Jeremiah 21

הַדָּבָ֛ר אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֥ה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה בִּשְׁלֹ֨חַ אֵלָ֜יו הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ צִדְקִיָּ֗הוּ אֶת־פַּשְׁחוּר֙ בֶּן־מַלְכִּיָּ֔ה וְאֶת־צְפַנְיָ֧ה בֶן־מַעֲשֵׂיָ֛ה הַכֹּהֵ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר׃

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said,

The 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,

דְּרָשׁ־נָ֤א בַעֲדֵ֨נוּ֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֛י נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֥ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל נִלְחָ֣ם עָלֵ֑ינוּ אוּלַי֩ יַעֲשֶׂ֨ה יְהוָ֤ה אוֹתָ֨נוּ֙ כְּכָל־נִפְלְאֹתָ֔יו וְיַעֲלֶ֖ה מֵעָלֵֽינוּ׃

“Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is waging war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us something like all His past wonders, so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.”

Enquire, 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.

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם כֹּ֥ה תֹאמְרֻ֖ן אֶל־צִדְקִיָּֽהוּ׃

But Jeremiah answered, “You are to tell Zedekiah that

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

כֹּֽה־אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הִנְנִ֣י מֵסֵב֮ אֶת־כְּלֵ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָה֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּיֶדְכֶם֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתֶּ֜ם נִלְחָמִ֣ים בָּ֗ם אֶת־מֶ֤לֶךְ בָּבֶל֙ וְאֶת־הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים הַצָּרִ֣ים עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם מִח֖וּץ לַֽחוֹמָ֑ה וְאָסַפְתִּ֣י אוֹתָ֔ם אֶל־תּ֖וֹךְ הָעִ֥יר הַזֹּֽאת׃

this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will turn against you the weapons of war in your hands, with which you are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the wall, and I will assemble their forces in the center of this city.

Thus 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.

וְנִלְחַמְתִּ֤י אֲנִי֙ אִתְּכֶ֔ם בְּיָ֥ד נְטוּיָ֖ה וּבִזְר֣וֹעַ חֲזָקָ֑ה וּבְאַ֥ף וּבְחֵמָ֖ה וּבְקֶ֥צֶף גָּדֽוֹל׃

And I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, with anger, fury, and great wrath.

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.

וְהִכֵּיתִ֗י אֶת־יֽוֹשְׁבֵי֙ הָעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֔את וְאֶת־הָאָדָ֖ם וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָ֑ה בְּדֶ֥בֶר גָּד֖וֹל יָמֻֽתוּ׃

I will strike down the residents of this city, both man and beast. They will die in a terrible plague.’

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

וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵ֣ן נְאֻם־יְהוָ֡ה אֶתֵּ֣ן אֶת־צִדְקִיָּ֣הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֣ה וְאֶת־עֲבָדָ֣יו ׀ וְאֶת־הָעָ֡ם וְאֶת־הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֩ בָּעִ֨יר הַזֹּ֜את מִן־הַדֶּ֣בֶר ׀ מִן־הַחֶ֣רֶב וּמִן־הָרָעָ֗ב בְּיַד֙ נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֣ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֔ל וּבְיַד֙ אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔ם וּבְיַ֖ד מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י נַפְשָׁ֑ם וְהִכָּ֣ם לְפִי־חֶ֔רֶב לֹֽא־יָח֣וּס עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א יַחְמֹ֖ל וְלֹ֥א יְרַחֵֽם׃

‘After that,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officers, and the people in this city who survive the plague and sword and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who seek their lives. He will put them to the sword; he will not spare them or show pity or compassion.’

And 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.

וְאֶל־הָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ תֹּאמַ֔ר כֹּ֖ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה הִנְנִ֤י נֹתֵן֙ לִפְנֵיכֶ֔ם אֶת־דֶּ֥רֶךְ הַחַיִּ֖ים וְאֶת־דֶּ֥רֶךְ הַמָּֽוֶת׃

Furthermore, you are to tell this people that this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.

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

הַיֹּשֵׁב֙ בָּעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֔את יָמ֕וּת בַּחֶ֖רֶב וּבָרָעָ֣ב וּבַדָּ֑בֶר וְהַיּוֹצֵא֩ וְנָפַ֨ל עַל־הַכַּשְׂדִּ֜ים הַצָּרִ֤ים עֲלֵיכֶם֙ (יחיה) [וְחָיָ֔ה] וְהָֽיְתָה־לּ֥וֹ נַפְשׁ֖וֹ לְשָׁלָֽל׃

Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who besiege you will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war.

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.

כִּ֣י שַׂ֣מְתִּי פָ֠נַי בָּעִ֨יר הַזֹּ֧את לְרָעָ֛ה וְלֹ֥א לְטוֹבָ֖ה נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה בְּיַד־מֶ֤לֶךְ בָּבֶל֙ תִּנָּתֵ֔ן וּשְׂרָפָ֖הּ בָּאֵֽשׁ׃

For I have set My face against this city to bring disaster and not good, declares the LORD. It will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, who will destroy it with fire.’

For 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.

וּלְבֵית֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֔ה שִׁמְע֖וּ דְּבַר־יְהוָֽה׃

Moreover, tell the house of the king of Judah to hear the word of the LORD.

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

בֵּ֣ית דָּוִ֗ד כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה דִּ֤ינוּ לַבֹּ֨קֶר֙ מִשְׁפָּ֔ט וְהַצִּ֥ילוּ גָז֖וּל מִיַּ֣ד עוֹשֵׁ֑ק פֶּן־תֵּצֵ֨א כָאֵ֜שׁ חֲמָתִ֗י וּבָעֲרָה֙ וְאֵ֣ין מְכַבֶּ֔ה מִפְּנֵ֖י רֹ֥עַ (מעלליהם) [מַעַלְלֵיכֶֽם] ׃

O house of David, this is what the LORD says: ‘Administer justice every morning, and rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor, or My wrath will go forth like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it because of their evil deeds.

O 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.

הִנְנִ֨י אֵלַ֜יִךְ יֹשֶׁ֧בֶת הָעֵ֛מֶק צ֥וּר הַמִּישֹׁ֖ר נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה הָאֹֽמְרִים֙ מִֽי־יֵחַ֣ת עָלֵ֔ינוּ וּמִ֥י יָב֖וֹא בִּמְעוֹנוֹתֵֽינוּ׃

Behold, I am against you who dwell above the valley, atop the rocky plateau—declares the LORD—you who say, “Who can come against us? Who can enter our dwellings?”

Behold, 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?

וּפָקַדְתִּ֧י עֲלֵיכֶ֛ם כִּפְרִ֥י מַעַלְלֵיכֶ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה וְהִצַּ֤תִּי אֵשׁ֙ בְּיַעְרָ֔הּ וְאָכְלָ֖ה כָּל־סְבִיבֶֽיהָ׃

I will punish you as your deeds deserve, declares the LORD. I will kindle a fire in your forest that will consume everything around you.’”

But 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.