¹⁷ So God brought the king of ·Babylon [the Chaldeans] to attack them. The king ·killed [slaughtered; ^Lkilled with the sword] the young men even when they were in the ·Temple [^Lhouse of their sanctuary]. He had no ·mercy [pity; compassion] on the young men or women, the old men or those who were ·sick [infirm]. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁸ Nebuchadnezzar carried away to Babylon all the ·things [articles; vessels] from the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of God, both large and small, and all the treasures from the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord and from the king and his ·officers [officials]. ¹⁹ Nebuchadnezzar and his army ·set fire to [burned down] God’s ·Temple [^Lhouse] and broke down Jerusalem’s wall and burned all the ·palaces [or fortifications; ^Lhouses]. They destroyed every valuable thing in Jerusalem.

²⁰ Nebuchadnezzar took ·captive [into exile] to Babylon the people who ·were left alive [^Lescaped the sword], and he forced them to be ·slaves [servants] for him and his descendants. They remained there as ·slaves [servants] until the Persian kingdom ·defeated Babylon [^Lcame/rose to power].