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: ² “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.”

³ But Jeremiah answered them, “Tell Zedekiah, ⁴ ‘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. ⁵ I myself will fight^(J) against you with an outstretched hand^(K) and a mighty arm^(L) in furious anger and in great wrath. ⁶ I will strike^(M) down those who live in this city—both man and beast—and they will die of a terrible plague.^{(N) 7} 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)

⁸ “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. ⁹ 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:

Judgment Against Wicked Kings

22 This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the palace of the king^(AO) of Judah and proclaim this message there: ² ‘Hear^(AP) the word of the Lord to you, king of Judah, you who sit on David’s throne^(AQ)—you, your officials and your people who come through these gates.^{(AR) 3} This is what the Lord says: Do what is just^(AS) and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor^(AT) the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow,^(AU) and do not shed innocent blood^(AV) in this place. ⁴ For if you are careful to carry out these commands, then kings^(AW) who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this palace, riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people. ⁵ But if you do not obey^(AX) these commands, declares the Lord, I swear^(AY) by myself that this palace will become a ruin.’”

⁶ For this is what the Lord says about the palace of the king of Judah:

⁸ “People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city?’^{(BF) 9} And the answer will be: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and have worshiped and served other gods.^(BG)’”

¹¹ For this is what the Lord says about Shallum^[c](BK) son of Josiah, who succeeded his father as king of Judah but has gone from this place: “He will never return. ¹² He will die^(BL) in the place where they have led him captive; he will not see this land again.”

¹⁸ Therefore this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:

²⁴ “As surely as I live,” declares the Lord, “even if you, Jehoiachin^[e](CP) son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring^(CQ) on my right hand, I would still pull you off. ²⁵ I will deliver^(CR) you into the hands of those who want to kill you, those you fear—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Babylonians.^{[f] 26} I will hurl^(CS) you and the mother^(CT) who gave you birth into another country, where neither of you was born, and there you both will die. ²⁷ You will never come back to the land you long to return^(CU) to.”

24 During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar^(A) king of Babylon invaded^(B) the land, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. But then he turned against Nebuchadnezzar and rebelled.^{(C) 2} The Lord sent Babylonian,^[a](D) Aramean,^(E) Moabite and Ammonite raiders^(F) against him to destroy^(G) Judah, in accordance with the word of the Lord proclaimed by his servants the prophets.^{(H) 3} Surely these things happened to Judah according to the Lord’s command,^(I) in order to remove them from his presence^(J) because of the sins of Manasseh^(K) and all he had done, ⁴ including the shedding of innocent blood.^(L) For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord was not willing to forgive.^(M)

⁵ As for the other events of Jehoiakim’s reign,^(N) and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ⁶ Jehoiakim rested^(O) with his ancestors. And Jehoiachin^(P) his son succeeded him as king.

⁷ The king of Egypt^(Q) did not march out from his own country again, because the king of Babylon^(R) had taken all his territory, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Euphrates River.

Jehoiachin King of Judah^(S)

⁸ Jehoiachin^(T) was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta^(U) daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem. ⁹ He did evil^(V) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father had done.

¹⁰ At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar^(W) king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it, ¹¹ and Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city while his officers were besieging it. ¹² Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered^(X) to him.

In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon, he took Jehoiachin prisoner. ¹³ As the Lord had declared,^(Y) Nebuchadnezzar removed the treasures^(Z) from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace, and cut up the gold articles^(AA) that Solomon^(AB) king of Israel had made for the temple of the Lord. ¹⁴ He carried all Jerusalem into exile:^(AC) all the officers and fighting men,^(AD) and all the skilled workers and artisans—a total of ten thousand. Only the poorest^(AE) people of the land were left.

¹⁵ Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin^(AF) captive to Babylon. He also took from Jerusalem to Babylon the king’s mother,^(AG) his wives, his officials and the prominent people^(AH) of the land. ¹⁶ The king of Babylon also deported to Babylon the entire force of seven thousand fighting men, strong and fit for war, and a thousand skilled workers and artisans.^{(AI) 17} He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.^(AJ)

Zedekiah King of Judah^(AK)

¹⁸ Zedekiah^(AL) was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal^(AM) daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. ¹⁹ He did evil^(AN) in the eyes of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done. ²⁰ It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust^(AO) them from his presence.^(AP)

The Fall of Jerusalem^(AQ)(AR)(AS)

Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

Doing Good for the Sake of the Gospel

2 You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.^{(A) 2} Teach the older men^(B) to be temperate,^(C) worthy of respect, self-controlled,^(D) and sound in faith,^(E) in love and in endurance.

³ Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers^(F) or addicted to much wine,^(G) but to teach what is good. ⁴ Then they can urge the younger women^(H) to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled^(I) and pure, to be busy at home,^(J) to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands,^(K) so that no one will malign the word of God.^(L)

⁶ Similarly, encourage the young men^(M) to be self-controlled.^{(N) 7} In everything set them an example^(O) by doing what is good.^(P) In your teaching show integrity, seriousness ⁸ and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.^(Q)

⁹ Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything,^(R) to try to please them, not to talk back to them, ¹⁰ and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior^(S) attractive.^(T)

¹¹ For the grace^(U) of God has appeared^(V) that offers salvation to all people.^{(W) 12} It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions,^(X) and to live self-controlled,^(Y) upright and godly lives^(Z) in this present age, ¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing^(AA) of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,^{(AB) 14} who gave himself for us^(AC) to redeem us from all wickedness^(AD) and to purify^(AE) for himself a people that are his very own,^(AF) eager to do what is good.^(AG)

¹⁵ These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

Psalm 112^[a]