Jeremiah 21:1-7 - A Message For Zedekiah

¹ The word which was to Jeremiah from Jehovah in king Zedekiah's sending to him Pashur son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah son Maaseiah the priest, saying, ² Seek now: Jehovah for us; for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel is warring against us; perhaps Jehovah will do with us his wonders, and he shall go up from us.

³ And Jeremiah will say to them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah: ⁴ Thus said Jehovah God of Israel: Behold me turning about the weapons of war which are in your hands which ye are fighting with them with the king of Babel, and the Chaldeans, pressing upon you without the wall, and I gathered you to the midst of this city. ⁵ And I warred with you with a hand stretched out and with an arm of strength, and in anger and in heat and in great wrath. ⁶ And I struck the inhabitants of this city, and man and beast: in great death they shall die. ⁷ And after this, says Jehovah, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and those being left in this city, from death, from the sword, and from famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them seeking their soul: and he smote them with the mouth of the sword; he shall not have compassion upon them, and he shall not spare, and he shall not pity.

¹ The word that was to Jeremiah from Jehovah and Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel, and all his strength, and all the kingdoms of the earth, the dominion of his hand, and all the peoples warring against Jerusalem, and against all its cities, saying ² Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Go and say to Zedekiah king of Judah, and say to him, Thus said Jehovah, Behold me giving this city into the band of the king of Babel, and he burnt it with fire. ³ And thou shalt not escape from his hand, for being seized, thou shalt be seized and be given into his hand; and thine eyes shall see the eyes of the king of Babel, and his mouth shall speak to thy mouth, and thou shalt go to Babel.

⁴ But hear the word of Jehovah, O Zedekiah, king of Judah: Thus said Jehovah concerning thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword: ⁵ In peace shalt thou die; and with the burnings of thy fathers the former kings which were before thee, thus shall they burn for thee; and, Alas, Lord they shall mourn for thee; for I spake the word, says Jehovah.

⁶ And Jeremiah the prophet will speak to Zedekiah king of Judah all these words in Jerusalem. ⁷ And the strength of the king of Babel warred against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah being left against Lachish, and against Azekah: for these remained of the cities of Judah, fortified cities.