A reading from the book of Jeremiah.

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashra

the son of Melchaya and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Measiah, saying, inquire of the

Lord for us, for Nimikadnezzar 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. Then Jeremiah said to

them, Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, 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. I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger

and in fury and in great wrath. And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man

and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence. Afterward declares the Lord, I will give

Zedekiah King of Judah and his servants, and the people

in the city who survive the pestilence, sword and famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon,

and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives.

He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword.

He shall not pity them, or spare them, or have compassion. And to this people you shall say,

thus says the Lord, behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.

But he who goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans, who are besieging you, shall live,

and shall have his life as a prize of war.

For I have set my face against this city for harm and not for good, declares the Lord.

It shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

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