1 T he word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchijah, and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying,

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

2 “ Please inquire of the Lord on our behalf, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is warring against us; perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all His wonderful acts, so that the enemy will withdraw from us.”

Enquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon makes war against us; peradventure the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, and he will go up from upon us.

3 T hen Jeremiah said to them, “You shall say to Zedekiah as follows:

And said Jeremiah unto them: Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah

4 ‘ Thus says the Lord God of Israel, “Behold, I am about to turn back the weapons of war which are in your hands, with which you are warring against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the wall; and I will gather them into the center of this city.

Thus hath the LORD God of Israel said: Behold, I turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands with which ye fight against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you outside the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.

5 I Myself will war against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, even in anger and wrath and great indignation.

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

6 I will also strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they will die of a great pestilence.

And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.

7 T hen afterwards,” declares the Lord, “ I will give over Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people, even those who survive in this city from the pestilence, the sword and the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their foes and into the hand of those who seek their lives; and he will strike them down with the edge of the sword. He will not spare them nor have pity nor compassion.”’

And afterward, thus hath the LORD said, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his slaves and the people and such as are left 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, and into the hand of those that seek their souls; and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not forgive them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.

8 “ You shall also say to this people, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.

¶ And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus hath the LORD said: Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.

9 H e who dwells in this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence; but he who goes out and falls away to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and he will have his own life as booty.

He that abides in this city shall die by the sword or by the famine or by the pestilence, but he that goes out and falls to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his soul shall be unto him for a spoil.

10 F or I have set My face against this city for harm and not for good,” declares the Lord. “It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon and he will burn it with fire.”’

For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD; it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

11 “ Then say to the household of the king of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord,

And to the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear ye the word of the LORD;

12 O house of David, thus says the Lord: “ Administer justice every morning; And deliver the person who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor, That My wrath may not go forth like fire And burn with none to extinguish it, Because of the evil of their deeds.

O house of David, thus hath the LORD said: Execute judgment early and deliver him that is oppressed out of the hand of the oppressor lest my fury go forth like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it because of the evil of your doings.

13 “ Behold, I am against you, O valley dweller, O rocky plain,” declares the Lord, “You men who say, ‘ Who will come down against us? Or who will enter into our habitations?’

Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley of the rock of the plain (saith the LORD), which say, Who shall come up against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?

14 “ But I will punish you according to the results of your deeds,” declares the Lord, “And I will kindle a fire in its forest That it may devour all its environs.”’”

I will visit you according to the fruit of your doings, said the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in your forest, and it shall devour all things round about it.