lord were also taken to Babylon at that time. And Nebuchadnezzar installed Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah, as the next king in Judah and Jerusalem.Zedekiah was twenty one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years.But Zedekiah did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and he refused to humble himself when the prophet Jeremiah spoke to him directly from the Lord.He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, even though he had taken an oath of loyalty in God’s name. Zedekiah was a hard and stubborn man, refusing to turn to the Lord, the God of Israel.Likewise, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful. They followed all the pagan practices of the surrounding nations, desecrating the Temple of the Lord that had been consecrated in Jerusalem.The Lord, the God of their ancestors, repeatedly sent his prophets to warn them, for he had compassion on his people and his Temple.But the people mocked these messengers of God and despised their words. They scoffed at the prophets until the Lord’s anger could no longer be restrained and nothing could be done.So the Lord brought the king of Babylon against them. The Babylonians killed Judah’s young men, even chasing after them into the Temple. They had no pity on the people, killing both young men and young women, the old and the infirm. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar.The king took home to Babylon all the articles, large and small, used in the Temple of God, and the treasures from both the Lord’s Temple and from the palace of the king and his officials.Then his army burned the Temple of God, tore down the walls of Jerusalem, burned all the palaces, and completely destroyed everything of value.The few who survived were taken as exiles to Babylon, and they became servants to the king and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power.So the message of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest, lying desolate until the seventy years were fulfilled, just as the prophet had said.In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom:“ This is what King Cyrus of Persia says:“ The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are his people may go there for this task. And may the Lord your God be with you!”

“ What sorrow awaits Assyria, the rod of my anger. I use it as a club to express my anger.I am sending Assyria against a godless nation, against a people with whom I am angry. Assyria will plunder them, trampling them like dirt beneath its feet.But the king of Assyria will not understand that he is my tool; his mind does not work that way. His plan is simply to destroy, to cut down nation after nation.

Therefore, the Lord will overwhelm them with a mighty flood from the Euphrates River— the king of Assyria and all his glory. This flood will overflow all its channelsand sweep into Judah until it is chin deep. It will spread its wings, submerging your land from one end to the other, O Immanuel.

Therefore, this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim, son of King Josiah:“ The people will not mourn for him, crying to one another,‘ Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!’ His subjects will not mourn for him, crying,‘ Alas, our master is dead! Alas, his splendor is gone!’He will be buried like a dead donkey— dragged out of Jerusalem and dumped outside the gates!

In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to attack the fortified towns of Judah and conquered them.Then the king of Assyria sent his chief of staff from Lachish with a huge army to confront King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. The Assyrians took up a position beside the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed.These are the officials who went out to meet with them: Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian.Then the Assyrian king’s chief of staff told them to give this message to Hezekiah:“ This is what the great king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you so confident?Do you think that mere words can substitute for military skill and strength? Who are you counting on, that you have rebelled against me?On Egypt? If you lean on Egypt, it will be like a reed that splinters beneath your weight and pierces your hand. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is completely unreliable!“ But perhaps you will say to me,‘ We are trusting in the Lord our God!’ But isn’t he the one who was insulted by Hezekiah? Didn’t Hezekiah tear down his shrines and altars and make everyone in Judah and Jerusalem worship only at the altar here in Jerusalem?“ I’ll tell you what! Strike a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses if you can find that many men to ride on them!With your tiny army, how can you think of challenging even the weakest contingent of my master’s troops, even with the help of Egypt’s chariots and charioteers?What’s more, do you think we have invaded your land without the Lord’s direction? The Lord himself told us,‘ Attack this land and destroy it!’”Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Assyrian chief of staff,“ Please speak to us in Aramaic, for we understand it well. Don’t speak in Hebrew, for the people on the wall will hear.”But Sennacherib’s chief of staff replied,“ Do you think my master sent this message only to you and your master? He wants all the people to hear it, for when we put this city under siege, they will suffer along with you. They will be so hungry and thirsty that they will eat their own dung and drink their own urine.”Then the chief of staff stood and shouted in Hebrew to the people on the wall,“ Listen to this message from the great king of Assyria!This is what the king says: Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you. He will never be able to rescue you.Don’t let him fool you into trusting in the Lord by saying,‘ The Lord will surely rescue us. This city will never fall into the hands of the Assyrian king!’“ Don’t listen to Hezekiah! These are the terms the king of Assyria is offering: Make peace with me— open the gates and come out. Then each of you can continue eating from your own grapevine and fig tree and drinking from your own well.Then I will arrange to take you to another land like this one— a land of grain and new wine, bread and vineyards.“ Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you by saying,‘ The Lord will rescue us!’ Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria?What happened to the gods of Hamath and Arpad? And what about the gods of Sepharvaim? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power?What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the Lord can rescue Jerusalem from me?”But the people were silent and did not utter a word because Hezekiah had commanded them,“ Do not answer him.”Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian, went back to Hezekiah. They tore their clothes in despair, and they went in to see the king and told him what the Assyrian chief of staff had said.

“ And if, in spite of all this, you still disobey me, I will punish you seven times over for your sins.

Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took with him as prisoners Seraiah the high priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three chief gatekeepers.And from among the people still hiding in the city, he took an officer who had been in charge of the Judean army; five of the king’s personal advisers; the army commander’s chief secretary, who was in charge of recruitment; and sixty other citizens.Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took them all to the king of Babylon at Riblah.And there at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon had them all put to death. So the people of Judah were sent into exile from their land.

“ No, do not be afraid of those nations, for the Lord your God is among you, and he is a great and awesome God.

Then King Tiglath pileser of Assyria invaded the land. But Menahem paid him thirty seven tons of silver to gain his support in tightening his grip on royal power.

For the Lord Most High is awesome. He is the great King of all the earth.

King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked King Hoshea, so Hoshea was forced to pay heavy tribute to Assyria.

While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, went to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah and his army marched out to fight him, but King Neco killed him when they met at Megiddo.

“ Now we are being punished because of our wickedness and our great guilt. But we have actually been punished far less than we deserve, for you, our God, have allowed some of us to survive as a remnant.

Come and see what our God has done, what awesome miracles he performs for people!

They made Zedekiah watch as they slaughtered his sons. Then they gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon.

and he prayed,“ O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.

then I will give full vent to my hostility. I myself will punish you seven times over for your sins.

“ If even then you remain hostile toward me and refuse to obey me, I will inflict disaster on you seven times over for your sins.

Yes, I will cut you apart, whether you are officials of Judah or Jerusalem, court officials, priests, or common people— for you have broken your oath.I will give you to your enemies, and they will kill you. Your bodies will be food for the vultures and wild animals.“ I will hand over King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials to the army of the king of Babylon. And although they have left Jerusalem for a while,I will call the Babylonian armies back again. They will fight against this city and will capture it and burn it down. I will see to it that all the towns of Judah are destroyed, with no one living there.”

then I myself will be hostile toward you. I will personally strike you with calamity seven times over for your sins.

During Pekah’s reign, King Tiglath pileser of Assyria attacked Israel again, and he captured the towns of Ijon, Abel beth maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, and Hazor. He also conquered the regions of Gilead, Galilee, and all of Naphtali, and he took the people to Assyria as captives.