Jeremiah 21

1 The word that has been to Jeremiah from YHWH, in King Zedekiah’s sending to him Pashhur son of Malchiah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,

The word that came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Malchijah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, saying,

2 “Please inquire of YHWH for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has fought against us; perhaps YHWH deals with us according to all His wonders, and causes him to go up from off us.”

Inquire, I pray thee, of Jehovah for us; for Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that Jehovah will deal with us according to all his marvellous works, that he may go up from us.

3 And Jeremiah says to them, “Thus you say to Zedekiah,

And Jeremiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:

4 Thus said YHWH, God of Israel: Behold, I am turning around the weapons of battle That [are] in your hand, With which you fight the king of Babylon, And the Chaldeans, who are laying siege against you, At the outside of the wall, And I have gathered them into the midst of this city,

Thus saith Jehovah the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans who besiege you, outside the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.

5 And I have fought against you, With an outstretched hand, and with a strong arm, And in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath,

And I myself will fight against you with a stretched-out hand, and with a strong arm, and in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.

6 And I have struck the inhabitants of this city, Both man and beast, They die by a great pestilence.

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

7 And after this,” A declaration of YHWH, “I give Zedekiah king of Judah, And his servants, and the people, And those left in this city, From the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, Into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, And into the hand of their enemies, And into the hand of those seeking their life, And he has struck them by the mouth of the sword, He has no pity on them, Nor does he spare, nor does he have mercy.”

And afterwards, saith Jehovah, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life, and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword: he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.

8 “And you say to this people, Thus said YHWH: Behold, I am setting before you the way of life, And the way of death!

And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.

9 Whoever is abiding in this city—dies, By sword, and by famine, and by pestilence, And whoever is going forth, And has fallen to the Chaldeans, Who are laying siege against you—lives, And his life has been for a spoil to him.

He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he that goeth out, and deserteth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.

10 For I have set My face against this city for calamity, And not for good,” A declaration of YHWH. “It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon, And he has burned it with fire.

For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith Jehovah: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

11 And as for the house of the king of Judah,” Hear a word of YHWH;

And touching the house of the king of Judah, hear ye the word of Jehovah.

12 O house of David, thus said YHWH: “Decide judgment in the morning, And deliver the plundered from the hand of the oppressor, Lest My fury go forth as fire, And has burned, and none is quenching, Because of the evil of your doings.

House of David, thus saith Jehovah: Judge with justice in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go forth like fire and burn, and there be none to quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

13 Behold, I [am] against you,” A declaration of YHWH, “O inhabitant of the valley, rock of the plain, Who are saying, Who comes down against us? And who comes into our habitations?

Behold, I am against thee, inhabitress of the valley, the rock of the plain, saith Jehovah; ye that say, Who shall come down against us, or who shall enter into our dwellings?

14 And I have laid a charge against you, According to the fruit of your doings,” A declaration of YHWH, “And I have kindled a fire in its forest, And it has consumed all its outskirts!”

And I will visit you according to the fruit of your doings, saith Jehovah; and I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all that is round about her.