< Jeremiah 21 >

1 The worde which came vnto Ieremiah from the Lord, when king Zedekiah sent vnto him Pashur, the sonne of Malchiah, and Zephaniah, the sonne of Maaseiah the Priest, saying,
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,
2 Inquire, I pray thee, of the Lord for vs, (for Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel maketh warre against vs) if so be that the Lord will deale with vs according to all his wonderous workes, that he may returne vp from vs.
“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.”
3 Then said Ieremiah, Thus shall you say to Zedekiah,
But Jeremiah answered, “You are to tell Zedekiah that
4 Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Behold, I will turne backe the weapons of warre that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the King of Babel, and against the Caldeans, which besiege you without the walles, and I will assemble them into the middes of this citie.
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.
5 And I my selfe will fight against you with an outstretched hand, and with a mighty arme, eue in anger and in wrath, and in great indignation.
And I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, with anger, fury, and great wrath.
6 And I will smite the inhabitants of this citie, both man, and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.
I will strike down the residents of this city, both man and beast. They will die in a terrible plague.’
7 And after this, sayeth the Lord, I will deliuer Zedekiah the King of Iudah, and his seruants, and the people, and such as are left in this citie, from the pestilence, from the sworde and from the famine into the hande of Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel, and into the hande of their enemies, and into the hande of those that seeke their liues, and he shall smite them with the edge of the sworde: he shall not spare them, neither haue pitie nor compassion.
‘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.’
8 And vnto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord, Beholde, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.
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.
9 He that abideth in this citie, shall dye by the sword and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Caldeans, that besiege you, he shall liue, and his life shalbe vnto him for a pray.
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.
10 For I haue set my face against this citie, for euill and not for good, saith the Lord: it shalbe giuen into the hande of the King of Babel, and he shall burne it with fire.
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.’
11 And say vnto the house of the King of Iudah, Heare ye the worde of the Lord.
Moreover, tell the house of the king of Judah to hear the word of the LORD.
12 O house of Dauid, thus saith the Lord, Execute iudgement in the morning, and deliuer the oppressed out of the hande of the oppressor, lest my wrath go out like fire and burne, that none can quench it, because of the wickednes of your workes.
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.
13 Beholde, I come against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rocke of the plaine, saith the Lord, which say, Who shall come downe against vs? or who shall enter into our habitations?
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?”
14 But I will visite you according to the fruite of your workes, saith the Lord, and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall deuoure rounde about it.
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.’”

< Jeremiah 21 >