21 *The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, when king Zedekiah sent unto him aPashur the son of Melchiah, and bZephaniah the son of cMaaseiah the priest, saying, 2 dInquire, I pray thee, of the Lord for us; for eNebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the Lord will deal with us according to all fhis wondrous works, that he may go up from us. 3 Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah: 4 Thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Behold, ffI will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, ewhich besiege you without the walls, and gI will assemble them into the midst of this city. 5 And I myself will fight against you hwith an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even iin anger, and in fury, and in great wrath. 6 And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence. 7 And afterward, saith the Lord, jI will deliver Zedekiah kking of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; lhe shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.

8 And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, mI set before you the way of life, and the way of death. 9 nHe that abideth in this city shall die mmby the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: nbut he that goeth out, and nnfalleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and nohis life shall be unto him for a prey. 10 For I have pset my face against this city for evil, and not qfor good, saith the Lord: rit shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and she shall burn it with fire. 11 And touching the house of the king of Judah, sssay, Hear ye the word of the Lord; 12 O house of David, thus saith the Lord; t†Execute judgment uin the morning, tand deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, vlest my fury go out like fire, vand burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. 13 Behold, wI am against thee, O †inhabitant of xthe valley, and rock of the plain, saith the Lord; which say, yWho shall zcome down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations? 14 But I will †punish you according to athe fruit of your doings, saith the Lord: and bI will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, band sit shall devour all things round about it.