Jeremiah 21

King James Version

Full text for Jeremiah Chapter 21

1¶ The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, 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.

8¶ And 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

King Zedekiah sought Jeremiah's counsel regarding Nebuchadrezzar's siege, hoping for divine intervention. However, the Lord declared He would fight against Jerusalem, bringing pestilence, sword, and famine upon its inhabitants. The people were given a stark choice: remain and die, or surrender to the Chaldeans and live. God also warned the house of David to administer justice, lest His wrath consume the city.

Medium Summary

When King Zedekiah inquired of Jeremiah concerning Nebuchadrezzar's war, hoping for the Lord's miraculous intervention, Jeremiah delivered a severe message from God. The Lord proclaimed that He would not fight for Judah, but against them, turning their weapons back and assembling the besieging Chaldeans within the city. God Himself would smite Jerusalem with an outstretched hand, bringing great pestilence upon man and beast. King Zedekiah and the survivors would be delivered mercilessly into the hands of Nebuchadrezzar. Furthermore, the Lord presented the people with a choice between life and death: those who remained in the city would perish by sword, famine, and pestilence, while those who surrendered to the Chaldeans would preserve their lives. God affirmed His intent to bring evil upon Jerusalem, which would be burned with fire. Finally, the Lord admonished the house of David to execute justice and deliver the oppressed, warning that His unquenchable fury would otherwise consume them due to their wicked deeds.

Long Summary

King Zedekiah, facing the siege of Nebuchadrezzar, dispatched Pashur and Zephaniah to the prophet Jeremiah, seeking divine counsel. The king hoped the Lord would intervene with His "wondrous works" to cause the Babylonian army to withdraw. Jeremiah, however, conveyed a grim message from the Lord God of Israel. God declared that He would turn back the weapons of Judah, effectively aiding the Chaldeans by bringing them into the heart of Jerusalem. The Lord Himself vowed to fight against the city with an "outstretched hand and with a strong arm," in great anger, fury, and wrath. This divine judgment would manifest as a devastating pestilence, smiting both man and beast within the city. Following this, King Zedekiah, his servants, and any survivors of the pestilence, sword, and famine would be delivered into the merciless hands of Nebuchadrezzar, who would show no pity or mercy. To the general populace, the Lord presented a stark choice: "the way of life, and the way of death." Remaining within the besieged city meant certain death by sword, famine, and pestilence. In contrast, those who went out and surrendered to the Chaldeans would live, their lives being preserved as a "prey." The Lord explicitly stated He had set His face against Jerusalem for evil, not for good, affirming that the city would be given to the king of Babylon and consumed by fire. Finally, a specific word was directed to the "house of the king of Judah," the house of David. They were commanded to "execute judgment in the morning" and deliver the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor. Failure to do so would ignite God's fury like an unquenchable fire, consuming them because of their evil doings. The Lord also addressed the confident inhabitants of Jerusalem, who felt secure in their location, declaring He would punish them according to their deeds and kindle a destructive fire within their "forest."

Core Concepts

  • Divine OppositionGod declares He will fight against Jerusalem, turning their own weapons back and bringing the Chaldeans into the city, rather than delivering Judah from their enemies.
  • Judgment by PestilenceThe Lord states He will smite the inhabitants of Jerusalem, both man and beast, with a great pestilence as a direct act of His anger and wrath.
  • Surrender for LifeThe people are offered a choice: those who remain in the city will die by sword, famine, and pestilence, but those who surrender to the Chaldeans will live.
  • Merciless DeliveranceKing Zedekiah and the survivors are destined to be delivered into the hands of Nebuchadrezzar, who will show them no pity, mercy, or sparing.
  • Jerusalem's DestructionGod explicitly states His intent to bring evil upon Jerusalem, ensuring its capture by the king of Babylon and its ultimate burning with fire.
  • Call for JusticeThe house of David is commanded to execute judgment and deliver the oppressed, with a warning that failure to do so will provoke God's unquenchable fury.