Jeremiah 21

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malchiah tohim, with the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, to say this,	1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when king Zedekiah sent Pashhur, the son of Malchiah, and Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to him, saying:
2 'Please consult Yahweh for us, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war on us: perhapsYahweh wil work one of his many miracles for us and force him to withdraw.'	2 “Question the Lord on our behalf, for Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, is fighting against us. Perhaps it may be that the Lord will act toward us according to all his wonders, and he may withdraw from us.”
3 Jeremiah said to them, 'Take this answer to Zedekiah,	3 And Jeremiah said to them: “This is what you shall say to Zedekiah:
4 "Yahweh, God of Israel, says this: I shal bring back the weapons of war which you are now carrying,and with which you are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chaldaeans now besieging you; from outside thewal s, I shal stack them in the centre of this city.	4 Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans, who besiege you at the surrounding walls. And I will gather these things together in the midst of this city.
5 And I shal fight against you myself with outstretched hand and mighty arm, in anger, fury and greatwrath.	5 And I myself will make war against you: with an outstretched hand, and with a strong arm, and in fury, and in indignation, and in great wrath.
6 I shal strike down the inhabitants of this city, human and animal; they will die of a great plague.	6 And I will strike the inhabitants of this city; men and beasts will die from a great pestilence.
7 Then, Yahweh declares, I shall deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials, the people and those ofthis city who have escaped the plague, the sword, or the famine, into the clutches of Nebuchadnezzar king ofBabylon, into the clutches of their enemies and into the clutches of those determined to kill them; mercilessly,relentlessly, pitilessly, he wil put them to the sword."	7 And afterward, thus says the Lord: I will give Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and his servants, and his people, and those who have been left behind in this city after pestilence and the sword and famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their lives. And he will strike them with the edge of the sword. And he will not waver, and he will not be lenient, and he will not take pity.
8 'And you must say to this people, "Yahweh says this: Look, I offer you a choice between the way of lifeand the way of death.	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.
9 Anyone who stays in this city wil die by sword, by famine, or by plague; but anyone who leaves it andsurrenders to the Chaldaeans now besieging you will live; he wil escape with his life.	9 Whoever lives in this city will die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence. But whoever will have departed and fled away to the Chaldeans, who besiege you, will live, and his life will be to him like a spoil.
10 For I am determined on disaster, and not prosperity, for this city, Yahweh declares. It wil be handedover to the king of Babylon, and he wil burn it down." '	10 For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, says the Lord. It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.
11 To the royal House of Judah. Listen to the word of Yahweh,	11 And to the house of the king of Judah, you shall say: Listen to the word of the Lord,
12 House of David! Yahweh says this: Each morning give fair judgement, rescue anyone who has beenwronged from the hands of his oppressor, or else my wrath will leap out like a fire, it wil burn and no one will beable to quench it, because of the wickedness of your actions.	12 O house of David! Thus says the Lord: Judge with judgment from early morning, and rescue anyone who is oppressed by violence from the hand of a false accuser. Otherwise, my indignation may go forth like a fire, and may flare up, and there will be no one who can extinguish it, because of the evil of your intentions.
13 My quarrel is with you, resident of the val ey, Rock-in-the-Plain, Yahweh declares, with you that say,'Who would dare attack us and enter our lairs?'	13 Behold, I am against you, O inhabitants of a valley with firm and level ground, says the Lord. And you say: ‘Who can strike us? And who can enter into our houses?’
14 I shal punish you as your actions deserve, Yahweh declares, I shal set fire to its forest and it willdevour all around it.	14 But I will visit against you according to the fruit of your intentions, says the Lord. And I will kindle a fire in its forest. And it shall devour everything around it.”