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New Living Translation |   | |
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| | Jer 21:1 | The LORD spoke through Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malkijah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, to speak with him. They begged Jeremiah,
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| | Jer 21:2 | "Please ask the LORD to help us. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has begun his attack on Judah. Perhaps the LORD will be gracious and do a mighty miracle as he has done in the past. Perhaps he will force Nebuchadnezzar to withdraw his armies."
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| | Jer 21:3 | Jeremiah replied, "Go back to King Zedekiah and tell him,
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| | Jer 21:4 | 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I will make your weapons useless against the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are attacking you. Yes, I will bring your enemies right into the heart of this city.
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| | Jer 21:5 | I myself will fight against you with great power, for I am very angry. You have made me furious!
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| | Jer 21:6 | I will send a terrible plague upon this city, and both people and animals will die.
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| | Jer 21:7 | And then, says the LORD, even after King Zedekiah, his officials, and everyone else in the city have survived war, famine, and disease, I will hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He will slaughter them all without mercy, pity, or compassion.'
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| | Jer 21:8 | "Tell all the people, 'This is what the LORD says: Take your choice of life or death!
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| | Jer 21:9 | Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who go out and surrender to the Babylonians will live.
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| | Jer 21:10 | For I have decided to bring disaster and not good upon this city, says the LORD. It will be captured by the king of Babylon, and he will reduce it to ashes.'
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| | Jer 21:11 | "Say to the royal family of Judah, 'Listen to this message from the LORD!
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| | Jer 21:12 | This is what the LORD says to the dynasty of David: Give justice to the people you judge! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors. Do what is right, or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of all your sins.
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| | Jer 21:13 | I will fight against this city of Jerusalem that boasts, "We are safe on our mountain! No one can touch us here."
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| | Jer 21:14 | And I myself will punish you for your sinfulness, says the LORD. I will light a fire in your forests that will burn up everything around you.' "
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