[1] The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when King Zedekiah sent
to him Pashhur, the son of Malchiah, and Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah the
priest, saying, [2] Will you get directions from the Lord for us; for
Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, is making war against us; it may be that
the Lord will do something for us like all the wonders he has done, and
make him go away from us. [3] Then Jeremiah said to them, This is what you
are to say to Zedekiah: [4] The Lord God of Israel has said, See, I am
turning back the instruments of war in your hands, with which you are
fighting against the king of Babylon and the Chaldaeans, who are outside
the walls and shutting you in; and I will get them together inside this
town. [5] And I myself will be fighting against you with an outstretched
hand and with a strong arm, even with angry feeling and passion and in
great wrath. [6] And I will send a great disease on the people living in
this town, on man and on beast, causing their death. [7] And after that,
says the Lord, I will give up Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his servants and
his people, even those in the town who have not come to their end from the
disease and the sword and from need of food, into the hands of
Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, and into the hands of their haters, and
into the hands of those desiring their death: he will put them to the
sword; he will not let anyone get away, he will have no pity or mercy. [8]
And to this people you are to say, The Lord has said, See, I put before you
the way of life and the way of death. [9] He who keeps in this town will
come to his death by the sword and through need of food and through
disease; but he who goes out and gives himself up to the Chaldaeans who are
shutting you in, will go on living, and will keep his life safe. [10] For
my face is turned to this town for evil and not for good, says the Lord: it
will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will have it
burned with fire. [11] About the family of the king of Judah. Give ear to
the word of the Lord; [12] O family of David, this is what the Lord has
said: Do what is right in the morning, and make free from the hands of the
cruel one him whose goods have been violently taken away, or my wrath will
go out like fire, burning so that no one may put it out, because of the
evil of your doings. [13] See, I am against you, you who are living on the
rock of the valley, says the Lord; you who say, Who will come down against
us? or who will get into our houses? [14] I will send punishment on you in
keeping with the fruit of your doings, says the Lord: and I will put a fire
in her woodlands, burning up everything round about her.
