1. This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying,
2. “Inquire of the Lord for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us.”
3. Then Jeremiah said to them: “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah,
4. ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city.
5. I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath.
6. And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence.