Judah’s final three kings lead the nation into idolatry and God judges by sending the nation to captivity in Babylon. The Lord moves Cyrus to return the exiles and begin rebuilding the temple.

• As you read verses 5–21, how many times were God’s people taken to Babylon?
• Note verses 12–13, 15–16. What is always the result of refusing to heed God’s Word? What lessons should you learn from this?
• Why did Judah spend 70 years in captivity? Was that just a random number the Lord decided on? See Leviticus 26:34–35.