Jeremiah 21

I Set Before You the Way of Life and the Way of Death

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Zedekiah Sends to Jeremiah

21:1The word that came from the Lord to Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malchiah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, saying:

21:2Ask the Lord about us, because Babylon’s king has come against us, whether the Lord will act according to all His wonders, so that he goes away from us.

21:3And Jeremiah said to them: Say this to Zedekiah king of Judah:

21:4Thus says the Lord: Look, I am turning the weapons of war with which you fight the Chaldeans who have shut you in outside the wall into this city,

21:5and I Myself will fight you with outstretched hand and mighty arm, with fury, anger, and great indignation.

21:6And I will strike all this city’s inhabitants, the people and the livestock, with a great death, and they will die.

21:7And afterward—thus says the Lord—I will give Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants, and the people remaining in this city after death, famine, and sword into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives. They will cut them down with the sword’s edge. I will not spare them or have compassion on them.

21:8And say to this people: Thus says the Lord: Look, I have set before your face the way of life and the way of death.

The Way of Life and the Way of Death

21:9Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine; whoever goes out to join the Chaldeans who have shut you in will live, and his life will be spoil, and he will live.

21:10Because I have fixed My face upon this city for evils and not for good things. It will be handed into Babylon’s king’s hands, and he will burn it down with fire.

To the House of Judah’s King

21:11House of Judah’s king, hear the Lord’s word.

21:12House of David, thus says the Lord: Judge a judgment in the morning, set things straight, and rescue the plundered from the hand of the one wronging him, so that My anger is not kindled like fire and burns with no one to quench it.

21:13Look, I am against you who dwell in the valley of Sor, the level land, you who say, Who will frighten us? Or who will enter our dwelling?

21:14And I will kindle a fire in her woodland, and it will consume everything around her.

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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.