Jeremiah 21

Jeremiah’s Message for Zedekiah

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when aKing Zedekiah sent to him bPashhur the son of Malchijah and cZephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, 2“Please dinquire of the Lord in our behalf, because eNebuchadnezzar king of fBabylon is making war against us; perhaps the Lord will deal with us gin accordance with all His
Or miracles
wonderful acts, so that the enemy will withdraw from us.”

3 But Jeremiah said to them, “You shall say to Zedekiah as follows: 4‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: “Behold, I am going to iturn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you are making war against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the wall; and I will jgather them into the middle of this city. 5And I kMyself will make war against you with an loutstretched hand and a mighty arm, and in manger, wrath, and great indignation. 6I will also strike the inhabitants of this city, both the people and the animals; they will die of a great nplague. 7Then afterward,” declares the Lord, “ oI will hand Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants, and the people, that is, those who survive in this city from the plague, the sword, and the famine, over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, to their enemies, and to those who seek their lives; and he will strike and kill them with the edge of the sword. He pwill not spare them nor have pity nor compassion.”’

8 “You shall also say to this people, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Behold, I am qsetting before you the way of life and the way of death. 9Anyone who rstays in this city will die by the ssword, by famine, or by plague; but anyone who leaves and goes over to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and he will have his own life as plunder. 10For I have tset My face against this city for harm and not for good,” declares the Lord. “It will be uhanded over to the king of Babylon and he will vburn it with fire.”’

11 “Then say to the household of the wking of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, 12 xhouse of David, this is what the Lord says:

yAdminister justice
Or in the
every aamorning;
And save the person who has been robbed from the
Lit hand
power of his oppressor,
acSo that My wrath will not spread like fire
And adburn, with no one to extinguish it,
Because of the evil of their deeds.

13 “Behold, aeI am against you, you inhabitant of the afvalley,
You
Lit rock of the level place
rocky plain,” declares the Lord,
“You who say, ‘ ahWho will come down against us?
Or who will enter our dwellings?’
14 “But I will punish you aiaccording to the
Lit fruit
results of your deeds,” declares the Lord,
“And I will akkindle a fire in its forest
So that it may devour all its surroundings.”’”
Copyright information for NASB2020