Today's reading is a description of what happened in Judah after the Babylonian capture of Jerusalem and the first part of the exile. Those who remained in Judah fought among themselves, bringing about more death and destruction. Ironically, this suffering was not caused by Babylonian soldiers, but by the remaining Jews fighting each other. Such behavior confirmed God's judgment to use those in exile for the eventual restoration of God's people, rather than those living in the Promised Land.
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