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21.1 'Inquire, I pray thee, of the  for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; peradventure the  will deal with us according to all His wondrous works, that he may go up from us.'

Then said Jeremiah unto them: Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah: Thus saith the, the 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, that besiege you without the walls, and I will gather them into the midst of this city. 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. And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they shall die of a great pestilence. And afterward, saith the, 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 compassion.

And unto this people thou shalt say: Thus saith the : Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. 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 away to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey. For I have set My face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the ; it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

And unto the house of the king of Judah: Hear ye the word of the ; O house of David, thus saith the :


 * Execute justice in the morning,
 * And deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor,
 * Lest My fury go forth like fire,
 * And burn that none can quench it,
 * Because of the evil of your doings.


 * Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley,
 * And rock of the plain, saith the ;
 * Ye that say: 'Who shall come down against us?
 * Or who shall enter into our habitations?'
 * And I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings,
 * Saith the ;
 * And I will kindle a fire in her forest,
 * And it shall devour all that is round about her.

Thus said the : Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word, and say: Hear the word of the, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates. Thus saith the :

Execute ye justice and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor; and do no wrong, do no violence, to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place. For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by