God Denies Zedekiah’s Request
Jeremiah 21The word came to Jeremiah from YHWH, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchijah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, saying, “Please inquire of YHWH for us, because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is warring against us. Perhaps YHWH will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, so that he will withdraw from us.”
Then Jeremiah said to them, “Y’all are to tell Zedekiah: ‘YHWH, the God of Israel says, “I am about to turn against y’all the weapons of war that are in your* hands, that y’all are using to fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans who besiege y’all outside the walls. I will gather them into the middle of this city. I myself will fight against y’all with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, in anger, wrath, and intense indignation. I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both human and animal. They will die of a great pestilence. Afterward,” says YHWH, “I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants, and the people, even those who are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life. He will strike them with the edge of the sword. He will not spare them, have pity, or have mercy.”’
“You are to say to this people, ‘YHWH says: “Look! I am setting before y’all the way of life and the way of death. Whoever remains in this city will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who besiege y’all, they will live and escape with their life. For I have set my face against this city for disaster, and not for good,” says YHWH. “It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.”’
“Concerning the house of the king of Judah, y’all must listen the word of YHWH: House of David, YHWH says,
‘Y’all must administer justice every morning, and deliver the person who has been robbed from the hand of the oppressor, or else my wrath go out like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the their evil deeds. Look! I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, and of the rock of the plain,’ says YHWH. ‘You that say, “Who would come down against us?” or, “Who would enter into our homes?” I will punish y’all according to the fruit of your* deeds, says YHWH; and I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it will devour all that is around her.’”