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21 Verbum quod factum est ad Jeremiam a Domino, quando misit ad eum rex Sedecias Phassur filium Melchiae, et Sophoniam filium Maasiae sacerdotem, dicens:

Interroga pro nobis Dominum, quia Nabuchodonosor, rex Babylonis, praeliatur adversum nos: si forte faciat Dominus nobiscum secundum omnia mirabilia sua, et recedat a nobis.

Et dixit Jeremias ad eos: Sic dicetis Sedeciae:

Haec dicit Dominus Deus Israel: Ecce ego convertam vasa belli quae in manibus vestris sunt, et quibus vos pugnatis adversum regem Babylonis et Chaldaeos qui obsident vos in circuitu murorum: et congregabo ea in medio civitatis hujus.

Et debellabo ego vos in manu extenta, et in brachio forti, et in furore, et in indignatione, et in ira grandi.

Et percutiam habitatores civitatis hujus: homines et bestiae pestilentia magna morientur.

Et post haec, ait Dominus, dabo Sedeciam regem Juda, et servos ejus, et populum ejus, et qui derelicti sunt in civitate hac a peste, et gladio, et fame, in manu Nabuchodonosor regis Babylonis, et in manu inimicorum eorum, et in manu quaerentium animam eorum: et percutiet eos in ore gladii, et non flectetur, neque parcet, nec miserebitur.

Et ad populum hunc dices: Haec dicit Dominus: Ecce ego do coram vobis viam vitae, et viam mortis.

Qui habitaverit in urbe hac morietur gladio, et fame, et peste: qui autem egressus fuerit, et transfugerit ad Chaldaeos qui obsident vos, vivet, et erit ei anima sua quasi spolium.

10 Posui enim faciem meam super civitatem hanc in malum, et non in bonum, ait Dominus: in manu regis Babylonis dabitur, et exuret eam igni.

11 Et domui regis Juda: Audite verba Domini,

12 domus David. Haec dicit Dominus: Judicate mane judicium, et eruite vi oppressum de manu calumniantis, ne forte egrediatur ut ignis indignatio mea, et succendatur, et non sit qui extinguat, propter malitiam studiorum vestrorum.

13 Ecce ego ad te, habitatricem vallis solidae atque campestris, ait Dominus: qui dicitis: Quis percutiet nos? et quis ingredietur domos nostras?

14 Et visitabo super vos juxta fructum studiorum vestrorum, dicit Dominus: et succendam ignem in saltu ejus, et devorabit omnia in circuitu ejus.

God Rejects Zedekiah’s Request

21 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah(A) sent to him Pashhur(B) son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah(C) son of Maaseiah. They said: “Inquire(D) now of the Lord for us because Nebuchadnezzar[a](E) king of Babylon(F) is attacking us. Perhaps the Lord will perform wonders(G) for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us.”

But Jeremiah answered them, “Tell Zedekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn(H) against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians[b] who are outside the wall besieging(I) you. And I will gather them inside this city. I myself will fight(J) against you with an outstretched hand(K) and a mighty arm(L) in furious anger and in great wrath. I will strike(M) down those who live in this city—both man and beast—and they will die of a terrible plague.(N) After that, declares the Lord, I will give Zedekiah(O) king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague,(P) sword and famine, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon(Q) and to their enemies(R) who want to kill them.(S) He will put them to the sword;(T) he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion.’(U)

“Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you the way of life(V) and the way of death. Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague.(W) But whoever goes out and surrenders(X) to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; they will escape with their lives.(Y) 10 I have determined to do this city harm(Z) and not good, declares the Lord. It will be given into the hands(AA) of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire.’(AB)

11 “Moreover, say to the royal house(AC) of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord. 12 This is what the Lord says to you, house of David:

“‘Administer justice(AD) every morning;
    rescue from the hand of the oppressor(AE)
    the one who has been robbed,
or my wrath will break out and burn like fire(AF)
    because of the evil(AG) you have done—
    burn with no one to quench(AH) it.
13 I am against(AI) you, Jerusalem,
    you who live above this valley(AJ)
    on the rocky plateau, declares the Lord
you who say, “Who can come against us?
    Who can enter our refuge?”(AK)
14 I will punish you as your deeds(AL) deserve,
    declares the Lord.
I will kindle a fire(AM) in your forests(AN)
    that will consume everything around you.’”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 21:2 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, of which Nebuchadnezzar is a variant; here and often in Jeremiah and Ezekiel
  2. Jeremiah 21:4 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 9

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

Enquire, I pray thee, of the Lord for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the Lord will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.

Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:

Thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.

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.

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

And afterward, saith the Lord, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, 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 life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.

And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.

He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.

10 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 And touching the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear ye the word of the Lord;

12 O house of David, thus saith the Lord; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

13 Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the Lord; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?

14 But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the Lord: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.