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word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah, asking, 2 “Please enquire of the Lord for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the Lord will perform His wonders for us as in times past so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.”
3 But Jeremiah answered them, “This is what you are to say to Zedekiah: 4 ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I am going to turn against you the weapons of war in your hands, which you are using to fight against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls; and I will assemble them inside this city. 5 I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a mighty arm, with anger, fury, and great wrath. 6 I will strike the people of this city, both man and beast, and they will die of a great pestilence. 7 After that”, declares the Lord, “I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants, and the people who are left in this city who survive the pestilence, the sword, and the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their lives. He will cut them down with the sword, and he will not spare them, or show pity or mercy” ’.
8 “But you must say to this people, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. 9 Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and he will escape with his life. 10 For I have set My face against this city for great 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” ’.
11 “Say to the house of the king of Judah: ‘Hear the word of the Lord: 12 O house of David! This is what the Lord says:
“Administer justice every morning;
rescue the victim of robbery
from the hand of the oppressor,
or My fury will break out like fire,
and burn with no one able to quench it,
because of your evil deeds.
13 “Behold, I am against you,
you who live above the valley,
atop this rocky plateau”,
declares the Lord.
“you who say, ‘Who can come down against us,
or who can enter our refuge?’
14 But I will punish you according to your deeds,”
declares the Lord.
“I will kindle a fire in its forest,
and it will consume everything around you” ’.”