Jeremiah 34:1–7

Jeremiah’s Word to King Zedekiah

34This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, ^oall his army, all the earthly kingdoms under his control, ^pand all other nations were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding cities: ²“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Go, speak to Zedekiah, king of Judah, and tell him: This is what the Lord says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, ^qand he will burn it down. ³As for you, you will not escape ^rfrom his hand but are certain to be captured and handed over to him. You will meet the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak face to face; ^styou will go to Babylon.

⁴“Yet hear the Lord’s word, Zedekiah, king of Judah. This is what the Lord says concerning you: You will not die by the sword; ⁵you will die peacefully. There will be a burning ceremony for you just like the burning ceremonies for your fathers, the former kings who preceded you. ^u‘Our king is dead!’ ^vwill be the lament for you, for I have spoken this word.” This is the Lord’s declaration.

⁶So Jeremiah the prophet related all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem ⁷while the king of Babylon’s army was attacking Jerusalem and all of Judah’s remaining cities—against Lachish and Azekah, ^wfor they were the only ones left of Judah’s fortified cities.