Jeremiah 21
21
Fate of Zedekiah and Jerusalem. 1The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah#Zedekiah: brother of Jehoiakim, appointed king by Nebuchadnezzar after he had carried Jehoiachin away to captivity (2 Kgs 24:17). Pashhur: different from the one in 20:1–3 but also one of Jeremiah’s enemies; cf. 38:1, 4. sent Pashhur, son of Malchiah, and the priest Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah, to him with this request: 2Inquire for us of the Lord, because Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, is attacking us. Perhaps the Lord will act for us in accord with his wonderful works by making him withdraw from us. 3But Jeremiah answered them: This is what you shall report to Zedekiah: 4Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I will turn against you the weapons with which you are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the walls. These weapons I will pile up in the midst of this city,#Jer 37:8–10. 5and I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and mighty arm, in anger, wrath, and great rage!#Is 63:10; Lam 2:4–5. 6I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, human being and beast; they shall die in a great pestilence.#Jer 16:4. 7After that—oracle of the Lord—I will hand over Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his ministers and the people in this city who survive pestilence, sword, and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, to their enemies and those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword, without quarter, without mercy or compassion.#Jer 24:8–10; Dt 28:49–50. 8And to this people you shall say: Thus says the Lord: See, I am giving you a choice between the way to life and the way to death.#Jer 21:9; Dt 30:15, 19. 9Whoever remains in this city shall die by the sword or famine or pestilence. But whoever leaves and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live and escape with his life. 10I have set my face against this city, for evil and not for good—oracle of the Lord. It shall be given into the power of the king of Babylon who shall set it on fire.#Jeremiah consistently pointed out the uselessness of resistance to Babylon, since the Lord had delivered Judah to Nebuchadnezzar (27:6). Because of this the prophet was denounced and imprisoned as a traitor (37:13–14).
Oracles Regarding the Kings#21:11–23:8] This section contains an editor’s collection of Jeremiah’s oracles against the kings of Judah. They are placed in the chronological order of the kings, and are prefaced by oracles against the kings of Judah in general (21:11–22:9).
11To the royal house of Judah:
Hear the word of the Lord,
12house of David!
Thus says the Lord:
Each morning dispense justice,
rescue the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor,
Or my fury will break out like fire
and burn with no one to quench it
because of your evil deeds.#Jer 4:4; 22:3; Zec 7:9.
13Beware! I am against you, Ruler of the Valley,
Rock of the Plain#Ruler of the Valley, Rock of the Plain: Mount Zion, surrounded by valleys, was regarded by the royal house as impregnable. Despite this natural fortification, God derides it as no more than a rock rising from the plain, useless against the attack of his fury.—oracle of the Lord.
You say, “Who will attack us,
who can storm our defenses?”
14I will punish you—oracle of the Lord—
as your deeds deserve!
I will kindle a fire in its forest#Its forest: probably the royal palace, built of cedar wood; cf. 22:14; in 1 Kgs 7:2 the palace is called “the house of the forest of Lebanon.”
that shall devour all its surroundings.#2 Kgs 25:9; 2 Chr 36:19.
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Jeremiah 21
21
A Message for Zedekiah
1The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur, the son of Malchiah, and Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah, the priest, saying,#Literally “to say” 2“Please inquire of Yahweh on behalf of us, for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon is fighting against us. Perhaps Yahweh will do with us according to all his miraculous acts, so that he may go up from against us.”
3Then Jeremiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah: 4‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: “Look, I am about to turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands,#Hebrew “hand” with which you are fighting against them, the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are laying siege to you from outside the wall, and I will gather them into the center of this city. 5And I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand, and with strong arm, and in anger,#Literally “nose” and in fury, and in great wrath. 6And I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both humankind and animal; by a great plague they will die. 7And afterward,”#Literally “after thus” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh, “I will give Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and those who remain in this city from the plague, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their lives, and he will strike them with the edge#Literally “mouth” of the sword. He will not take pity on them, and he will not have compassion, nor will he show compassion.” ’
The Way of Life and the Way of Death
8“And to this people you shall say, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Look, I am setting before you#Literally “to the face of you” the way of life and the way of death. 9He who stays in this city will die by the sword, or by the famine, or by the plague. And he who goes out and goes over to the Chaldeans who are laying siege to you will live, and his life will be to him as booty. 10For I have set my face against this city for evil and not for good,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh. It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.” ’
A Series of Messages for the House of the King of Judah
11“And to the house of the king of Judah, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh, 12O house of David, thus says Yahweh,
“Execute judgment in the morning, justice,
and deliver the one who has been seized
from the hand of the oppressor,
lest my wrath goes forth like the fire and it burns,
and there is no one who quenches it#Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
because of the evil of your deeds.
13Look, I am against you,
O inhabitants#Hebrew “inhabitant” of the valley,
O rock of the plain,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh;
“you who say, ‘Who can descend against us,
or who can enter into our hiding place?’
14And I will punish you
according to the fruit of your deeds,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh,
“And I will kindle a fire in its forest,
and it will devour all its surroundings.” ’ ”
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