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20 Nebuchadnezzar took the people who were still alive back to Babylon and forced them to be slaves. They stayed in Babylon as slaves until the Persian kingdom defeated the kingdom of Babylon. 21 The land of Judah became an empty desert and stayed that way for 70 years. All this time the land rested to make up for the Sabbath rests[a] that the people had not kept. This is just what the Lord said would happen in the warning he gave through the prophet Jeremiah.[b]

22 During the first year that Cyrus[c] was king of Persia, the Lord caused Cyrus to make a special announcement. He did this so that what the Lord promised through Jeremiah the prophet would really happen. Cyrus sent messengers to every place in his kingdom. They carried this message:

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 36:21 Sabbath rests The Law said that every seventh year the land was not to be farmed. See Lev. 25:1-7.
  2. 2 Chronicles 36:21 warning … Jeremiah See Jer. 25:11; 29:10.
  3. 2 Chronicles 36:22 the first year … Cyrus This was about 539–538 B.C.

20 He carried into exile(A) to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants(B) to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. 21 The land enjoyed its sabbath rests;(C) all the time of its desolation it rested,(D) until the seventy years(E) were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.

22 In the first year of Cyrus(F) king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

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