הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת ה' בִּשְׁלֹחַ אֵלָיו הַמֶּלֶךְ צִדְקִיָּהוּ אֶת־פַּשְׁחוּר בֶּן־מַלְכִּיָּה וְאֶת־צְפַנְיָה בֶן־מַעֲשֵׂיָה הַכֹּהֵן לֵאמֹר׃

The message that was to Jeremiah from the Lord, when King Tzidkiyahu sent two of his ministers (see 38:1), Pashhur son of Malkiya, who was apparently not Pashhur the Temple official mentioned in the previous chapter (see 20:1), and Tzefanya son of Maaseiya the priest, who was perhaps the individual mentioned later as the deputy High Priest, to him, Jeremiah, saying:

דְּרָשׁ־נָא בַעֲדֵנוּ אֶת ה'כִּי נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל נִלְחָם עָלֵינוּ אוּלַי יַעֲשֶׂה ה' אוֹתָנוּ כְּכָל־נִפְלְאֹתָיו ויַעֲלֶה מֵעָלֵינוּ

Please seek the Lord on our behalf, as you are a prophet, and perhaps you are capable of evoking His mercy, as Nebuchadrezzar, also known as Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, is waging war against us. Perhaps the Lord will act for us in accordance with all His wonders that He has performed, like when the prophet Isaiah prayed on our behalf, the King of Assyria returned to his land and did not conquer Jerusalem. We ask that the same occur for us, and he, Nebuchadnezzar, will withdraw from us.

וַיֹּאמֶר יִרְמְיָהוּ אֲלֵיהֶם כֹּה תֹאמְרֻן אֶל־צִדְקִיָּהוּ׃

Jeremiah said to them: So you shall say to Tzidkiyahu:

כֹּה־אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הִנְנִי מֵסֵב אֶת־כְּלֵי הַמִּלְחָמָה אֲשֶׁר בְּיֶדְכֶם אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם נִלְחָמִים בָּם אֶת מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל וְאֶת־הַכַּשְׂדִּים הַצָּרִים עֲלֵיכֶם מִחוּץ לַחוֹמָה וְאָסַפְתִּי אוֹתָם אֶל־תּוֹךְ הָעִיר הַזֹּאת

So said the Lord, God of Israel: Nebuchadnezzar will not be caused to return. Rather, behold, I am redirecting the weapons of war that are in your hands, that you are now waging war with them against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. Your weapons will not be directed against the enemy, but against you. And I will gather them, the Chaldeans, or the weapons, into the midst of this city.

וְנִלְחַמְתִּי אֲנִי אִתְּכֶם בְּיָד נְטוּיָה וּבִזְרוֹעַ חֲזָקָה וּבְאַף וּבְחֵמָה וּבְקֶצֶף גָּדוֹל

I will make war with you Myself, with an outstretched hand and with a mighty arm and with wrath and with fury and with great rage.

וְהִכֵּיתִי אֶת־יוֹשְׁבֵי הָעִיר הַזֹּאת וְאֶת־הָאָדָם וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָה בְּדֶבֶר גָּדוֹל יָמֻתוּ

I will smite the inhabitants of this city, the people and the animals; in a great pestilence they will die.

וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵן נְאֻם־ה' אֶתֵּן אֶת־צִדְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה וְאֶת־עֲבָדָיו וְאֶת־הָעָם וְאֶת־הַנִּשְׁאָרִים בָּעִיר הַזֹּאת מִן־הַדֶּבֶר מִן־הַחֶרֶב וּמִן־הָרָעָב – בְּיַד נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וּבְיַד אֹיְבֵיהֶם וּבְיַד מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשָׁם וְהִכָּם לְפִי־חֶרֶב לֹא־יָחוּס עֲלֵיהֶם וְלֹא יַחְמֹל וְלֹא יְרַחֵם

Thereafter – the utterance of the Lord – I will deliver Tzidkiyahu king of Judah and his servants and the people and the survivors in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and possibly from the infighting between different factions of the people, and from hunger, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of the seekers of their life. He, Nebuchadrezzar, will smite them by sword; he will not spare them, and he will not have compassion, and he will not have mercy. The ministers requested of Jeremiah to pray on their behalf; instead, he informs them that death and destruction await them.

וְאֶל־הָעָם הַזֶּה תֹּאמַר כֹּה אָמַר ה' הִנְנִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם אֶת־דֶּרֶךְ הַחַיִּים וְאֶת־דֶּרֶךְ הַמָּוֶת

And to this people in the city you shall say: So said the Lord: Behold, I am placing before you the way of life and the way of death.

הַיֹּשֵׁב בָּעִיר הַזֹּאת יָמוּת בַּחֶרֶב וּבָרָעָב וּבַדָּבֶר וְהַיּוֹצֵא וְנָפַל עַל הַכַּשְׂדִּים הַצָּרִים עֲלֵיכֶם וְחָיָה וְהָיְתָה־לּוֹ נַפְשׁוֹ לְשָׁלָל

He who stays in this city will die by the sword and by hunger and by pestilence; but he who goes out from the city and submits to the Chaldeans who besiege you will live, and he will have his life as spoils; his life will be spared.

כִּי־שַׂמְתִּי פָנַי בָּעִיר הַזֹּאת לְרָעָה וְלֹא לְטוֹבָה נְאֻם־ה' בְּיַד מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל תִּנָּתֵן וּשְׂרָפָהּ בָּאֵשׁ

For I have directed My attention to this city for harm and not for benefit – the utterance of the Lord; into the hand of the king of Babylon it will be delivered, and he will burn it in fire.

וּלְבֵית מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה שִׁמְעוּ דְּבַר־ה'

And to the house of the king of Judah you shall say: Hear the word of the Lord.

בֵּית דָּוִד כֹּה אָמַר ה'דִּינוּ לַבֹּקֶר מִשְׁפָּט וְהַצִּילוּ גָזוּל מִיַּד עוֹשֵׁק פֶּן־תֵּצֵא כָאֵשׁ חֲמָתִי וּבָעֲרָה וְאֵין מְכַבֶּה מִפְּנֵי רֹעַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶם

House of David, so said the Lord: Execute justice in the morning, justice before anything else, and rescue the robbed from the hand of the exploiter, one who uses his status or power to prevent others from receiving their due, lest My anger spread like fire and burn, and there is no one to extinguish it, due to the evil of your actions. This is not a punishment merely for past misdeeds; even now you continue to perpetrate evil.

הִנְנִי אֵלַיִךְ יֹשֶׁבֶת הָעֵמֶק צוּר הַמִּישֹׁר נְאֻם־ה' הָאֹמְרִים מִי־יֵחַת עָלֵינוּ וּמִי יָבוֹא בִּמְעוֹנוֹתֵינוּ !

Behold, I am against you, Jerusalem, inhabitant of the valley, surrounded by valleys, resting on the rock of the plain, positioned on a rocky hill that rises from its surroundings – the utterance of the Lord. Jerusalem, do not place your confidence in your topographical advantages, like those inhabitants of Jerusalem who say: Who will descend upon us, and who will enter our abodes to harm us?

וּפָקַדְתִּי עֲלֵיכֶם כִּפְרִי מַעַלְלֵיכֶם נְאֻם־ה' וְהִצַּתִּי אֵשׁ בְּיַעְרָהּ וְאָכְלָה כָּל־סְבִיבֶיהָ

I will reckon with you and exact retribution in accordance with the fruit of your actions – the utterance of the Lord – and I will ignite a fire in its forest, the forest adjacent to Jerusalem, and it, the fire, will consume all its environs.