Jeremiah 21
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
Zedekiah’s Request Denied
21 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur(A) son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah(B) son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah, asking, 2 ‘Enquire of the Lord on our behalf, since King Nebuchadnezzar[a](C) of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the Lord will perform for us something like all his past wondrous works so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.’
3 But Jeremiah answered, ‘This is what you are to say to Zedekiah: 4 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to repel the weapons of war in your hands,(D) those you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans[b] who are besieging you outside the wall, and I will bring them into the centre of this city.(E) 5 I myself will fight against you(F) with an outstretched hand and a strong arm,(G) with anger, fury, and intense wrath. 6 I will strike the residents of this city, both people and animals. They will die in a severe plague. 7 Afterwards – this is the Lord’s declaration – King Zedekiah of Judah, his officers, and the people – those in this city who survive the plague, the sword, and the famine – I will hand over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon,(H) to their enemies, yes, to those who intend to take their lives. He will put them to the sword; he won’t spare them or show pity or compassion.”(I)
A Warning for the People
8 ‘But tell this people, “This is what the Lord says: Look, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.(J) 9 Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live and will retain his life like the spoils of war.(K) 10 For I have set my face against this city to bring disaster and not good(L) – this is the Lord’s declaration. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon, who will burn it.”(M)
11 ‘And to the house of the king of Judah say this: “Hear the word of the Lord! 12 House of David, this is what the Lord says:
Administer justice every morning,
and rescue the victim of robbery
from his oppressor,(N)
or my anger will flare up like fire
and burn unquenchably
because of your evil deeds.
13 Beware! I am against you,(O)
you who sit above the valley,
you on top of the rocky plateau –
this is the Lord’s declaration –
you who say, ‘Who can come down against us?(P)
Who can enter our hiding places? ’
14 I will punish you according to what you have done(Q) –
this is the Lord’s declaration.
I will kindle a fire in your forest(R)
that will consume everything around it.” ’(S)
Yirmeyah 21
Orthodox Jewish Bible
21 The Davar which came unto Yirmeyah from Hashem, when HaMelech Tzidkiyah sent unto him Pashchur Ben Malkiyah, and Tzephanyah Ben Ma’aseiyah the kohen, saying,
2 Inquire, now, of Hashem for us; for Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel maketh war against us; if it be so that Hashem will deal with us according to all His nifle’ot (wondrous deeds), that he may withdraw from us.
3 Then said Yirmeyah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Tzidkiyah;
4 Thus saith Hashem Elohei Yisroel; Hineni, I will turn back against you the weapons of milchamah (war) that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against Melech Bavel, and against the Kasdim (Chaldeans), which besiege you outside the chomah (wall), and I will assemble them inside this city.
5 And I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched yad (hand) and with a zero’a chazakah (strong arm), even in anger, and in chemah, and in ketzef gadol (great wrath).
6 And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both ha’adam and habehemah; they shall die of dever gadol (great plague).
7 And afterward, saith Hashem, I will deliver Tzidkiyah Melech Yehudah, and his avadim, and HaAm, and such as are survivors in this city from dever, from the cherev, and from the ra’av (famine), into the yad Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel, and into the yad of their oyevim (enemies), and into the yad of those that seek their nefesh; and he shall strike them down with the edge of the cherev; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have rachamim.
8 And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith Hashem; Hineni, I set before you the Derech HaChayyim and the Derech HaMavet.
9 He that abideth in this city shall die by cherev, and by ra’av (famine), and by dever (plague); but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Kasdim (Chaldeans) that besiege you, he shall live, and his nefesh shall be unto him as plunder.
10 For I have set my face against this city for ra’ah, and not for tovah, saith Hashem; it shall be given into the yad Melech Bavel, and he shall set eish to it to burn it down.
11 And touching the Bais Melech Yehudah, say, Hear ye the Devar Hashem;
12 O Bais Dovid, thus saith Hashem; Execute mishpat in the boker, and save him that is robbed out of the yad oshek (hand of the oppressor), lest My chemah (fury) go out like eish, and burn that none can quench it, because of the wickedness of your deeds.
13 Hineni, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the emek (valley), and tzur (rock) of the plain, saith Hashem; which say, Who shall come down against us? Or who shall enter into our me’onot (dwelling places, homes)?
14 But I will visit you in punishment according to the p’ri (fruit) of your deeds, saith Hashem; and I will kindle an eish in the ya’ar (forest) thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.
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