Jeremiah 21
21
God Rejects King Zedekiah’s Request
1This is the word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah. It came when Zedekiah king of Judah sent Pashhur son of Malkijah to Jeremiah. He also sent the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. 2They said, “Ask the Lord for us what will happen. We want to know because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is attacking us. Maybe the Lord will do miracles for us as he did in the past. Maybe he will make Nebuchadnezzar stop attacking us and leave.”
3But Jeremiah answered them, “Tell King Zedekiah this: 4‘Here is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: You have weapons of war in your hands. You are using them to defend yourselves against the king of Babylon and the Babylonians. But I will make those weapons useless. The army from Babylon is all around the outside of the city wall. Soon I will bring that army into the center of the city. 5I myself will fight against you with my great power and strength. I am very angry with you. So I will fight against you with my own powerful arm. I will fight very hard against you in my very great anger. 6I will kill everything living in Jerusalem—both people and animals. They will die from terrible diseases. 7Then, says the Lord, I’ll give Zedekiah king of Judah to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I will also give Zedekiah’s officers to Nebuchadnezzar. Some of the people in Jerusalem will not die from the terrible diseases. Some will not die in battle or from hunger. I will give them also to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I will let those win who want to kill the people of Judah. So the people of Judah and Jerusalem will be killed in war. Nebuchadnezzar will not show any mercy or pity or feel sorry for them!’
8“Also tell this to the people of Jerusalem: ‘This is what the Lord says: I will let you choose to live or die. 9Anyone who stays in Jerusalem will die. He will die in war or from hunger or from a terrible disease. But anyone who goes out of Jerusalem and surrenders to the Babylonians who are around the city will live. Anyone who leaves the city will save his life. 10I have decided to make trouble for this city and not to help it, says the Lord. I will give it to the king of Babylon. He will burn it with fire.’
11“Tell these things to Judah’s royal family: ‘Hear the word of the Lord! 12Family of David, the Lord says these things:
You must judge people fairly every day.
Protect from criminals
the person who has been robbed.
If you don’t do that, I will become very angry.
My anger will be like a fire that no one can put out.
This will happen because you have done evil things.
13“‘Jerusalem, I am against you.
You sit on top of the mountain.
You sit over this valley, says the Lord.
You say, “No one can attack us.
No one can come into our strong city.”
14But I will give you the punishment you deserve, says the Lord.
I will start a fire in your forests.
It will burn up everything around you!’”
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Jeremiah 21: ICB
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Jeremiah 21
21
Warning to King Zedekiah and Judah
1The word which came to Jeremiah from Adonai, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malchiah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the kohen, saying:
2“Please inquire of Adonai for us, since Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps Adonai would deal with us according to all His wondrous miracles—so that he would withdraw from us?”
3Then said Jeremiah to them, “Thus will you say to Zedekiah,
4thus says Adonai, the God of Israel: ‘I will soon turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you use to fight against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans, who are besieging you outside the walls—I will assemble them in the center of this city.
5I myself will fight against you, with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even with anger, fury and in great wrath.
6I will also strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast—they will die of a great pestilence.’”
7“Then afterward,” declares Adonai, “I will deliver King Zedekiah of Judah and his servants, as well as the people—those surviving in this city from the pestilence, the sword and the famine—into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, into the hand of their foes, yes, into the hand of those who seek their life. So he will smite them with the edge of the sword; he will not spare them, nor have pity or compassion.”
8Now to this people you will say, thus says Adonai: “Look, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
9He who remains in this city will die by the sword, by the famine, or by the pestilence. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you, he will live, and he will have his life as prize.”
10“For I have set My face against this city for evil, not for good.” It is a declaration of Adonai. “It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.”
11Also to the house of the king of Judah, hear the word of Adonai,
12O house of David, thus says Adonai: “Render justice by morning, and rescue the one who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor. Otherwise My fury will go forth like fire and burn so none can extinguish it, because of their evil deeds.”
13“Here I am, against you, situated in the valley, a rocky plateau”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“You are saying, ‘Who would come down against us? Who would enter into our lairs?’
14I will punish you according to the fruit of your deeds.” It is a declaration of Adonai. “Also I will set fire to her forest, and it will consume all around her.”
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society