God Spurns Jerusalem
Jeremiah 21, verse 1. The word came from the Lord to Jeremiah, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Melchiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest. Jeremiah 21, verse 2. They said to him, “Inquire of the Lord for us—for the king of Babylon besieges us—if the Lord will act according to all His wonderful works, and the king will depart from us.” Jeremiah 21, verse 3. Jeremiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, king of Judah, Jeremiah 21, verse 4. ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I turn back your weapons of war to gather them in the midst of this city, weapons with which you wage war against the Chaldeans, who shut you in from outside the wall. Jeremiah 21, verse 5. For I will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a powerful arm, with anger and wrath and with great provocation. Jeremiah 21, verse 6. I will strike all the inhabitants of this city, men and cattle, with a great death. Indeed they shall die. Jeremiah 21, verse 7. After this,” says the Lord, “I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants, and the people left in this city from death and from famine and sword, into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives. They shall cut them down with the edge of the sword. I shall not spare them nor have compassion upon them.’” Jeremiah 21, verse 8. “Now you shall say to this people, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. Jeremiah 21, verse 9. He who remains in this city shall die by sword and famine, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans who shut you in, he shall live. His life shall be as booty to him, and he shall live. Jeremiah 21, verse 10. For I have set My face against this city for calamities and not for good things. It shall be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.’”
A Word to the House of David
Jeremiah 21, verse 11. “O house of the king of Judah, hear the word of the Lord: Jeremiah 21, verse 12. ‘O house of David, thus says the Lord: “Bring about judgment early in the morning, and act uprightly, and deliver him who is plundered from the hand of the one who wrongs him, lest My wrath be kindled like fire that shall burn with no one to quench it. Jeremiah 21, verse 13. Behold, I am against you who dwell in the valley of Sor, in the plain, who say, ‘Who will terrify us?’ Or, ‘Who shall enter our dwelling?’ Jeremiah 21, verse 14. For I will kindle a fire in its woods and it shall devour all things round about it.”’”