² “Thus says the Lord: ^(A)He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, ^(B)but he who goes out to the Chaldeans shall live. He shall have his life as a prize of war, and live. ³ Thus says the Lord: ^(C)This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and be taken.”

¹⁷ Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: ^(A)If you will surrender to ^(B)the officials of the king of Babylon, ^(C)then your life shall be spared, and this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live. ¹⁸ But if you do not surrender to ^(D)the officials of the king of Babylon, ^(E)then this city shall be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, ^(F)and they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape from their hand.” ¹⁹ King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Judeans ^(G)who have deserted to the Chaldeans, lest I be handed over to them and they deal cruelly with me.” ²⁰ Jeremiah said, “You shall not be given to them. Obey now the voice of the Lord in what I say to you, ^(H)and it shall be well with you, and your life shall be spared. ²¹ But if you refuse to ^(I)surrender, this is the vision which the Lord has shown to me: ²² Behold, all the women left in the house of the king of Judah were being led out to the officials of the king of Babylon and were saying,

²³ All your wives and ^(K)your sons shall be led out to the Chaldeans, and you yourself shall not escape from their hand, but shall be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city shall be burned with fire.”