| English Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, | 1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah, asking, |
| 2“Inquire of the LORD for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us.” | 2"Ask the LORD on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us something like all His past wonderful works so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us." |
| 3Then Jeremiah said to them: “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, | 3But Jeremiah answered, "This is what you are to say to Zedekiah: |
| 4‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city. | 4 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I will repel the weapons of war in your hands, those you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the wall, and I will bring them into the center of this city. |
| 5I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath. | 5I will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, with anger, rage, and great wrath. |
| 6And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence. | 6I will strike the residents of this city, both man and beast. They will die in a great plague. |
| 7Afterward, declares the LORD, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword. He shall not pity them or spare them or have compassion.’ | 7Afterward"--this is the LORD's declaration--" 'King Zedekiah of Judah, his officers, and the people--those in this city who survive the plague, the sword, and the famine--I will hand over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, to their enemies, yes, to those who want to take their lives. He will put them to the sword; he won't spare them or show pity or compassion.' |
| 8“And to this people you shall say: ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. | 8"But you must say to this people, 'This is what the LORD says: Look, I am presenting to you the way of life and the way of death. |
| 9He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live and shall have his life as a prize of war. | 9Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live and will retain his life like the spoils of war. |
| 10For I have set my face against this city for harm and not for good, declares the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.’ | 10For I have turned against this city to bring disaster and not good"--this is the LORD's declaration. " 'It will be handed over to the king of Babylon, who will burn it down.' |
| 11“And to the house of the king of Judah say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, | 11"And to the house of the king of Judah say this: 'Hear the word of the LORD! |
| 12O house of David! Thus says the LORD: “‘Execute justice in the morning, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed, lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of your evil deeds.’” | 12House of David, this is what the LORD says: Administer justice every morning, and rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor, or My anger will flare up like fire and burn unquenchably because of their evil deeds. |
| 13“Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, O rock of the plain, declares the LORD; you who say, ‘Who shall come down against us, or who shall enter our habitations?’ | 13Beware! I am against you, you who sit above the valley, you atop the rocky plateau-- this is the LORD's declaration-- you who say, "Who can come down against us? Who can enter our hiding places?" |
| 14I will punish you according to the fruit of your deeds, declares the LORD; I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all that is around her.” | 14I will punish you according to what you have done-- this is the LORD's declaration. I will kindle a fire in its forest that will consume everything around it.'" |
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