Jeremiah 21
21
God Rejects King Zedekiah’s Request
1This is the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord. This was when King Zedekiah of Judah sent Pashhur#21:1 Pashhur This is not the same Pashhur as the man in Jer. 20:1. son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah. They brought a message for Jeremiah. 2They said to Jeremiah, “Pray to the Lord for us. Ask him what will happen. We want to know, because King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is attacking us. Maybe the Lord will do great things for us, as he did in the past. Maybe he will make Nebuchadnezzar stop attacking us and leave.”
3Then Jeremiah answered Pashhur and Zephaniah. He said, “Tell King Zedekiah, 4‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: You have weapons of war in your hands that you are using to defend yourselves from the Babylonians and their king. But I will make those weapons worthless.
“‘The army from Babylon is outside the wall all around the city. Soon I will bring that army into Jerusalem. 5I myself will fight against you people of Judah. I will fight against you with my own powerful hand. I am very angry with you, so I will fight against you with my own powerful arm. I will fight very hard against you and show how angry I am. 6I will kill everything living in Jerusalem, both people and animals. They will die from a terrible disease that will spread all through the city. 7After that happens,’” says the Lord, “‘I will give King Zedekiah of Judah and all his officials to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. And I will give to Nebuchadnezzar the people who remain alive in Jerusalem—those who did not die from the terrible disease and the people who did not die in war or from hunger. I will give them all to King Nebuchadnezzar. The people of Judah will be captured by their enemies who want to kill them. Nebuchadnezzar’s army will use their swords to kill the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar will not show any mercy. He will not feel sorry for them.’
8“Also tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: Understand that I will let you choose to live or die. 9Anyone who stays in Jerusalem will die in war or from hunger or disease. But anyone who goes out of Jerusalem and surrenders to the Babylonians attacking you will live. Only those who leave the city will win anything in this war—their lives! 10I have decided to make trouble for the city of Jerusalem. I will not help this city! I will give it to the king of Babylon, who will burn it with fire.’” This message is from the Lord.
11“Say this to Judah’s royal family: ‘Listen to the message from the Lord. 12Family of David, this is what the Lord says:
“‘You must judge people fairly every day.
Protect the victims from the criminals.
If you don’t do that, I will become very angry.
My anger will be like a fire that no one will be able to 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 like a queen over this valley.
You people of Jerusalem say,
‘No one can attack us.
No one can come into our strong city.’”
This message is from the Lord.
14“You will get the punishment you deserve.
I will start a fire in your forests
that will completely burn everything around you.”
This message is from the Lord.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
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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