2 Kings 24:14
And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land. And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.
The carrying away described here took place after Jerusalem was destroyed and its people were taken into captivity. That defeat and exile came because they had failed to fulfill their calling as God's missionaries, shutting themselves away from the peoples around them instead of imparting light. God therefore scattered them abroad so that the knowledge of His truth might be carried to the world through their dispersion. Had they remained loyal and true and submissive to Him, He would have restored them and brought them back to their own land.