Jeremiah 21
The full text of Jeremiah 21 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Hebrew. Free to read.
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said:
2 "Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is attacking us. Perhaps the LORD will perform wonders for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us."
3 But Jeremiah replied to them: "This is what you are to say to Zedekiah:
4 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you the weapons of war that are in your hands — the ones you are using to fight against the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are besieging you outside the walls. I will gather them into the center of this city.
5 I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and mighty arm in anger, fury, and great wrath.
6 I will strike down those who live in this city — both man and beast. They will die of a terrible plague.
7 After that, declares the LORD, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants, and the people — those who survive the plague, the sword, and the famine — into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, into the hands of their enemies, into the hands of those who seek their lives. He will put them to the sword; he will show them no pity, no mercy, no compassion.'
8 "Furthermore, tell this people: This is what the LORD says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.
9 Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, or plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; their lives will be spared.
10 For I have set my face against this city for harm and not for good, declares the LORD. It will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire."
11 "Furthermore, to the royal house of Judah say: Hear the word of the LORD.
12 House of David, this is what the LORD says:
"Administer justice every morning;
rescue from the hand of the oppressor
the one who has been robbed,
or my wrath will break out like fire
and burn with no one to quench it,
because of your evil deeds."
13 "I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley,
you rock of the plain,
declares the LORD —
you who say, 'Who can come down against us?
Who can enter our dwelling?'
14 I will punish you as your deeds deserve,
declares the LORD.
I will kindle a fire in her forest
that will consume all her surroundings."
Translation notes (9)
- Jeremiah 21:1a This Pashhur is a different person from the Pashhur mentioned in Jeremiah 20:1-6; he is identified as the son of Malkijah, rather than the son of Immer.
- Jeremiah 21:2a The Hebrew word niplāʾōtāyw means "his wonders or miracles." The officials hoped for a repeat of the deliverance that occurred in 701 BC under King Hezekiah, as described in 2 Kings 19, but this time the Lord (YHWH) will not deliver them.
- Jeremiah 21:4a The Hebrew phrase 'ăšer bᵉyedkem refers to the weapons being turned back. God will cause the defense to collapse by bringing combatants inside the city walls, rather than fighting them outside.
- Jeremiah 21:5a Heb. bᵉʾap̄ ûbᵉḥēmāh ûbᵉqeṣep̄ gādôl — three nouns of divine wrath escalating. 'Outstretched arm' = the Exodus formula (Deut 4:34) now inverted against Israel.
- Jeremiah 21:7a Heb. lōʾ-yāḥûs wᵉlōʾ-yaḥmōl wᵉlōʾ yᵉraḥēm — three-fold negation: no pity, no compassion, no mercy. The exact antithesis of the divine attributes (Ex 34:6-7).
- Jeremiah 21:8a 'The way of life and the way of death' — Deuteronomic two-ways theology (Deut 30:15-19) applied now to a specific surrender-or-die decision.
- Jeremiah 21:10a Heb. śamtî pānay — 'I have set/fixed my face'; the idiom of firm divine resolve (cf. Lev 17:10; 20:3). Against Jerusalem now.
- Jeremiah 21:12a The Hebrew phrase šipṭû labbōqer mišpāṭ means 'judge/administer justice in the morning.' Morning was the traditional time for judicial hearings at the city gate, and royal responsibility for justice was considered essential for the kingdom's survival.
- Jeremiah 21:13a The Hebrew phrase yōšebet hāʿēmeq ṣûr hammiššôr means 'dweller of the valley, rock of the plain.' This describes Jerusalem, which was built on hills and confident in its natural defenses.
About this translation
The Trinity Bible Version (TBV) is Trinity Bible's own modern English translation, worked directly from the original Hebrew and honest to the earliest manuscripts. It was completed in 2026 — the most modern English Bible translation — and is exclusive to Trinity Bible. Every chapter, including all of Jeremiah, is free to read here on the web.
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