Jeremiah 21

1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malchiah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, to say,

2“Please inquire of Yahweh for us, because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps Yahweh will act for us in keeping with all his wonderful deeds, so that he will withdraw from us.”

3Jeremiah said to them, “This is what you are to say to Zedekiah:

4This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: Look, I am about to turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the wall, and I will gather them into the middle of this city.

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

6I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both people and animals; they will die of a great plague.

7After that, declares Yahweh, I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials, and the people in this city who survive the plague, the sword, and the famine to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, to their enemies, and to those who seek their lives. He will strike them down with the edge of the sword; he will not spare them or have pity or show compassion.

8And to this people you are to say, ‘This is what Yahweh says: Look, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.

9Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, by famine, and by plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live; he will escape with his life as his prize.

10For I have set my face against this city for harm and not for good, declares Yahweh. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.’

11To the house of the king of Judah: Hear the word of Yahweh,

12you house of David! This is what Yahweh says: Administer justice every morning, and rescue the one who has been robbed from the hand of the oppressor, or my wrath will go out like fire and burn with no one to put it out, because of your evil deeds.

13Look, I am against you, you who live in the valley, you rock of the plain, declares Yahweh—you who say, ‘Who can come down against us? Who can enter our dwellings?’

14I will punish you as the fruit of your deeds deserves, declares Yahweh. I will set fire to her forest, and it will consume everything around her.”