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
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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