1The word which came vnto Ieremiah from the Lord, when king Zedekiah sent vnto him Pashur the sonne of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the sonne of Maaseiah the priest, saying;

2Enquire, I pray thee, of the Lord for vs (for Nebuchad-rezzar king of Babylon maketh warre against vs) if so be that the Lord will deale with vs, according to all his wondrous workes, that he may goe vp from vs.

3 Then saide Ieremiah vnto them. Thus shall yee say to Zedekiah,

4Thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Behold, I will turne backe the weapons of warre that are in your hands, wherewith yee fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Caldeans, which besiege you without the walles, and I will assemble them into the middest of this citie.

5And I myselfe will fight against you with an out stretched hand, and with a strong arme, euen in anger, and in furie, and in great wrath.

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

7And afterward, saith the Lord, I will deliuer Zedekiah king of Iudah, and his seruants, and the people, and such as are left in this citie 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 seeke their life, and and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword: hee shall not spare them, neither haue pitie, nor haue mercy.

8 And vnto this people thou shalt say; Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.

9He that abideth in this citie, shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Caldeans, that besiege you, he shall liue, and his life shall be vnto him, for a pray.

10For I haue set my face against this citie for euill and not for good, saith the Lord; it shall be giuen into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burne it with fire.

11 And touching the house of the king of Iudah, say; Heare yee the word of the Lord.

12Oh house of Dauid, thus saith the Lord, Execute iudgement in the morning, and deliuer him that is spoiled, out of the hand of the oppressour, lest my furie goe out like fire, and burne, that none can quench it, because of the euill of your doings.

13Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rocke of the plaine, saith the Lord, which say, Who shall come downe against vs? or who shall enter into our habitations?

14But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the Lord: and I will kindle a fire in the forrest thereof, and it shall deuoure all things round about it.

II == Jer 37:3 , 7

IV == Isa 13:4

V == Ex 6:6

VII == Deut 28:50 ; 2nd Chr 36:17 ; Jer 37:17 ; 39:5 ; 52:9

VIII == Deut 30:19

IX == Jer 38:2 , 17-18 ; 39:18 ; 45:5

X == Lev 17:10 ; Jer 34:2 , 22 ; 37:10 ; 38:3 , 18 , 23 ; 44:11 ; 52:13 ; Amos 9:4

XII == Ps 101:8 ; Jer 22:3 ; Zech 7:9

XIII == Jer 49:4 ; Ezek 13:8

XIV == 2nd Chr 36:19 ; Prov 1:31 ; Isa 3:10-11 ; Jer 17:20 ; 52:13

1 The message which came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent him Pashhur, son of Malchiah, and the priest Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah, with this request:

2 Inquire for us of the LORD, because Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, is attacking us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all his wonderful works, so that he will withdraw from us.

3 But Jeremiah answered them: This is what you shall report to Zedekiah:

4 Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I will turn back in your hands the weapons with which you intend to fight the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the walls. These weapons I will pile up in the midst of this city,

5 and I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and mighty arm, in anger, and wrath, and great rage!

6 I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they shall die in a great pestilence.

7 After that, says the LORD, I will hand over Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his ministers and the people in this city who survive pestilence, sword, and famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, into the hands of their enemies and those who seek their lives. He shall strike them with the edge of the sword, without quarter, without pity or mercy.

8 And to this people you shall say: Thus says the LORD: See, I am giving you a choice between life and death.

9 Whoever remains in this city shall die by the sword or famine or pestilence. But whoever leaves and surrenders to the besieging Chaldeans shall live and have his life as booty.

10 For I have turned against this city, for its woe and not for its good, says the LORD. It shall be given into the power of the king of Babylon who shall burn it with fire.

11 To the royal house of Judah: Hear the word of the LORD,

12 O house of David! Thus says the LORD: Each morning dispense justice, rescue the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor, Lest my fury break out like fire which burns without being quenched, because of the evil of your deeds.

13 Beware! I am against you, Valley-site, Rock of the Plain, says the LORD. You who say, "Who will attack us, who can penetrate our retreats?"

14 I will punish you, says the LORD, as your deeds deserve! I will kindle a fire in its forest that shall devour all its surroundings

v 1,2. Jeremiah had been renouncing the sins of Judah and urging repentance. Now he names individuals and groups with the certainty of God’s judgment. The kings are not in chronological order. Pashur, son of Malchijah, was not the same as in 20:1, but he tried to get Jeremiah executed,38:1-4. Zephaniah succeeded Jehoiada as a priest second in rank to the high priest, so Zephaniah was second highest religious leader in Judah. He was executed by Nebuchadnezzar after Jerusalem fell, 52:24-27.  Zedekiah probably sought help from Jeremiah as Hezekiah did from Isaiah, Isa. 37:5-7.

v 3-7. But God would fight against Judah and let Babylon inside the walls. Those cowering in the city not dead from plague, famine and sword would be taken captive. King Zedekiah was blinded after he saw his sons killed, 2 Ki. 25:7,  and sent in chains to Babylon, 39:5-7. Other leaders were killed up north at Libnah, 52:24-27.

v 8-10. God gave a clear choice. Those staying in the city would die, those surrendering would live. The princes wanted Jeremiah killed for this prophecy, 38:1-4.

v 11-14. There would have been some respite from God’s wrath if Zedekiah had administered justice, but he thought the city was secure and ignored God’s warning.