Jeremiah 21
1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said,
The word which came unto Jeremiah from Yahweh, —when King Zedekiah sent unto him Pashhur, son of Malchiah, and Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah, the priest, saying:
2 “Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is waging war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us something like all His past wonders, so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.”
Enquire for us I pray thee of Yahweh, in that, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, maketh war against us, —Peradventure Yahweh will deal with us according to all his wonders, so that he go up from us.
3 But Jeremiah answered, “You are to tell Zedekiah that
Then said Jeremiah unto them, —Thus, shall ye say unto Zedekiah:
4 this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will turn against you the weapons of war in your hands, with which you are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the wall, and I will assemble their forces in the center of this city.
Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel—Behold me! turning back the weapons of war that are in your hand, wherewith, ye, are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans, who are besieging you outside the wall, —and I will gather them into the midst of this city.
5 And I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, with anger, fury, and great wrath.
And I myself, will fight against you, with a hand outstretched, and with an arm of strength, —and with anger and with wrath and with great indignation;
6 I will strike down the residents of this city, both man and beast. They will die in a terrible plague.’
and I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast, —of a great pestilence, shall they die.
7 ‘After that,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officers, and the people in this city who survive the plague and sword and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who seek their lives. He will put them to the sword; he will not spare them or show pity or compassion.’
And after that, Declareth Yahweh—Will I deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants, and the people—even such as are left in this city from the pestilence from the sword and from the famine, —into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, even into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them who are seeking their life, —and he will smite them with the edge of the sword, he will not have pity on them nor will he spare nor will he have compassion.
8 Furthermore, you are to tell this people that this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
And unto this people, shalt thou say, Thus, saith Yahweh, —Behold me! setting before you the way, of life, and the way of death:
9 Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who besiege you will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war.
He that remaineth in this city, shall die—by the sword or by the famine or by the pestilence, —Whereas, he that goeth forth and falleth unto the Chaldeans, who are besieging you, —then shall he live, and, his life, shall become to him, a spoil;
10 For I have set My face against this city to bring disaster and not good, declares the LORD. It will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, who will destroy it with fire.’
For I have set my face against this city, for calamity and not for blessing, Declareth Yahweh, —Into the hand of the king of Babylon, shall it be given up, and he will burn it with fire.
11 Moreover, tell the house of the king of Judah to hear the word of the LORD.
Now, as to the house of the king of Judah, —hear ye the word of Yahweh: —
12 O house of David, this is what the LORD says: ‘Administer justice every morning, and rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor, or My wrath will go forth like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it because of their evil deeds.
O house of David! Thus, saith Yahweh, Administer justice betimes, And deliver the robbed out of the hand of the oppressor, —Lest mine indignation come forth like fire And burn and there be none to quench it, Because of the wickedness of your doings:
13 Behold, I am against you who dwell above the valley, atop the rocky plateau— declares the LORD— you who say, “Who can come against us? Who can enter our dwellings?”
Behold me! against thee, O thou dweller in the vale on the level rock, Declareth Yahweh, —Ye who are saying, Who shall come down upon us? Who shall enter our habitations?
14 I will punish you as your deeds deserve, declares the LORD. I will kindle a fire in your forest that will consume everything around you.’”
Yet will I bring punishment upon you according to the fruit of your doings, Declareth Yahweh, —and will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all things round about her.
