1The word that came to Yirmeyahu from יהוה when Sovereign Tsiḏqiyahu sent to him Pashhur son of Malkiyah, and Tsephanyah the son of Ma‛asĕyah, the priest, saying,

2“Please inquire of יהוה on our behalf, for Neḇuḵaḏretstsar sovereign of Baḇel has started fighting against us. It might be that יהוה deals with us according to all His wondrous works, so that he withdraws from us.”

3But Yirmeyahu said to them, “Say this to Tsiḏqiyahu,

4‘Thus said יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, “See, I am turning back the weapons of battle that are in your hands, with which you fight against the sovereign of Baḇel and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the wall. And I shall gather them inside this city.

5“And I Myself shall fight against you with an outstretched hand, and with a strong arm, even in displeasure and rage and great wrath.

6“And I shall smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast – let them die of a great pestilence.

7“And afterward,” declares יהוה, “I give Tsiḏqiyahu sovereign of Yehuḏah, his servants and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence and the sword and the scarcity of food, into the hand of Neḇuḵaḏretstsar sovereign of Baḇel, into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life. And he shall smite them with the edge of the sword. He shall not pardon them, nor spare nor have compassion.” ’

8“You shall also say to this people, ‘Thus said יהוה, “See, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.

9“Whoever stays in this city dies by the sword, by scarcity of food, and by pestilence. But whoever goes out and shall go over to the Chaldeans who besiege you, is going to live, and his life shall be as a prize to him.

10“For I have set My face against this city for evil and not for good,” declares יהוה. “It is given into the hand of the sovereign of Baḇel, and he shall burn it with fire.” ’

11“And to the house of the sovereign of Yehuḏah, say, ‘Hear the word of יהוה,

12‘O house of Dawiḏ! Thus said יהוה, “Render right-ruling in the morning, and deliver him who has been robbed out of the hand of the oppressor, lest My wrath go out like fire and burn, with no one to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds.

13“See, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, rock of the plain,” declares יהוה, “who are saying, ‘Who would come down against us? And who would come into our dwellings?’

14“And I shall punish you according to the fruit of your deeds,” declares יהוה. “And I shall kindle a fire in its forest, and it shall consume all that is around her.” ’ ”