“Many nations

Will pass by this city.

All of them

Will say to one another.

‘Why has Yahweh dealt

This way

With this great city?’

They will answer.

‘Because they abandoned

The covenant of Yahweh

Their God.

They worshiped

Other gods.

They served

Other gods.”

If anyone was to pass by this destroyed city of Jerusalem, they might ask why Yahweh had dealt with this great city in this way. The answer was simple. These people had abandoned the covenant that they had with Yahweh, their God. They worshipped and served other gods. Thus they were disloyal to their God Yahweh.