1 The Word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,

2 Please inquire of Jehovah for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is warring against us. Perhaps Jehovah will deal with us according to all His wonderful works, that he may depart from us.

3 Then Jeremiah said to them, Thus you shall say to Zedekiah,

4 Thus says Jehovah the God of Israel: 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 together in the middle of this city.

5 And I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.

6 And I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence.

7 And afterward, says Jehovah, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and 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. And he shall strike them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, nor have pity, nor have mercy.

8 And to this people you shall say, Thus says Jehovah, Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.

9 He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence. But he who goes out and prostrates himself to the Chaldeans who besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be his prize.

10 For I have set My face against this city for evil, and not for good, says Jehovah. It shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

11 And concerning the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear the Word of Jehovah.

12 O house of David, thus says Jehovah: Execute justice in the morning, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor, lest My fury go forth like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

13 Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, rock of the plain, says Jehovah; who say, Who shall come down against us? Or who shall enter into our dwellings?

14 But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, says Jehovah; and I will kindle a fire in its forest, and it shall devour all things around it.