¹⁷ Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘If you surely ^(A)surrender^{[a] (B)}to the king of Babylon’s princes, then your soul shall live; this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live.

¹² I also spoke to ^(A)Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live!

² “Thus says the Lord: ^(A)‘He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes over to the Chaldeans shall live; his life shall be as a prize to him, and he shall live.’

¹⁷ Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city be laid waste?

^3 (A)Then all the princes of the king of Babylon came in and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sarsechim, ^[a]Rabsaris, Nergal-Sarezer, ^[b]Rabmag, with the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon.

⁸ “Now you shall say to this people, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, ^(A)I set before you the way of life and the way of death. ⁹ He who ^(B)remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes out and ^[a]defects to the Chaldeans who besiege you, he shall ^(C)live, and his life shall be as a prize to him. ¹⁰ For I have ^(D)set My face against this city for adversity and not for good,” says the Lord. ^(E)“It shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall ^(F)burn it with fire.” ’

⁶ if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, ^(A)or walk after other gods to your hurt, ^7 (B)then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in ^(C)the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.