Jeremiah 21
The Lord tells Jeremiah to inform King Zedekiah that He will turn against Jerusalem, gathering the city's defenses and making war against its inhabitants, resulting in death by pestilence, sword, and famine. Those who remain in the city will die, but those who surrender to the Babylonians will live. The Lord also warns the house of David to judge justly and rescue the oppressed, or face His fiery indignation.
1The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when king Zedekiah sent Pashhur, the son of Malchiah, and Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to him, saying2"Question the Lord on our behalf, for Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, is fighting against us. Perhaps it may be that the Lord will act toward us according to all his wonders, and he may withdraw from us.3And Jeremiah said to them: "This is what you shall say to Zedekiah4Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans, who besiege you at the surrounding walls. And I will gather these things together in the midst of this city5And I myself will make war against you: with an outstretched hand, and with a strong arm, and in fury, and in indignation, and in great wrath6And I will strike the inhabitants of this city; men and beasts will die from a great pestilence7And afterward, thus says the Lord: I will give Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and his servants, and his people, and those who have been left behind in this city after pestilence and the sword and 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 of the sword. And he will not waver, and he will not be lenient, and he will not take pity8And to this people, you shall say: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death9Whoever lives in this city will die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence. But whoever will have departed and fled away to the Chaldeans, who besiege you, will live, and his life will be to him like a spoil10For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, says the Lord. It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire11And to the house of the king of Judah, you shall say: Listen to the word of the Lord12O house of David! Thus says the Lord: Judge with judgment from early morning, and rescue anyone who is oppressed by violence from the hand of a false accuser. Otherwise, my indignation may go forth like a fire, and may flare up, and there will be no one who can extinguish it, because of the evil of your intentions13Behold, I am against you, O inhabitants of a valley with firm and level ground, says the Lord. And you say: ‘Who can strike us? And who can enter into our houses?14But I will visit against you according to the fruit of your intentions, says the Lord. And I will kindle a fire in its forest. And it shall devour everything around it.
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