3 Then Jeremiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah: 4 ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: “Look, I am about to turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands,c with which you are fighting against them, the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are laying siege to you from outside the wall, and I will gather them into the center of this city. 5 And I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand, and with strong arm, and in ⌊anger⌋,d and in fury, and in great wrath. 6 And I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both humankind and animal; by a great plague they will die. 7 And ⌊afterward⌋,”e ⌊declares⌋f Yahweh, “I will give Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and those who remain in this city from the plague, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their lives, and he will strike them with the ⌊edge⌋g of the sword. He will not take pity on them, and he will not have compassion, nor will he show compassion.” ’

The Way of Life and the Way of Death

8 “And to this people you shall say, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Look, I am setting ⌊before you⌋h the way of life and the way of death. 9 He who stays in this city will die by the sword, or by the famine, or by the plague. And he who goes out and goes over to the Chaldeans who are laying siege to you will live, and his life will be to him as booty. 10 For I have set my face against this city for evil and not for good,” ⌊declares⌋i Yahweh. It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.” ’