Jeremiah21

King James Version · Public Domain

TranslationKJV WEB ASV ESV NIV NASB NKJV NLT

¹The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Malchijah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,

²Enquire, I pray thee, of the Lord for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the Lord will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.

³Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:

⁴Thus saith the Lord 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, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.

⁵And 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.

⁶And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.

⁷And afterward, saith the Lord, 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 mercy.

⁸And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.

⁹He 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 to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.

¹⁰For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the Lord: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

¹¹And touching the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear ye the word of the Lord;

¹²O house of David, thus saith the Lord; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

¹³Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the Lord; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?

¹⁴But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the Lord: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Jeremiah 21.

Full AI study →

Chapter Summary

In this chapter: The only way of deliverance is to be surrendering to the Babylonians. (1-10). The wickedness of the king and his household. (11-14).

vv1-10

When the siege had begun, Zedekiah sent to ask of Jeremiah respecting the event. In times of distress and danger, men often seek those to counsel and pray for them, whom, at other times, they despise and oppose; but they only seek deliverance from punishment. When professors continue in disobedience, presuming upon outward privileges, let them be told that the Lord will prosper his open enemies against them. As the king and his princes would not surrender, the people are exhorted to do so. No sinner on earth is left without a Refuge, who really desires one; but the way of life is humbling, it requires self-denial, and exposes to difficulties.

vv11-14

The wickedness of the king and his family was the worse because of their relation to David. They were urged to act with justice, at once, lest the Lord's anger should be unquenchable. If God be for us, who can be against us? But if he be against us, who can do any thing for us?

Key Words

wordH1697Hebrew

דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause

thatH834Hebrew

אֲשֶׁר: who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.

JeremiahH3414Hebrew

יִרְמְיָה: Jirmejah, the name of eight or nine Israelites

fromH4480Hebrew

מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses

KingH4428Hebrew

מֶלֶךְ: a king

ZedekiahH6667Hebrew

צִדְקִיָּה: Tsidkijah, the name of six Israelites

sentH7971Hebrew

שָׁלַח: to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)

PashhurH6583Hebrew

פַּשְׁחוּר: Pashchur, the name of four Israelites

sonH1121Hebrew

בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)

MalchiahH4441Hebrew

מַלְכִּיָּה: Malkijah, the name of ten Israelites