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.”
Jeremias 21
King James Version
1The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,2Enquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.3Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:4Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.5And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.6And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.7And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.8And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.9He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.10For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.11And touching the house of the king of Judah, say , Hear ye the word of the LORD;12O house of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it , because of the evil of your doings.13Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the LORD; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?14But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.