21
If we are captured, so also will the rest of Judea be captured. Then our sanctuary will be plundered, and God will hold us responsible for its ruin with our own blood.
22
He will bring the murder of our families, the captivity of the land, and the destruction of our inheritance down upon our heads, wherever we may be enslaved among the nations. Those who purchase us as slaves will consider us offensive and disgraceful.
23
Our slavery won't bring us favor. Rather, the Lord our God will turn it into a disgrace.
24
"Now, brothers, let us be an example to those whose lives depend on us. The sanctuary, the temple, and the altar depend on us as well.
25
In the midst of all this, let us give thanks to the Lord our God, who is testing us just as he did our ancestors.