| New King James Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, saying, | 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, |
| 2“Please inquire of the LORD for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon makes war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all His wonderful works, that the king may go away from us.” | 2"Inquire of the LORD on our behalf, since King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us something like all his past wondrous works so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us." |
| 3Then Jeremiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, | 3But Jeremiah answered, "This is what you are to say to Zedekiah: |
| 4‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel: “Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the walls; and I will assemble them in the midst of this city. | 4'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am about to 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. |
| 5I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger and fury and great wrath. | 5I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a strong arm, with anger, rage, and intense wrath. |
| 6I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they shall die of a great pestilence. | 6I will strike the residents of this city, both people and animals. They will die in a severe plague. |
| 7And afterward,” says the LORD, “I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence and the sword and the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life; and he shall strike them with the edge of the sword. He shall not spare them, or have pity or mercy.” ’ | 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 intend to take their lives. He will put them to the sword; he won't spare them or show pity or compassion.' |
| 8“Now you shall say to this people, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. | 8"But tell this people, 'This is what the LORD says: Look, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. |
| 9He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes out and defects to the Chaldeans who besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be as a prize to him. | 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. |
| 10For I have set My face against this city for adversity and not for good,” says the LORD. “It shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.” ’ | 10For I have set my face 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.' |
| 11“And concerning the house of the king of Judah, say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, | 11"And to the house of the king of Judah say this: 'Hear the word of the LORD! |
| 12O house of David! Thus says the LORD: “Execute judgment in the morning; And deliver him who is plundered Out of the hand of the oppressor, Lest My fury go forth like fire And burn so that no one can quench it, Because of the evil of your doings. | 12House of David, this is what the LORD says: Administer justice every morning, and rescue the victim of robbery from his oppressor, or my anger will flare up like fire and burn unquenchably because of your evil deeds. |
| 13“Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, And rock of the plain,” says the LORD, “Who say, ‘Who shall come down against us? Or who shall enter our dwellings?’ | 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?" |
| 14But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings,” says the LORD; “I will kindle a fire in its forest, And it shall devour all things around it.” ’ ” | 14I will punish you according to what you have done--this is the LORD's declaration. I will kindle a fire in your forest that will consume everything around it.'" |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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