| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET 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 LORD spoke to Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. Zedekiah sent them to Jeremiah to ask, |
| 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." | 2"Please ask the LORD to come and help us, because King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is attacking us. Maybe the LORD will perform one of his miracles as in times past and make him stop attacking us and leave." |
| 3But Jeremiah answered, "This is what you are to say to Zedekiah: | 3Jeremiah answered them, "Tell 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. | 4that the LORD, the God of Israel, says, 'The forces at your disposal are now outside the walls fighting against King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and the Babylonians who have you under siege. I will gather those forces back inside the city. |
| 5I will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, with anger, rage, and great wrath. | 5In anger, in fury, and in wrath I myself will fight against you with my mighty power and great strength! |
| 6I will strike the residents of this city, both man and beast. They will die in a great plague. | 6I will kill everything living in Jerusalem, people and animals alike! They will die from terrible diseases. |
| 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.' | 7Then I, the LORD, promise that I will hand over King Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, and any of the people who survive the war, starvation, and disease. I will hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and to their enemies who want to kill them. He will slaughter them with the sword. He will not show them any mercy, compassion, or pity.' |
| 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. | 8"But tell the people of Jerusalem that the LORD says, 'I will give you a choice between two courses of action. One will result in life; the other will result in 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. | 9Those who stay in this city will die in battle or of starvation or disease. Those who leave the city and surrender to the Babylonians who are besieging it will live. They will escape with their lives. |
| 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, the LORD, say that I am determined not to deliver this city but to bring disaster on it. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon and he will destroy it with fire.'" |
| 11"And to the house of the king of Judah say this: 'Hear the word of the LORD! | 11The LORD told me to say to the royal court of Judah, "Listen to what the LORD says, |
| 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 royal family descended from David. The LORD says: 'See to it that people each day are judged fairly. Deliver those who have been robbed from those who oppress them. Otherwise, my wrath will blaze out against you. It will burn like a fire that cannot be put out because of the evil that you have done. |
| 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?" | 13Listen, you who sit enthroned above the valley on a rocky plateau. I am opposed to you,' says the LORD. 'You boast, "No one can swoop down on us. No one can penetrate into our places of refuge." |
| 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 as your deeds deserve,' says the LORD. 'I will set fire to your palace; it will burn up everything around it.'" |
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