2 Chronicles 7:21

19 But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;

20 Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.

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?

22 And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil 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 shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city?

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 16:10–12

    And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 19:8

    And I will make this city desolate, and an hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof.

    Read in context
  • Deuteronomy 29:24–28

    Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger?

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 5:19

    And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 13:22

    And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare.

    Read in context
  • 2 Chronicles 29:8

    Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 50:13

    Because of the wrath of the LORD it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly desolate: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues.

    Read in context