New Living Translation

Darby Bible Translation

No Deliverance from Babylon

The LORD spoke through Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malkijah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, to speak with him. They begged Jeremiah,

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Jerusalem will Fall to Babylon

The word that came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Malchijah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, saying,

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“Please speak to the LORD for us and ask him to help us. King Nebuchadnezzara of Babylon is attacking Judah. Perhaps the LORD will be gracious and do a mighty miracle as he has done in the past. Perhaps he will force Nebuchadnezzar to withdraw his armies.”

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Inquire, I pray thee, of Jehovah for us; for Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that Jehovah will deal with us according to all his marvellous works, that he may go up from us.

3

Jeremiah replied, “Go back to King Zedekiah and tell him,

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And Jeremiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:

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‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I will make your weapons useless against the king of Babylon and the Babyloniansb who are outside your walls attacking you. In fact, I will bring your enemies right into the heart of this city.

4

Thus saith Jehovah the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans who besiege you, outside the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.

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I myself will fight against you with a strong hand and a powerful arm, for I am very angry. You have made me furious!

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And I myself will fight against you with a stretched-out hand, and with a strong arm, and in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.

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I will send a terrible plague upon this city, and both people and animals will die.

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

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And after all that, says the LORD, I will hand over King Zedekiah, his staff, and everyone else in the city who survives the disease, war, and famine. I will hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and to their other enemies. He will slaughter them and show them no mercy, pity, or compassion.’

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And afterwards, saith Jehovah, I will give 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 the 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.

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“Tell all the people, ‘This is what the LORD says: Take your choice of life or death!

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And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.

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Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who go out and surrender to the Babylonians will live. Their reward will be life!

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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 deserteth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.

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For I have decided to bring disaster and not good upon this city, says the LORD. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon, and he will reduce it to ashes.’

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

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Judgment on Judah’s Kings

“Say to the royal family of Judah, ‘Listen to this message from the LORD!

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Message to the House of David

And touching the house of the king of Judah, hear ye the word of Jehovah.

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This is what the LORD says to the dynasty of David:
“‘Give justice each morning to the people you judge!
Help those who have been robbed;
rescue them from their oppressors.
Otherwise, my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire
because of all your sins.

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House of David, thus saith Jehovah: Judge with justice in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go forth like fire and burn, and there be none to quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

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I will personally fight against the people in Jerusalem,
that mighty fortress —
the people who boast, “No one can touch us here.
No one can break in here.”

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Behold, I am against thee, inhabitress of the valley, the rock of the plain, saith Jehovah; ye that say, Who shall come down against us, or who shall enter into our dwellings?

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And I myself will punish you for your sinfulness,
says the LORD.
I will light a fire in your forests
that will burn up everything around you.’”

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And I will visit you according to the fruit of your doings, saith Jehovah; and I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all that is round about her.

Parallel

New Living Translation

Darby Bible Translation

Jeremiah 21

Jeremiah 21