²³ She said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me,

⁷ “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire^(A) of me, ‘Pharaoh’s army, which has marched^(B) out to support you, will go back to its own land, to Egypt.^{(C) 8} Then the Babylonians will return and attack this city; they will capture^(D) it and burn^(E) it down.’

⁹ “This is what the Lord says: Do not deceive^(F) yourselves, thinking, ‘The Babylonians will surely leave us.’ They will not! ¹⁰ Even if you were to defeat the entire Babylonian^[a] army that is attacking you and only wounded men were left in their tents, they would come out and burn^(G) this city down.”

³ But Jeremiah answered them, “Tell Zedekiah, ⁴ ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn^(A) against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians^[a] who are outside the wall besieging^(B) you. And I will gather them inside this city. ⁵ I myself will fight^(C) against you with an outstretched hand^(D) and a mighty arm^(E) in furious anger and in great wrath. ⁶ I will strike^(F) down those who live in this city—both man and beast—and they will die of a terrible plague.^{(G) 7} After that, declares the Lord, I will give Zedekiah^(H) king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague,^(I) sword and famine, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon^(J) and to their enemies^(K) who want to kill them.^(L) He will put them to the sword;^(M) he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion.’^(N)

¹⁵ She said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, ¹⁶ ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster^(A) on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book^(B) the king of Judah has read. ¹⁷ Because they have forsaken^(C) me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made,^[a] my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ ¹⁸ Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire^(D) of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: ¹⁹ Because your heart was responsive and you humbled^(E) yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse^[b](F) and be laid waste^(G)—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. ²⁰ Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace.^(H) Your eyes^(I) will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’”

So they took her answer back to the king.