15The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent to them by the hand of his messengers, rising early and sending, for he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.16They kept jesting at the messengers of God, despising his word, and mocking his prophets until the rage of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no healing.17He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their youths with the sword in the house of their sanctuary; he did not spare youth or virgin, old or decrepit; he gave all into his hand.18He brought to Babylon all the articles of the house of God, both large and small, the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king and his officials.19They burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all her citadels with fire, and destroyed all her precious articles.20He carried into exile the remnant from the sword to Babylon, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the royalty of Persia began to reign.21To fulfill the word of the LORD by the lip of Jeremiah, until the land accepted its Sabbaths; all the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.22In the year one of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD by the lip of Jeremiah, the LORD roused the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, and he caused a voice to pass throughout all his royalty and also in writing, saying:23Thus said Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the land the LORD God of heaven gave to me, and he reckoned upon me to build for him a house in Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who among you from all his people? The LORD his God is with him, and he will ascend.