| Holman Christian Standard Bible | New Living Translation |
| 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 through Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malkijah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, to speak with him. They begged Jeremiah, |
| 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 speak to the LORD for us and ask him to help us. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is attacking Judah. Perhaps the LORD will be gracious and do a mighty miracle as he has done in the past. Perhaps he will force Nebuchadnezzar to withdraw his armies.” |
| 3But Jeremiah answered, "This is what you are to say to Zedekiah: | 3Jeremiah replied, “Go back to King Zedekiah and tell him, |
| 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. | 4‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I will make your weapons useless against the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are outside your walls attacking you. In fact, I will bring your enemies right into the heart of this city. |
| 5I will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, with anger, rage, and great wrath. | 5I myself will fight against you with a strong hand and a powerful arm, for I am very angry. You have made me furious! |
| 6I will strike the residents of this city, both man and beast. They will die in a great plague. | 6I will send a terrible plague upon this city, and both people and animals will die. |
| 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 after all that, says the LORD, I will hand over King Zedekiah, his staff, and everyone else in the city who survives the disease, war, and famine. I will hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and to their other enemies. He will slaughter them and show them no mercy, pity, or compassion.’ |
| 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“Tell all the people, ‘This is what the LORD says: Take your choice of life or 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. | 9Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who go out and surrender to the Babylonians will live. Their reward will be life! |
| 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 decided to bring disaster and not good upon this city, says the LORD. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon, and he will reduce it to ashes.’ Judgment on Judah’s Kings |
| 11"And to the house of the king of Judah say this: 'Hear the word of the LORD! | 11“Say to the royal family of Judah, ‘Listen to this message from 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. | 12This is what the LORD says to the dynasty of David: “‘Give justice each morning to the people you judge! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors. Otherwise, my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of all your sins. |
| 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?" | 13I will personally fight against the people in Jerusalem, that mighty fortress— the people who boast, “No one can touch us here. No one can break in here.” |
| 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.'" | 14And I myself will punish you for your sinfulness, says the LORD. I will light a fire in your forests that will burn up everything around you.’” |
| Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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