1 The word which came unto Jeremiah (Yirmeyahu) from יהוה, when King Zedekiah (Tsidqiyahu) sent unto him Pashur the son of Malkiyah, and Zephaniah (Tsefanyah) the son of Maaseyah the priest (kohen), saying,

2 “Enquire, please, of יהוה for us; for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon (Bavel) maketh war against us; if so be that יהוה will deal with us according to all His wondrous works, that he may go up from us.”

3 Then said Jeremiah (Yirmeyahu) unto them, “Thus shall you say to Zedekiah (Tsidqiyahu);

4 Thus saith יהוה God of Israel (Elohei Yisrael): “Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith you fight against the king of Babylon (Bavel), and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you outside the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.

5 And 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.

6 And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they shall die of a great pestilence.

7 “And afterward,” saith יהוה, “I will deliver Zedekiah (Tsidqiyahu) king of Judah (Yehudah), 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 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon (Bavel), 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.

8 And unto this people you shalt say, ‘Thus saith יהוה: “Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.

9 “He 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.

10 For I have set My face against this city for adversity, and not for good,” saith יהוה. “It shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon (Bavel), and he shall burn it with fire.”’

11 “And touching the house of the king of Judah (Yehudah), say, ‘Hear you the word of יהוה;

12 O house of Dawid, thus saith יהוה: “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.

13 Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain,” saith יהוה, “Who say, ‘Who shall come down against us? Or who shall enter into our habitations?’

14 But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith יהוה; “and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.”’”