CHAPTER 21
1 The word which was made of the Lord to Jeremy, when king Zedekiah sent to him Pashur, the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah, the priest, the son of Maaseiah, and said,
2 Ask thou the Lord for us, for Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, fighteth against us; if in hap the Lord do with us by all his marvels, and he go away from us.
3 And Jeremy said to them, Thus ye shall say to Zedekiah,
4 The Lord God of Israel saith these things, Lo! I shall turn the instruments of battle that be in your hands, and with which ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against Chaldees, that besiege you in the compass of [the] walls; and I shall gather those [or them] together in the midst of this city.
5 And I shall overcome you in [a] hand stretched forth, and in [a] strong arm, and in strong vengeance, and in indignation, and in great wrath;
6 and I shall smite the dwellers of this city, men and beasts shall die by great pestilence.
7 And after these things, saith the Lord, I shall give Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his servants, and his people, and that be left in this city from pestilence, and sword, and hunger, in the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and in the hand of their enemies, and in the hand of men seeking the life of them; and he shall smite them by the sharpness of sword; and he shall not be bowed, neither shall spare, neither shall have mercy.
8 And thou shalt say to this people, The Lord God saith these things, Lo! I give before you the way of life, and the way of death.
9 He that dwelleth in this city, shall die by sword, and hunger, and pestilence; but he that goeth out, and fleeth over to [the] Chaldees that besiege you, shall live, and his life shall be as a prey to him.
10 For I have set my face on this city into evil, and not into good, saith the Lord; it shall be given in the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
11 And thou shall say to the house of the king of Judah, the house of David, Hear ye the word of the Lord.
12 The Lord saith these things, Deem ye early doom, and deliver ye him that is oppressed by violence from the hand of the false challenger; lest peradventure mine indignation go out as fire, and be kindled, and none be that quench, for the malice of your studies.
13 Lo! I do to thee, dwelleress of the firm valley, and plain, saith the Lord, [ye] which say, Who shall smite us, and who shall enter into our houses?
14 And I shall visit on you by the fruit of your studies, saith the Lord; and I shall kindle fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things in the compass thereof.