²¹ And so ·what the Lord had told Israel through the prophet Jeremiah happened [^Lthe word of the Lord through the mouth of Jeremiah was fulfilled; ^Che prophesied the fall of Jerusalem]: The country ·was an empty wasteland [lay desolate/fallow] for seventy years ·to make up for the years of Sabbath rest [Lev. 25:1–7] that the people had not kept [or enjoying its sabbath rest; ^Ca bitter observation that the land experienced an ironic “rest” while the Israelites were in exile; Lev. 25:4, 26:33–35].