2 Chronicles 7:21

19 But if you turn away and forsake the statutes and commandments I have set before you, and if you go off to serve and worship other gods,

20 then I will uproot Israel from the soil I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. I will make it an object of scorn and ridicule among all the peoples.

And when this temple has become a heap of rubble, all who pass by it will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’

22 And others will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—because of this, He has brought all this disaster upon them.’”

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
And when this temple has become a heap of rubble, all who pass by it will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’
KJV
And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and unto this house?
WEB
This house, which is so high, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the LORD done this to this land and to this house?’
ASV
And this house, which is so high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall say, Why hath Jehovah done thus unto this land, and to this house?
DARBY
And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passes by it; so that he shall say, Why has Jehovah done thus to this land and to this house?
BLB
And this house that is a heap of rubble, all who pass by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has YHWH done thus to this land and to this house?’
ÅB
Og hver den som går forbi dette hus, som har vært så opphøyet, skal forferdes, og når noen da spør: Hvorfor har Herren gjort slik mot dette land og dette hus?
OTB
Hva dette huset angår, som ble opphøyet, vil alle som går forbi det bli forferdet og si, 'Hvorfor har Herren gjort disse tingene mot dette landet og dette huset?'
B1930
Og hver den som går forbi dette hus, som har vært så ophøiet, skal forferdes, og når nogen da spør: Hvorfor har Herren gjort således mot dette land og dette hus?

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Jeremiah 22:8–9

    And many nations will pass by this city and ask one another, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this great city?’

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 16:10–12

    When you tell these people all these things, they will ask you, ‘Why has the LORD pronounced all this great disaster against us? What is our guilt? What is the sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?’

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 19:8

    I will make this city a desolation and an object of scorn. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff at all her wounds.

    Read in context
  • Deuteronomy 29:24–28

    So all the nations will ask, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?’

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 5:19

    And when the people ask, ‘For what offense has the LORD our God done all these things to us?’ You are to tell them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so will you serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’”

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 13:22

    And if you ask yourself, “Why has this happened to me?” It is because of the magnitude of your iniquity that your skirts have been stripped off and your body has been exposed.

    Read in context
  • 2 Chronicles 29:8

    Therefore, the wrath of the LORD has fallen upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He has made them an object of terror, horror, and mockery, as you can see with your own eyes.

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 50:13

    Because of the wrath of the LORD, she will not be inhabited; she will become completely desolate. All who pass through Babylon will be horrified and will hiss at all her wounds.

    Read in context