Jeremiah 21
21
Jerusalem's Defeat is Predicted
1King Zedekiah of Judah sent Pashhur son of Malchiah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to me with this request: 2#2 Kgs 25.1–11; 2 Chr 36.17–21“Please speak to the LORD for us, because King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia and his army are besieging the city. Maybe the LORD will perform one of his miracles for us and force Nebuchadnezzar to retreat.”
3Then the LORD spoke to me, and I told the men who had been sent to me 4to tell Zedekiah that the LORD, the God of Israel, had said, “Zedekiah, I am going to defeat your army that is fighting against the king of Babylonia and his army. I will pile up your soldiers' weapons in the centre of the city. 5I will fight against you with all my might, my anger, my wrath, and my fury. 6I will kill everyone living in this city; people and animals alike will die of a terrible disease. 7But as for you, your officials, and the people who survive the war, the famine, and the disease — I will let all of you be captured by King Nebuchadnezzar and by your enemies, who want to kill you. Nebuchadnezzar will put you to death. He will not spare any of you or show mercy or pity to any of you. I, the LORD, have spoken.”
8Then the LORD told me to say to the people, “Listen! I, the LORD, am giving you a choice between the way that leads to life and the way that leads to death. 9Anyone who stays in the city will be killed in war or by starvation or disease. But those who go out and surrender to the Babylonians, who are now attacking the city, will not be killed; they will at least escape with their lives. 10I have made up my mind not to spare this city, but to destroy it. It will be given over to the king of Babylonia and he will burn it to the ground. I, the LORD, have spoken.”
Judgement on the Royal House of Judah
11-12The LORD told me to give this message to the royal house of Judah, the descendants of David: “Listen to what I, the LORD, am saying. See that justice is done every day. Protect the person who is being cheated from the one who is cheating him. If you don't, the evil you are doing will make my anger burn like a fire that cannot be put out. 13You, Jerusalem, are sitting#21.13 You, Jerusalem, are sitting; or You are enthroned. high above the valleys, like a rock rising above the plain. But I will fight against you. You say that no one can attack you or break through your defences. 14But I will punish you for what you have done. I will set your palace on fire, and the fire will burn down everything round it. I, the LORD, have spoken.”
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
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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