Jeremiah 21
21
Zedekiah’s Request Denied
1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur#1Ch 9:12; Neh 11:12; Jr 38:1 son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah#Jr 29:24–29; 37:3; 52:24–27 son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah, asking, 2“Inquire of the Lord on our behalf, since King Nebuchadnezzar#21:2 Lit Nebuchadrezzar#2Kg 24:11; 25:22; 2Ch 36:6–13 of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the Lord will perform for us something like all his past wondrous works so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.”
3But Jeremiah answered, “This is what you are to say to Zedekiah: 4‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to repel the weapons of war in your hands,#Jr 32:5; 37:8–10 those you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans#21:4 = Babylonians who are besieging you outside the wall, and I will bring them into the center of this city.#Is 13:4 5I myself will fight against you#1Sm 4:1–5:12; Lm 2:5 with an outstretched hand and a strong arm,#Dt 5:15; 26:8; 1Kg 8:42; Ps 136:12 with anger, fury, and intense wrath. 6I will strike the residents of this city, both people and animals. They will die in a severe plague. 7Afterward — this is the Lord’s declaration — King Zedekiah of Judah, his officers, and the people — those in this city who survive the plague, the sword, and the famine — I will hand over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon,#Jr 37:17; 39:5–9; 52:9 to their enemies, yes, to those who intend to take their lives. He will put them to the sword; he won’t spare them or show pity or compassion.’#2Ch 36:17
A Warning for the People
8“But tell this people, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.#Dt 30:15–19; Pr 12:28; Jr 8:3 9Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live and will retain his life like the spoils of war.#Jr 38:2; 39:18; 45:5 10For I have set my face against this city to bring disaster and not good#Jr 31:28; 39:16; 44:11,27; Am 9:4 — this is the Lord’s declaration. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon, who will burn it.’#Jr 34:2,22; 37:8; 38:18
11“And to the house of the king of Judah say this: ‘Hear the word of the Lord! 12House of David, this is what the Lord says:
Administer justice every morning,
and rescue the victim of robbery
from his oppressor,#Dt 28:29; Ec 4:1; Jr 22:3
or my anger will flare up like fire
and burn unquenchably
because of your evil deeds.
13Beware! I am against you,#Ezk 13:8
you who sit above the valley,
you atop the rocky plateau —
this is the Lord’s declaration —
you who say, “Who can come down against us?#Jr 49:4
Who can enter our hiding places?”
14I will punish you according to what you have done#Is 3:10 —
this is the Lord’s declaration.
I will kindle a fire in your forest#Ezk 20:47
that will consume everything around it.’”#Jr 50:32
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Jeremiah 21: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Jeremiah 21
21
1This is the word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Ma-aseiah, saying, 2“Inquire of the Lord for us, for Nebuchadrezzar 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.”
3Then Jeremiah said to them: 4“Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war which 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. 5I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath. 6And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they shall die of a great pestilence. 7Afterward, says 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 Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives. He shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not pity them, or spare them, or have compassion.’
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. 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. 10For I have set my face against this city for evil and not for good, says the Lord: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.’
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 doings.’ ”
13“Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley,
O rock of the plain,
says the Lord;
you who say, ‘Who shall come down against us,
or who shall enter our habitations?’
14I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings,
says the Lord;
I will kindle a fire in her forest,
and it shall devour all that is round about her.”
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Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America