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,

The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur, the son of Malchiah, and Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,

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.

Will you get directions from the Lord for us; for Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, is making war against us; it may be that the Lord will do something for us like all the wonders he has done, and make him go away from us.

3 Then said Ieremiah, Thus shall you say to Zedekiah,

Then Jeremiah said to them, This is what you are to say to Zedekiah:

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.

The Lord God of Israel has said, See, I am turning back the instruments of war in your hands, with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and the Chaldaeans, who are outside the walls and shutting you in; and I will get them together inside this town.

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 be fighting against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even with angry feeling and passion and in great wrath.

6 And I will smite the inhabitants of this citie, both man, and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.

And I will send a great disease on the people living in this town, on man and on beast, causing their death.

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.

And after that, says the Lord, I will give up Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his servants and his people, even those in the town who have not come to their end from the disease and the sword and from need of food, into the hands of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, and into the hands of their haters, and into the hands of those desiring their death: he will put them to the sword; he will not let anyone get away, he will have no pity or mercy.

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.

And to this people you are to say, The Lord has said, See, I put 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.

He who keeps in this town will come to his death by the sword and through need of food and through disease; but he who goes out and gives himself up to the Chaldaeans who are shutting you in, will go on living, and will keep his life safe.

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 my face is turned to this town for evil and not for good, says the Lord: it will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will have it burned with fire.

11 And say vnto the house of the King of Iudah, Heare ye the worde of the Lord.

About the family of the king of Judah. Give ear to 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 family of David, this is what the Lord has said: Do what is right in the morning, and make free from the hands of the cruel one him whose goods have been violently taken away, or my wrath will go out like fire, burning so that no one may put it out, because of the evil of your doings.

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?

See, I am against you, you who are living on the rock of the valley, says the Lord; you who say, Who will come down against us? or who will get into our houses?

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 send punishment on you in keeping with the fruit of your doings, says the Lord: and I will put a fire in her woodlands, burning up everything round about her.