1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, (2Ki 25:18; 2Ch 34:8; Jer 20:1; Jer 29:25; Jer 35:4; Jer 37:3)2“Inquire of the Lord for us, for Nebuchadnezzar[1] king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us.” (2Ki 25:1; Ps 105:2; Ps 105:5; Jer 37:7)3Then Jeremiah said to them: “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah,4‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city. (Isa 13:4; Jer 32:5; Jer 37:10)5I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath. (Ex 6:6; De 4:34; De 29:28; Jer 27:5; Jer 32:17; Jer 32:21; Jer 32:37; Eze 20:33)6And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence.7Afterward, declares the Lord, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword. He shall not pity them or spare them or have compassion.’ (De 28:50; 2Ch 36:17; Jer 37:17; Jer 39:5; Jer 52:9; Eze 5:11)8“And to this people you shall say: ‘Thus says the Lord: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. (De 30:15; De 30:19; Jer 38:2)9He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live and shall have his life as a prize of war. (Jer 15:2; Jer 37:13; Jer 39:18; Jer 45:5)10For I have set my face against this city for harm and not for good, declares the Lord: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.’ (Le 20:3; Le 20:5; 2Ch 36:19; Ps 34:16; Jer 14:11; Jer 21:7; Jer 34:2; Jer 37:8; Jer 37:10; Jer 38:17; Jer 38:23; Jer 39:8; Jer 44:11; Jer 52:13; Eze 14:8; Am 9:4)
Message to the House of David
11“And to the house of the king of Judah say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord,12O house of David! Thus says the Lord: “Execute justice in the morning, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed, lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of your evil deeds.’” (Ps 101:8; Jer 4:4; Jer 22:3; Jer 22:16; Zec 7:9)13“Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, O rock of the plain, declares the Lord; you who say, ‘Who shall come down against us, or who shall enter our habitations?’ (Jer 21:10; Jer 49:4; Eze 13:8)14I will punish you according to the fruit of your deeds, declares the Lord; I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all that is around her.” (Pr 1:31; Isa 3:10; Jer 9:25; Eze 20:47)
Jeremiah 21
New International Version
God rejects Zedekiah’s request
1The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said:2‘Enquire now of the Lord for us because Nebuchadnezzar[1] king of Babylon is attacking us. Perhaps the Lord will perform wonders for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us.’3But Jeremiah answered them, ‘Tell Zedekiah,4“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians[2] who are outside the wall besieging you. And I will gather them inside this city.5I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm in furious anger and in great wrath.6I will strike down those who live in this city – both man and beast – and they will die of a terrible plague.7After that, declares the Lord, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague, sword and famine, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who want to kill them. He will put them to the sword; he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion.”8‘Furthermore, tell the people, “This is what the Lord says: see, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.9Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; they will escape with their lives.10I have determined to do this city harm and not good, declares the Lord. It will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire.”11‘Moreover, say to the royal house of Judah, “Hear the word of the Lord.12This is what the Lord says to you, house of David: ‘ “Administer justice every morning; rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed, or my wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done – burn with no-one to quench it.13I am against you, Jerusalem, you who live above this valley on the rocky plateau, declares the Lord – you who say, ‘Who can come against us? Who can enter our refuge?’14I will punish you as your deeds deserve, declares the Lord. I will kindle a fire in your forests that will consume everything around you.” ’