YIRMEYAHU 21

1 The word that came to Yirmeyahu from 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 when Sovereign Tsiḏqiyahu sent to him Pashḥur son of Malkiyah, and Tsephanyah the son of Ma’asĕyah, the kohĕn, saying,

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

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

4 ‘Thus said 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 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 Kasdites 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 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, “I give Tsiḏqiyahu sovereign of Yahuḏah, 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 Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar 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 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, “See, I lay 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 Kasdites who besiege you, is going to live, and his life shall be as a prize to him.

10 “For I have turned My face against this city for evil and not for good,” declares 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄. “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 Yahuḏah, ‘Hear the word of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄,

12 ‘O house of Dawiḏ! Thus said 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, “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 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, “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 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄. “And I shall kindle a fire in its forest, and it shall consume all that is around her.” ’ ”