The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

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- Chapter 21 -

Yahweh gave me another message when King Zedekiah of Judah sent a man named Pashhur son of Malkijah, and a priest named Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, to talk to me. They pleaded with me, saying,

“The army of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is attacking Judah. Please speak to Yahweh for us. Ask him if he will help us. Perhaps he will force Nebuchadnezzar’s army to leave by performing a miracle for us, like the miracles he performed previously.”

I replied to them, “Go back to King Zedekiah. Tell him,

’This is what Yahweh, the God whom we Israelites worship, says: “I will cause your weapons to be useless in fighting against the king of Babylon and his army that is outside the walls of Jerusalem, attacking. I will enable them to enter into the center of this city.

I myself will fight against your army with my very great power, because I am very angry with you.

I will send a very terrible plague on the people of this city, and on their domestic animals, and many of them will die.”

And Yahweh says there are many people in this city who want to kill you. So, he will enable the army of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and other people in this city to capture you, King Zedekiah, and your officials, and all the other people who do not die from the plague. His army will slaughter your soldiers; they will not act mercifully toward you or pity you at all.’

And tell this to all the people: ’Yahweh says that you must decide whether you want to die or to remain alive.

Everyone who remains in Jerusalem will die. They will be killed in battles or die from being hungry or from diseases. But those who surrender to the army of Babylon that is surrounding your city will remain alive. They will escape dying.

This will happen because I, Yahweh, have decided to cause this city to experience disasters, not to experience something good. The army of the king of Babylon will capture this city and will destroy it completely by fire.’”

A Message to the House of David

Yahweh also told me to say this to the family of the king of Judah: “Listen to this message from Yahweh!

This is what he says to you descendants of King David: ’Every day, make fair decisions for the people whom you judge. Help those who have been robbed. Rescue them from robbers and abusers. If you do not do that, I will be angry and punish you with a fire that will be impossible to extinguish, because of all the sins that you have committed.

I will fight against you people of Jerusalem, you who live on top of a rocky hill above the valley. I will fight against you people who boast, saying, “No one can attack us and break through our defenses.”

I will punish you for your wicked deeds like you deserve to be punished; It will be as though I will light a fire in your forests that will burn up everything around you.’”

The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchijah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, saying,

“Please inquire of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon makes war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may withdraw from us.”

Then Jeremiah said to them, “Tell Zedekiah:

‘The LORD, the God of Israel says, “Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the walls; and I will gather them into the middle of this city.

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

I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both man and animal. They will die of a great pestilence.

Afterward,” says the LORD, “I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants, and the people, even those who are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life. He will strike them with the edge of the sword. He will not spare them, have pity, or have mercy.”’

“You shall say to this people, ‘The LORD says: “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.

He who remains in this city will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, but he who goes out and passes over to the Chaldeans who besiege you, he will live, and he will escape with his life.

For I have set my face on 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 fire.”’

A Message to the House of David

“Concerning the house of the king of Judah, hear the LORD’s word:

House of David, the LORD says, ‘Execute justice in the morning, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my wrath go out like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, and of the rock of the plain,’ says the LORD. ‘You that say, “Who would come down against us?” or, “Who would enter into our homes?”

I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings,’ says the LORD; ‘and I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it will devour all that is around her.’”