Jeremiah 21

The 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,

1A message came to Jeremiah from the LORD. Jeremiah was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. King Zedekiah had sent two men to him. They were Pashur son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, a priest.

2Enquire, 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.

2The men said, "Please ask the LORD about us. Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylon, is making war on us. Maybe the LORD will do great wonders like He did long ago. Then the king of Babylon will go away and leave us alone."

NoteNebuchadrezzar is just another way to spell Nebuchadnezzar. It is the same king.

3Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:

3Then Jeremiah said to them, "Here is what you must tell Zedekiah."

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.

4The LORD, the God of Israel, says this: Look, I will turn your own weapons back against you. You are using them to fight the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans, his army. They have camped all around outside your wall. I will bring that army right into the middle of this city.

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.

5I myself will fight against you. My hand will be stretched out, and my arm will be strong. I will come with anger and with very great anger.

6And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.

6I will strike down the people who live in this city, and the animals too. They will die from a terrible sickness that spreads fast.

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.

7After that, says the LORD, I will hand over Zedekiah, king of Judah. I will hand over his helpers and the people too. That means the ones still alive after the sickness, the fighting, and the hunger. I will give them to Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon. I will give them to their enemies, who want them dead. He will kill them with the sword. He will not spare them or feel sorry for them at all.

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.

8And you must say this to the people. The LORD says: Look, I am setting two paths in front of you. One path leads to life. One path leads to death.

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.

9Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, by hunger, or by sickness. But whoever goes out and gives himself up to the Chaldeans outside will live. He will get to keep his own life, and nothing more.

Note"His life shall be unto him for a prey" means he escapes with his life and nothing else. A prey was what a soldier carried home after a battle.

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.

10I have set my face against this city to bring harm, not good, says the LORD. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon. He will burn it down with fire.

11And touching the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear ye the word of the LORD;

11And say this to the family of the king of Judah: Listen to the word of the LORD.

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.

12Family of David, the LORD says this: Judge people fairly, every morning. When someone is robbed, save him from the one who hurts him. If you do not, my anger will burn out like fire. No one will be able to put that fire out. This is because of the evil things you have done.

NoteIn those days, kings and judges heard people's problems early in the morning. "Execute judgment in the morning" means do this fairly, day after day.

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?

13Look, I am against you, says the LORD. You live above the valley, up on the flat rocky hill. You say, "Who can come at us? Who can get inside our homes?"

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.

14But I will punish you for the things you have done, says the LORD. I will light a fire in your forest. It will burn up everything around it.