Jeremiah 21

Jerusalem Will Fall to Nebuchadnezzar

1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when King Zedekiah sent to him *See ch. 20:1Pashhur the son of Malchiah and *ch. 29:25;37:3;2 Kgs. 25:18Zephaniah the priest, the son of *ch. 35:4;2 Chr. 34:8Maaseiah, saying, 2 *[ch. 37:7] "Inquire of the Lord for us, *[2 Kgs. 25:1] for Nebuchadnezzar*21:2 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, an alternate spelling of Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon) occurring frequently from Jeremiah 21–52; this latter spelling is used throughout Jeremiah for consistency king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to *Ps. 105:2,5all his wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us."

3 Then Jeremiah said to them: "Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, 4 ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: *[ch. 32:5;37:10] Behold, I will 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. *[Isa. 13:4]And I will bring them together into the midst of this city. 5 I myself will fight against you *ch. 27:5;32:17,21;Ex. 6:6;Deut. 4:34;Ezek. 20:33with outstretched hand and strong arm, *ch. 32:37;Deut. 29:28in anger and in fury and in great wrath. 6 And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence. 7 Afterward, declares the Lord, *ch. 37:17;39:5;52:9I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword. *Deut. 28:50;2 Chr. 36:17;Ezek. 5:11He shall not pity them or spare them or have compassion.’

8 "And to this people you shall say: *Deut. 30:15,19‘Thus says the Lord: Behold, *ch. 38:2I set before you the way of life and the way of death. 9 He who stays in this city shall die *See ch. 15:2by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out and *ch. 37:13,14surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live *ch. 39:18;45:5and shall have his life as a prize of war. 10 For *ch. 44:11;Lev. 20:3,5;Ps. 34:16;Ezek. 14:8;[Amos 9:4] I have set my face against this city for harm and *[ch. 14:11] not for good, declares the Lord: *ver. 7;ch. 34:2;37:8,10;38:17,18,23;39:8;52:13;2 Chr. 36:19it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.’

Message to the House of David

11 "And to the house of the king of Judah say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, 12 O house of David! Thus says the Lord:

*ch. 22:3;Zech. 7:9;[ch. 22:16] "‘Execute justice *Ps. 101:8in the morning,

and deliver from the hand of the oppressor

him who has been robbed,

*ch. 4:4lest my wrath go forth like fire,

and burn with none to quench it,

because of your evil deeds.’"

13 *[ver. 10]; See Ezek. 13:8"Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley,

O rock of the plain,

declares the Lord;

you who say, *[ch. 49:4]‘Who shall come down against us,

or who shall enter our habitations?’

14 *ch. 9:25I will punish you according to *Prov. 1:31;Isa. 3:10the fruit of your deeds,

declares the Lord;

*Ezek. 20:47I will kindle a fire in her forest,

*Ezek. 20:47and it shall devour all that is around her."