| Holman Christian Standard Bible | King James Bible |
| 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, | 1The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying, |
| 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." | 2Inquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us. |
| 3But Jeremiah answered, "This is what you are to say to Zedekiah: | 3Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah: |
| 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. | 4Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city. |
| 5I will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, with anger, rage, and great wrath. | 5And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath. |
| 6I will strike the residents of this city, both man and beast. They will die in a great plague. | 6And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence. |
| 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.' | 7And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king 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; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy. |
| 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. | 8And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death. |
| 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. | 9He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey. |
| 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.' | 10For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire. |
| 11"And to the house of the king of Judah say this: 'Hear the word of the LORD! | 11And touching the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear ye the word of the LORD; |
| 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. | 12O house of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. |
| 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?" | 13Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the LORD; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations? |
| 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.'" | 14But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it. |
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