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.
3¶ Then 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.
8¶ 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. 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.
11¶ And 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.21.12 Execute: Heb. Judge 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?21.13 inhabitant: Heb. inhabitress 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.21.14 punish: Heb. visit upon
預言耶路撒冷的淪陷
1西底迦王派瑪基雅的兒子巴施戶珥和瑪西雅的兒子西番雅祭司來見耶利米的時候，耶利米聽到了耶和華的話。當時，他們對耶利米說： 2「請你為我們求問耶和華，因為巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒來攻打我們，或許耶和華會像以往一樣行神蹟，使敵人撤軍。」
3耶利米對他們說：「你們要告訴西底迦， 4以色列的上帝耶和華說，『看啊，你們與圍城的巴比倫王及其率領的迦勒底人作戰，我要把你們的兵器掉轉過來，我要把它們收集在城中心。 5我要在烈怒中伸出大能的臂膀下手擊打你們， 6我要擊打這城裡的居民和牲畜，使他們死於瘟疫。 7然後，我要把猶大王西底迦及其臣僕以及城中逃過瘟疫、戰爭和饑荒的人都交給巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒等仇敵，使他們落在想殺滅他們的人手中。巴比倫王必殘酷無情地殺戮他們。這是耶和華說的。』
8「耶利米啊，你要告訴百姓，『耶和華說，看啊，我把生命之路和死亡之路擺在你們面前， 9留在這城裡的必死於戰爭、饑荒和瘟疫，出城向迦勒底人投降的必保全性命、逃過一死。 10我必嚴懲這城，向它降禍不降福。它必落在巴比倫王手中，被付之一炬。這是耶和華說的。』
11「你要對猶大的王室說，『你們要聽耶和華的話。 12大衛家啊，耶和華說，
『你們要天天秉公行義，
從壓迫者手中解救受剝削的人，
免得你們的惡行激起我的怒火，
如烈焰燃起，無人能滅。
13耶和華說，耶路撒冷啊，
你座落在山谷之上，
如平原的磐石，
自以為無人能攻擊你，
無人能闖入你的住處。
但我要攻擊你，
14照你的所作所為懲罰你；
我要點燃你的樹林，
燒光你周圍的一切。
這是耶和華說的。』」
