God answered the cry of His loyal children. Through His chosen mouthpiece He revealed His determination to bring chastisement upon the nation that had turned from Him to serve the gods of the heathen. Within the lifetime of some who were even then making inquiry regarding the future, He would miraculously shape the affairs of the ruling nations of earth and bring the Babylonians into the ascendancy. These Chaldeans, "terrible and dreadful," were to fall suddenly upon the land of Judah as a divinely 386 appointed scourge. Verse 7. The princes of Judah and the fairest of the people were to be carried captive to Babylon; the Judean cities and villages and the cultivated fields were to be laid waste; nothing was to be spared.

Gud besvarede sine trofaste børns råb. Han lod sit udvalgte talerør gøre det klart, at han havde besluttet at straffe det folk, som havde vendt ham ryggen for at dyrk e hedningernes guder. Mens nogle af dem, der ønskede oplysning om fremtiden, endnu levede, ville Gud gribe mirakuløst ind og forme historiens gang således, at babylonerne kom til magten. Gud ville benytte det frygtelige folk, kaldæerne, som en svøbe, der pludselig ville ramme Judas land. 7. vers. Judas fyrster og de ypperste blandt folket skulle føres til Babylon som fanger, Judas byer og landsbyer og de opdyrkede marker skulle lægges øde, og intet ville blive skånet.