1Kong Zidkija sendte senere Pashhur, Malkijas søn, og præsten Sefanja, Ma’asejas søn, til Jeremias med følgende anmodning:2„Bed Herren om at hjælpe os, for kong Nebukadnezar af Babylonien har belejret byen. Forhåbentlig vil Herren være barmhjertig og gøre et mirakel som i gamle dage, så Nebukadnezar bliver tvunget til at trække sine tropper tilbage.”3-4Jeremias svarede: „Gå tilbage til kong Zidkija med denne besked fra Herren, Israels Gud: Jeg vil sørge for, at dine krigere, som netop nu kæmper imod den babyloniske konge og hans hær, må give op og flygte tilbage ind i byen.5Jeg kæmper personligt imod jer med min vældige magt, for min vrede er stor.6Jeg vil lade en epidemi bryde ud i byen, så både mennesker og dyr omkommer.7Derefter vil jeg overgive kong Zidkija, hans embedsmænd og de overlevende indbyggere til kong Nebukadnezar, som vil slå dem ned uden medfølelse eller barmhjertighed.8Endvidere siger Herren til sit folk: Jeg stiller jer over for et valg. Vil I dø eller leve?9De, som bliver i Jerusalem, vil dø i kampen, eller på grund af sult eller sygdom. Men de, som går ud og overgiver sig til babylonierne, vil overleve.10Jeg har besluttet at bringe en katastrofe over denne by, siger Herren. Den babyloniske konge vil indtage den og brænde den ned til grunden.11-12Og til Judas konge siger Herren: Vær altid retfærdig overfor dine undersåtter. Hjælp dem, som bliver bestjålet eller uretfærdigt behandlet. Gør, hvad der er det rigtige, ellers vil min vrede blusse op imod dig som en fortærende ild på grund af alle dine synder.13Jeg vil kæmpe imod Jerusalem, den stolte by, der praler af at være uindtagelig og sikker på bjergets top.14Jeg vil selv straffe dig for dit oprør og dine onde handlinger, siger Herren. Jeg sætter ild til dit fornemme palads,[1] og alt, hvad der er i nærheden, skal brændes op.”
1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, (2.Kong 25,18; 2.Krøn 34,8; Jer 20,1; Jer 29,25; Jer 35,4; Jer 37,3)2“Inquire of the Lord for us, for Nebuchadnezzar[1] king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us.” (2.Kong 25,1; Salm 105,2; Salm 105,5; Jer 37,7)3Then Jeremiah said to them: “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah,4‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city. (Es 13,4; Jer 32,5; Jer 37,10)5I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath. (2.Mos 6,6; 5.Mos 4,34; 5.Mos 29,28; Jer 27,5; Jer 32,17; Jer 32,21; Jer 32,37; Ez 20,33)6And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence.7Afterward, declares the Lord, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword. He shall not pity them or spare them or have compassion.’ (5.Mos 28,50; 2.Krøn 36,17; Jer 37,17; Jer 39,5; Jer 52,9; Ez 5,11)8“And to this people you shall say: ‘Thus says the Lord: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. (5.Mos 30,15; 5.Mos 30,19; Jer 38,2)9He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live and shall have his life as a prize of war. (Jer 15,2; Jer 37,13; Jer 39,18; Jer 45,5)10For I have set my face against this city for harm and not for good, declares the Lord: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.’ (3.Mos 20,3; 3.Mos 20,5; 2.Krøn 36,19; Salm 34,16; Jer 14,11; Jer 21,7; Jer 34,2; Jer 37,8; Jer 37,10; Jer 38,17; Jer 38,23; Jer 39,8; Jer 44,11; Jer 52,13; Ez 14,8; Amos 9,4)
Message to the House of David
11“And to the house of the king of Judah say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord,12O house of David! Thus says the Lord: “Execute justice in the morning, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed, lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of your evil deeds.’” (Salm 101,8; Jer 4,4; Jer 22,3; Jer 22,16; Zak 7,9)13“Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, O rock of the plain, declares the Lord; you who say, ‘Who shall come down against us, or who shall enter our habitations?’ (Jer 21,10; Jer 49,4; Ez 13,8)14I will punish you according to the fruit of your deeds, declares the Lord; I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all that is around her.” (Ord 1,31; Es 3,10; Jer 9,25; Ez 20,47)