Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.
Now then, what do I have here, says the LORD, since my people have been taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them make them cry out in anguish, says the LORD, and my name is constantly dishonored every day.
God is expressing his grief and anger that his people have been taken into captivity without cause, and their oppressors are causing both suffering and dishonor to God's name.
📚 Historical Context
This verse was written during the Babylonian exile when the Jewish people had been forcibly removed from their homeland and taken to Babylon as captives. The Babylonians had conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the temple, leaving God's people in a foreign land under harsh rulers who mocked both them and their God.
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