Who Knows Best?

15 The LORD, the God of their fathers, (A) sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; 16 but they continually (B) mocked the messengers of God, (C) despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, (D) until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, until there was no remedy.

17 (E) Therefore He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or infirm; He gave them all into his hand.

18 (F) All the articles of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king and of his officers, he brought them all to Babylon.

19 Then (G) they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all its fortified buildings with fire and destroyed all its valuable articles.

20 Those who had escaped from the sword he (H) carried away to Babylon; and (I) they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, 21 (J) to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until (K) the land had enjoyed its sabbaths; (L) all the days of its desolation it kept sabbath (M) until seventy years were complete.

-II Chronicles 36:15-21