The Lord Will Fight against Jerusalem

¹King Zedekiah of Judah sent for Pashhur son of Malchiah and for a priest named Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. Then he told them, “Talk with Jeremiah for me.”[#21.1 See the note at 1.3.]

So they came to me and said,

²“King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia has attacked Judah. Please ask the Lord to work miracles for our people, as he has done in the past, so that Nebuchadnezzar will leave us alone.”[#2 K 25.1-11; 2 Ch 36.17-21.; #21.2 Ruled 605–562 b.c.]

^3-4-5-6-7I told them that the Lord God of Israel had told me to say to King Zedekiah:

⁸Then I told them that the Lord had said:[#4 Macc 15.2.]

The Lord Warns the King of Judah

*

¹¹Pay attention, you that belong

to the royal family.

¹²Each new day, make sure

that justice is done,

and rescue those

who are being robbed.

Or else my anger will flame up

like a fire that never goes out.

¹³Jerusalem,

from your mountaintop

you look out over the valleys

and think you are safe.

But I, the Lord , am angry,

¹⁴and I will punish you

as you deserve.

I'll set your palace on fire,

and everything around you

will go up in smoke.