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21 The word which was made of the Lord to Jeremy (The word of the Lord which was made to Jeremiah), when king Zedekiah sent to him Pashur, the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah, the priest, the son of Maaseiah, and (they) said,

Ask thou the Lord for us, for Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, fighteth against us; if in hap the Lord do with us by all his marvels, and he go away from us (if perhaps the Lord shall do one of his marvels, or one of his miracles, for us, and he shall go away from us).

And Jeremy said to them, Thus ye shall say to Zedekiah,

The Lord God of Israel saith these things, Lo! I shall turn (back upon you) the instruments of battle that be in your hands, and with which ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against Chaldees, that besiege you in the compass of [the] walls (and against the Chaldeans, who besiege you all around the walls); and I shall gather those together in the midst of this city.

And I shall overcome you in [a] hand stretched forth, and in [a] strong arm (And I shall overcome you with a hand stretched forth, and with a strong arm), and in strong vengeance, and in indignation, and in great wrath;

and I shall smite the dwellers of this city (and I shall strike down the inhabitants of this city), (yea,) men and beasts shall die by great pestilence.

And after these things, saith the Lord, I shall give Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his servants, and his people, and (those) that be left in this city from pestilence, and sword, and hunger, in(to) the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and in(to) the hand of their enemies, and in(to) the hand of men seeking the life of them; and he shall smite them by the sharpness of sword (and he shall strike them down by the sharpness of the sword); and he shall not be bowed, neither shall spare, neither shall have mercy.

And thou shalt say to this people, The Lord God saith these things, Lo! I give before you the way of life, and the way of death.

He that dwelleth in this city, shall die by sword, and hunger, and pestilence; but he that goeth out, and fleeth over to [the] Chaldees that besiege you, shall live, and his life shall be as a prey to him. (He who liveth in this city, shall die by the sword, and hunger, and pestilence; but he who goeth out, and fleeth over to the Chaldeans who besiege you, shall live, but his own life shall be his only prey.)

10 For I have set my face on this city into evil, and not into good, saith the Lord (For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the Lord); it shall be given in(to) the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

11 And thou shall say to the house of the king of Judah, the house of David, Hear ye the word of the Lord. (And thou shall say to the house of the king of Judah, Ye house of David, hear ye the word of the Lord.)

12 The Lord saith these things, Deem ye early doom, and deliver ye him that is oppressed by violence from the hand of the false challenger; lest peradventure mine indignation go out as fire, and be kindled, and none be that quench, for the malice of your studies. (The Lord saith these things, Early judge ye judgement, and rescue ye him who is oppressed with violence from the hand of the oppressor; lest perhaps my indignation go out like a fire, and be kindled, and there is no one who can quench it, for the malice of your deeds.)

13 Lo! I do to thee, dwelleress of the firm valley, and plain, saith the Lord, [ye] which say, Who shall smite us, and who shall enter into our houses? (Lo! I am against thee, O dwelleress of the firm valley, and O rock of the plain, saith the Lord, Yea, ye who say, Who shall strike us, and who shall enter into our houses?)

14 And I shall visit on you by the fruit of your studies, saith the Lord; and I shall kindle fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things in the compass thereof. (And I shall punish you for the fruit of your deeds, saith the Lord; and I shall kindle a fire in the forest there, and it shall devour everything all around it.)

God Rejects Zedekiah’s Request

21 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah(A) sent to him Pashhur(B) son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah(C) son of Maaseiah. They said: “Inquire(D) now of the Lord for us because Nebuchadnezzar[a](E) king of Babylon(F) is attacking us. Perhaps the Lord will perform wonders(G) for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us.”

But Jeremiah answered them, “Tell Zedekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn(H) against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians[b] who are outside the wall besieging(I) you. And I will gather them inside this city. I myself will fight(J) against you with an outstretched hand(K) and a mighty arm(L) in furious anger and in great wrath. I will strike(M) down those who live in this city—both man and beast—and they will die of a terrible plague.(N) After that, declares the Lord, I will give Zedekiah(O) king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague,(P) sword and famine, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon(Q) and to their enemies(R) who want to kill them.(S) He will put them to the sword;(T) he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion.’(U)

“Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you the way of life(V) and the way of death. Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague.(W) But whoever goes out and surrenders(X) to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; they will escape with their lives.(Y) 10 I have determined to do this city harm(Z) and not good, declares the Lord. It will be given into the hands(AA) of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire.’(AB)

11 “Moreover, say to the royal house(AC) of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord. 12 This is what the Lord says to you, house of David:

“‘Administer justice(AD) every morning;
    rescue from the hand of the oppressor(AE)
    the one who has been robbed,
or my wrath will break out and burn like fire(AF)
    because of the evil(AG) you have done—
    burn with no one to quench(AH) it.
13 I am against(AI) you, Jerusalem,
    you who live above this valley(AJ)
    on the rocky plateau, declares the Lord
you who say, “Who can come against us?
    Who can enter our refuge?”(AK)
14 I will punish you as your deeds(AL) deserve,
    declares the Lord.
I will kindle a fire(AM) in your forests(AN)
    that will consume everything around you.’”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 21:2 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, of which Nebuchadnezzar is a variant; here and often in Jeremiah and Ezekiel
  2. Jeremiah 21:4 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 9

21 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,

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

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

Thus saith the Lord 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, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.

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

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

And afterward, saith the Lord, I will deliver 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 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.

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

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 falleth 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 evil, and not for good, saith the Lord: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

11 And touching the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear ye the word of the Lord;

12 O house of David, thus saith the Lord; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

13 Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the Lord; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?

14 But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the Lord: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.