Chapter 21

The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent² unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,²

Enquire,³ I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war¹² against us; if so be that the LORD will deal⁴ with us according to all his wondrous works,¹² that he may go up⁴ from us.

Then said⁴ Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say⁴ to Zedekiah:

Thus saith¹ the LORD God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back⁵⁶ the weapons of war that [are] in your hands, wherewith ye fight¹² against the king of Babylon, and [against] the Chaldeans, which besiege⁶ you without the walls, and I will assemble¹ them into the midst of this city.

And I myself will fight⁸ against you with an outstretched⁷ hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.

And I will smite⁵² the inhabitants⁶ of this city, both man and beast: they shall die⁴ of a great pestilence.

And afterward, saith⁷ the LORD, I will deliver⁴ Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left¹² in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies,⁶ and into the hand of those that seek¹⁸ their life: and he shall smite⁵² them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare⁴ them, neither have pity,⁴ nor have mercy.¹⁷

And unto this people thou shalt say,⁴ Thus saith¹ the LORD; Behold, I set⁶ before you the way of life, and the way of death.

He that abideth⁶ in this city shall die⁴ by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out,⁶ and falleth¹ to the Chaldeans that besiege⁶ you, he shall live,^{1 2421 4} and his life shall be unto him for a prey.

For I have set¹ my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith⁷ the LORD: it shall be given¹¹ into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn¹ it with fire.

And touching the house of the king of Judah, [say], Hear³ ye the word of the LORD;

O house of David, thus saith¹ the LORD; Execute³ judgment in the morning, and deliver⁵⁴ [him that is] spoiled⁷ out of the hand of the oppressor,⁶ lest my fury go out⁴ like fire, and burn¹ that none can quench¹⁸ [it], because of the evil of your doings.

Behold, I [am] against thee, O inhabitant⁶ of the valley, [and] rock of the plain, saith⁷ the LORD; which say,⁶ Who shall come down⁴ against us? or who shall enter⁴ into our habitations?

But I will punish¹ you according to the fruit of your doings, saith⁷ the LORD: and I will kindle⁵² a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour¹ all things round about it.