1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD {YHWH, Covenant LORD} when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malkiah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest to him, saying {le’emor: to declare},
2 Please inquire of the LORD {YHWH, Faithful Protector} on our behalf, because Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon {bavel: imperial capital} is waging war against us; perhaps He will act on our behalf according to all His wonders, and cause him to withdraw from us.
3 Jeremiah said to them, “This {koh: formulaic introduction} is what you are to say to Zedekiah {Tsidqiyahu: Righteous is YHWH}.”
4 Thus says the LORD God of Israel {YHWH Elohei Yisraʼel, National Covenant-Keeper}: Behold, I am turning back the weapons of war {kelei hammilchamah: implements of battle} that are in your hands, with which you fight the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the wall, and I will gather them into the midst of this city.
5 I {YHWH, Sovereign Warrior} will myself wage war against you with an outstretched hand and a powerful arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath {ketsef: intense indignation}.
6 I {YHWH, Sovereign Judge} will strike the inhabitants {yoshvei: dwellers} of this city—both people and animals—and they will die by a great pestilence.
7 After this declares the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Judge}, I will hand over Zedekiah, king of Judah, his servants, the people, and those remaining in this city who survived the pestilence {dever: fatal disease}, the sword, and the famine into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, into the hands of their enemies, and into the hands of those seeking their lives. He will strike them down with the edge of the sword; he will not spare them, nor will he have compassion, nor will he show mercy.
8 And you shall say to this people, “Thus says the LORD {YHWH, Sovereign Decider}: Look, I am placing before you the way of life and the way of death {mavet: final separation}.”
9 Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans {kasdim: people of Babylon} besieging you will live, and his life will be for him a spoil {shalal: prize of war}.
10 For I have set My face {panai: resolute opposition} against this city for harm and not for good, declares the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Judge}; it will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and it will be consumed by fire.
11 And say to the household of the king of Judah, “Hear the word {devar: authoritative proclamation} of the LORD {YHWH, Supreme Judge}.”
12 O house of David, thus says the LORD {YHWH, Judicial Commander}: Execute justice in the morning {laboker: early daily session}, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the hand of the oppressor, so that my wrath {chamati: fierce indignation} does not go out like fire and burn with none to quench it because of the evil of your deeds.
13 Behold, I am against you, inhabitant of the valley, rock of the plain—declares the LORD {YHWH, Divine Judge}—you who say, “Who will descend against us, and who will enter our dwellings {me'onot: places of habitation}?”
14 I will punish you in keeping with the fruit {kifri: action outcome} of your deeds, declares the LORD {YHWH, Just Judge}; I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it will consume everything around her.