21:1 This is the word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when King Zedeki'ah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchi'ah and Zephani'ah the priest, the son of Ma-asei'ah, saying,
21:1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malchiah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, saying,

21:2 "Inquire of the LORD for us, for Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon is making war against us; perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds, and will make him withdraw from us."
21:2 "Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, for King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon is making war against us; perhaps the LORD will perform a wonderful deed for us, as he has often done, and will make him withdraw from us."

21:3 Then Jeremiah said to them:
21:3 Then Jeremiah said to them:

21:4 "Thus you shall say to Zedeki'ah, `Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war which are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chalde'ans who are besieging you outside the walls; and I will bring them together into the midst of this city.
21:4 Thus you shall say to Zedekiah: Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I am going to turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls; and I will bring them together into the center of this city.

21:5 I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.
21:5 I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and mighty arm, in anger, in fury, and in great wrath.

21:6 And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they shall die of a great pestilence.
21:6 And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both human beings and animals; they shall die of a great pestilence.

21:7 Afterward, says the LORD, I will give Zedeki'ah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives. He shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not pity them, or spare them, or have compassion.'
21:7 Afterward, says the LORD, I will give King Zedekiah of Judah, and his servants, and the people in this city--those who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine--into the hands of King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon, into the hands of their enemies, into the hands of those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword; he shall not pity them, or spare them, or have compassion.

21:8 "And to this people you shall say: `Thus says the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
21:8 And to this people you shall say: Thus says the LORD: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.

21:9 He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes out and surrenders to the Chalde'ans who are besieging you shall live and shall have his life as a prize of war.
21:9 Those who stay in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but those who go out and surrender to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live and shall have their lives as a prize of war.

21:10 For I have set my face against this city for evil and not for good, says the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.'
21:10 For I have set my face against this city for evil and not for good, says the LORD: it shall be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

21:11 "And to the house of the king of Judah say, `Hear the word of the LORD,
21:11 To the house of the king of Judah say: Hear the word of the LORD,

21:12 O house of David! Thus says the LORD: "`Execute justice in the morning, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed, lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of your evil doings.'"
21:12 O house of David! Thus says the LORD: Execute justice in the morning, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor anyone who has been robbed, or else my wrath will go forth like fire, and burn, with no one to quench it, because of your evil doings.

21:13 "Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, O rock of the plain, says the LORD; you who say, `Who shall come down against us, or who shall enter our habitations?'
21:13 See, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, O rock of the plain, says the LORD; you who say, "Who can come down against us, or who can enter our places of refuge?"

21:14 I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, says the LORD; I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all that is round about her."
21:14 I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, says the LORD; I will kindle a fire in its forest, and it shall devour all that is around it.