Jeremiah 21 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
Around 588 BC, during Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Jerusalem, about twenty years after the temple sermon
Location
Jerusalem, encircled by the Babylonian army
Audience
King Zedekiah and his court, and through them the trapped population of the city
Situation
With the Babylonian army camped outside the walls, King Zedekiah sends two officials to ask Jeremiah whether God will perform another rescue. The answer is that God is fighting on the other side, and that anyone who leaves the city and surrenders will live while anyone who stays will die.
Key Background
Zedekiah had been installed by Nebuchadnezzar as a client king after the deportation of 597 BC and then rebelled, which under the terms of such an arrangement made the siege a punitive campaign against a treaty-breaker. The king's hope rests on the memory of 701 BC, when an Assyrian siege of Jerusalem lifted without the city falling, and the request for a repeat is exactly what Jeremiah refuses. Telling citizens to defect was treason under any siege law and explains why Jeremiah was later accused of desertion, while the phrase about escaping with your life as a prize is a soldier's expression for surviving a lost battle with nothing but yourself.
This is the that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh when King sent son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to him, saying,
"Please on because king of Babylon is waging war against us. Maybe will do for us, like all the incredible things he's done before, and make him pull back from us."
But Jeremiah told them, "Go back and tell Zedekiah this:"
"This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: I'm about to turn the in your hands against you — the ones you're using to fight the king of Babylon and the besieging you outside the walls — and I will gather them all into the center of this city."
"And I myself will fight against you with an and a with and
"I will strike down everyone living in this city — both people and animals. They will die from a terrible
"After that — this is — I will Zedekiah king of Judah, along with his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague, the war, and the famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, to their enemies, and to those who want them dead. He will them down with the He won't feel sorry for them, he won't spare them, and he won't show them any mercy."
"And to the people of this city, say: This is what Yahweh says — Look, I'm putting in front of you: the path that leads to life, and the path that leads to death."
"Anyone who stays in this city will die — by the sword, by famine, or by plague. But anyone who leaves and to the Babylonians besieging you will live. They'll with their and
"Because I have my this city to bring disaster, not good — this is Yahweh's declaration. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it to the ground."
"And to the of Judah, say: Listen to what Yahweh has to say!"
of — this is what Yahweh says: Administer every morning! Rescue people who are being from those who are exploiting them. Otherwise, my fury will break out like fire and burn with no one able to put it out — because of the evil things you've been doing."
"Look — I'm against you, you who the you of the — this is Yahweh's declaration. You who say, 'Who could possibly come down against us? Who could break into our
"I will you as — this is Yahweh's declaration. I will set fire to her and it will devour everything around her."