Jeremiah 21

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

The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashchur the son of Malkiyah, and Zephanyah the son of Ma'asseyah the priest, saying,

2 “Please inquire of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon makes war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may withdraw from us.”

Inquire, I pray thee, in our behalf of the Lord; for Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon maketh war against us; peradventure the Lord will deal with us according to all his wondrous deeds, so that he may withdraw from us.

3 Then Jeremiah said to them, “Tell Zedekiah:

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

4 ‘The LORD, the God of Israel says, “Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Kasdim who besiege you outside the walls; and I will gather them into the middle of this city.

Thus hath said the Lord the God of Israel, Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, who besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.

5 I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation.

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

6 I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both man and animal. They will die of a great pestilence.

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

7 Afterward,” says the LORD, “I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants, and the people, even those who are 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 who seek their life. He will strike them with the edge of the sword. He will not spare them, have pity, or have mercy.”’

And afterward, saith the Lord, will I give up Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and those that 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 will not spare them, nor have pity, nor have mercy.

8 “You shall say to this people, ‘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 hath said the Lord, Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.

9 He who remains in this city will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, but he who goes out and passes over to the Kasdim who besiege you, he will live, and he will escape with his life.

He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, or by the famine, or by the pestilence; but he that goeth out, and runneth away to the Chaldeans that besiege you, shall remain alive, and his life shall be unto him as a booty.

10 For I have set my face on this city for evil, and not for good,” says the LORD. “It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.”’

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

11 “Concerning the house of the king of Judah, hear the LORD’s word:

And to the house of the king of Judah [say], Hear ye the word of the Lord:

12 House of David, the LORD says, ‘Execute justice in the morning, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my wrath go out like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

O house of David, thus hath said the Lord, Exercise justice on [every] morning, and deliver him that is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor; lest my fury go forth like fire, and burn so that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

13 Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, and of the rock of the plain,’ says the LORD. ‘You that say, “Who would come down against us?” or, “Who would enter into our homes?”

Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitress of the valley, [about] the rock of the plain, saith the Lord; who say, Who shall descend down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?

14 I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings,’ says the LORD; ‘and I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it will devour all that is around her.’”

But I will inflict punishment on you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the Lord: and I will kindle a fire in its forest, and it shall devour all its environs.