2 Kings 24:16

And all the men of might, the able-bodied men, those fit for military duty, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon, to the country in which his capital was situated, where they were colonized, Jeremiah 29. Any corruption of morals usually proceeds from the leaders of a nation, and therefore the Lord's punishment strikes these first. God is righteous in all His judgments and rewards every one according to his deeds.