1 ¶ The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to him, saying,

2 Please consult the LORD for us; because Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon is waging war against us; perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds, and make him withdraw from us.

3 Then Jeremiah said to them, Tell Zedekiah this:

4 The LORD God of Israel says; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war which are in your hands, with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon, and the Chaldeans, who besiege you outside the walls, and I will bring them into the middle of this city.

5 And I will myself fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.

6 And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they will die in a great plague.

7 And afterward, says the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and those in this city who have survived the pestilence, the sword, and the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life: and he will strike them down with the edge of the sword; he will not spare them, or have pity, or mercy.

8 ¶ And you will say to these people, The LORD says; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.

9 He who remains in this city will die by the sword, or by famine, or by pestilence: but he who leaves, and surrenders to the Chaldeans who besiege you, will live, and will get away with his life.

10 For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, says the LORD: it will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.

11 And touching the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear the word of the LORD;

12 O house of David, thus says the LORD; Execute justice in the morning, and deliver him who is being robbed out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn in a way that no one can put it out, because of the evil of your doings.

13 Behold, I am against you, Who sit above the valley, and rocky plateau, says the LORD; who say, Who can come down against us? or who can enter our homes?

14 But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, says the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in your forest, that will consume everything around it.