Jeremiah 21 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD,—when King Zedekiah sent unto him Pashhur, son of Malchiah, and Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah, the priest, saying:

VIN⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD,—when King Zedekiah sent unto him Pashhur, son of Malchiah, and Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah, the priest, saying: ² "Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is warring against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us with all his wonderful acts, so that the enemy will withdraw from us." ³ Then Jeremiah said to them, “Tell Zedekiah: ⁴ 'This is what the LORD God of Israel says: "I'm about to turn against you the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. I'll gather them into the center of this city. ⁵ And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, and in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath. ⁶ I'll strike down the residents of this city, both people and animals, and they'll die from a terrible plague. ⁷ "'"Afterwards," declares the LORD: "I will hand over Judah's King Zedekiah, his officials, the people, and everyone else in this city who survives the plague, war, and famine. They will be handed over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and to their enemies who want to kill them. Nebuchadnezzar will kill them with swords. He will not spare them, show them compassion, or care for them."' ⁸ "You shall say to this people, 'This is what the LORD says: "I'm about to set before you the way of life and the way of death. ⁹ Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, by famine, and by the plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live. He will save his life as a spoil of war. ¹⁰ For I have set my face against this city for evil and not for good," declares the LORD. It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire." ' ¹¹ "'Then say to the household of the king of Judah: 'Hear the word of the LORD, ¹² O house of David! Thus, saith the LORD, Administer justice betimes, And deliver the robbed out of the hand of the oppressor,—Lest mine indignation come forth like fire And burn and there be none to quench it, Because of the wickedness of your doings: ¹³ Behold, I am against you, O dweller of the valley, rock of the plain, says the LORD, those who say, Who can come down against us? Or, Who can enter our dwellings? ¹⁴ But I'll punish you according to what you have done," declares the LORD. "I'll start a fire in her forest, and it will consume everything around her."'"