Again and again, the people of Judah left Jehovah and worshipped false gods. For many years, Jehovah kept trying to help them. He sent many prophets to warn them, but they did not listen. Instead, they made fun of the prophets. How did Jehovah put an end to their idolatry?

The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, was conquering one nation after another. The first time he conquered Jerusalem, he captured King Jehoiachin, the princes, the warriors, and the craftsmen, and he took them all to Babylon. He also took all the treasures from Jehovah’s temple. Then Nebuchadnezzar made Zedekiah king of Judah.

At first, Zedekiah obeyed Nebuchadnezzar. But the nearby nations and the false prophets advised Zedekiah to rebel against Babylon. Jeremiah warned him: ‘If you rebel, there will be murder, famine, and disease in Judah.’

After ruling for eight years, Zedekiah decided to rebel against Babylon. He asked the Egyptian army to help him. Then Nebuchadnezzar sent his army to attack Jerusalem, and they camped around the city. Jeremiah told Zedekiah: ‘Jehovah says that if you surrender to Babylon, both you and the city will survive. But if you don’t, the Babylonians will burn Jerusalem down and take you as prisoner.’ Zedekiah said: ‘I won’t surrender!’

 A year and a half later, the Babylonian army broke through the walls of Jerusalem and set the city on fire. They burned down the temple, killed many people, and took thousands as prisoners.

Zedekiah escaped from Jerusalem, but the Babylonians chased after him. They captured him near Jericho and brought him to Nebuchadnezzar. The king of Babylon made Zedekiah watch as his own sons were executed. Then Nebuchadnezzar blinded Zedekiah and put him in prison, where he later died. But Jehovah promised the people of Judah: ‘After 70 years, I will bring you home to Jerusalem.’

What would happen to the young people who had been taken as prisoners to Babylon? Would they remain loyal to Jehovah?

Ẹghẹ hia ẹre Ivbi e Juda ya gha fi iyeke gbe Jehova, iran na gha ga ẹbọ. Ọwara ukpo nibun ẹre Jehova ya gha hoo ne ọ ru iyobọ ne iran. Ọ gie avbe akhasẹ nibun ne iran ya ye obọ sekhae ne iran, sokpan Ivbi e Juda ma họn. Iran na gha ya avbe akhasẹ na gbogiẹ. De vbene Jehova ghi ya muẹn sẹ ufomwẹ hẹ ighẹ uyinmwẹ igẹbọ ọghe iran?

Otọ nibun ẹre Nebukiadnẹza ne ọba ọghe Babilọn wa gha khọn mu vbe ẹghẹ nii. Vbe ẹghẹ okaro ne ọ ya khọnmiotọ yan e Jerusalẹm, ọ na mu Ọba e Jehoiakin, avbe okoro, ivbi iyokuo kevbe avbe owinna gha rrie Babilọn. Ọ na vbe viọ emwi ighobioye ni rre ọgua Osa. Ẹre Nebukiadnẹza na ghi ma e Zedekaia ọba yan otọ e Juda.

Vbe Zedekaia da khian ọba, ọ na gha họn ẹmwẹ ne Nebukiadnẹza. Sokpan agbẹnvbo ni lẹga e Juda kevbe avbe akhasẹ ohoghe keghi bu e Zedekaia ude ne ọ sọtẹ dae Babilọn. E Jerimaia keghi tama rẹn wẹẹ: ‘Adeghẹ u na sọtẹ dae Babilọn, uwu, emianmwẹ kevbe ohanmwẹ ẹre ọ khian ghi gha rre otọ e Juda.’

Vbe ọ ghi rre ukpo erẹnrẹn ne Zedekaia ke kha, ọ na sọtẹ dae Babilọn. Ọ na bu Igipt nọ ru iyobọ ne irẹn. E Nebukiadnẹza keghi gie ivbi iyokuo ọghẹe ne iran gbokin lẹga e Jerusalẹm. E Jerimaia keghi tama e Zedekaia wẹẹ: ‘E Jehova wẹẹ, u gha zẹ egbe obọ ne Babilọn, emwi rhọkpa i khian ru e Jerusalẹm. Sokpan deghẹ u ma na ru vberriọ, Ivbi e Babilọn gha giẹn e Jerusalẹm rua, iran ghi mu ruẹ ye eghan.’ E Zedekaia keghi kha wẹẹ: ‘I i zẹ egbe obọ!’

 Vbe ọ ghi rre ukpo ọkpa vbe ukhiọnmwẹ, ivbi iyokuo e Babilọn keghi lae Jerusalẹm, iran na mu erhẹn yọ. Iran na giẹn ọgua Osa, iran na gbele emwa nibun rua, iran na vbe viọ nibun gha rrie imu.

E Zedekaia na te lẹẹ fua, sokpan Ivbi e Babilọn na zẹ ọre khu. Obọ iran na vba re vbe ọkpẹn e Jẹriko, ẹre iran na muẹn gie Nebukiadnẹza. E Nebukiadnẹza keghi gbele ivbi e Zedekaia ye ọre aro. Iyeke ọni, ọ na rhu e Zedekaia aro, ọ na fi ẹre fi uwu eghan, evba ẹre ọ wu yi. Sokpan e Jehova keghi ru eyan ma Ivbi e Juda wẹẹ: ‘Ukpo 70 gha ghi gberra nẹ, I gha werriegbe viọ uwa gha die Jerusalẹm.’

De emwi nọ khian ghi sunu daa igbama na viọ gha rrie imu vbe Babilọn? Iran gha ye gha mwẹ ẹkoata dae Jehova ra?