1. This is the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord. This was when King Zedekiah of Judah sent Pashhur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah. They brought a message for Jeremiah.
2. They said to Jeremiah, "Pray to the Lord for us. Ask him what will happen. We want to know, because King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is attacking us. Maybe the Lord will do great things for us, as he did in the past. Maybe he will make Nebuchadnezzar stop attacking us and leave."
3. Then Jeremiah answered Pashhur and Zephaniah. He said, "Tell King Zedekiah:
4. 'This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: You have weapons of war in your hands that you are using to defend yourselves from the Babylonians and their king. But I will make those weapons worthless. "'The army from Babylon is outside the wall all around the city. Soon I will bring that army into Jerusalem.
5. I myself will fight against you people of Judah. I will fight against you with my own powerful hand. I am very angry with you, so I will fight against you with my own powerful arm. I will fight very hard against you and show how angry I am.
6. I will kill everything living in Jerusalem, both people and animals. They will die from terrible sicknesses that will spread all through the city.
7. After that happens,'" says the Lord, "'I will give King Zedekiah of Judah to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I will also give Zedekiah's officials to Nebuchadnezzar. Some of the people in Jerusalem will not die from the terrible sicknesses. Some of them will not be killed with swords. Some of them will not die from hunger. But I will give them to Nebuchadnezzar. I will let Judah's enemy win. Nebuchadnezzar's army wants to kill the people of Judah. So the people of Judah and Jerusalem will be killed with swords. Nebuchadnezzar will not show any mercy. He will not feel sorry for them.'
8. "Also tell this to the people of Jerusalem. 'This is what the Lord says: Understand that I will let you choose to live or die.
9. Anyone who stays in Jerusalem will die by a sword or from hunger or from a terrible sickness. But anyone who goes out of Jerusalem and surrenders to the Babylonians attacking you will live. Only those who leave the city will win anything in this war�their lives!
10. I have decided to make trouble for the city of Jerusalem. I will not help the city!'" This message is from the Lord. "'I will give the city of Jerusalem to the king of Babylon. He will burn it with fire.'
11. "Say this to Judah's royal family: 'Listen to the message from the Lord.
12. Family of David, this is what the Lord says: You must judge people fairly every day. Protect the victims from the criminals. If you don't do that, then I will become very angry. My anger will be like a fire that no one will be able to put out. This will happen because you have done evil things.'
13. "Jerusalem, I am against you. You sit on top of the mountain. You sit like a queen over this valley. You people of Jerusalem say, 'No one can attack us. No one can come into our strong city.' But listen to this message from the Lord.
14. 'You will get the punishment you deserve. I will start a fire in your forests that will completely burn everything around you.'"