Jeremiah 21:8

8 And thou shalt say to this people, The Lord God saith these things, Lo! I give before you the way of life, and the way of death.

Jeremiah 21:8 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 21:8

And unto the people thou shalt say, thus saith the Lord
These are the words, not of the prophet to the messengers of the king, ordering or advising them what they each of them should say to the people; for the message by them is finished; but they are the words of the Lord to the prophet, directing him what he should say to the people at this critical juncture: behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death;
the way how to preserve their lives; and which, if they did not choose to take, would be inevitable death. The allusion seems to be to a phrase used by Moses, when he gave the law; obedience to which would issue in life, and disobedience in death, ( Deuteronomy 30:15 Deuteronomy 30:19 ) .

Jeremiah 21:8 In-Context

6 and I shall smite the dwellers of this city (and I shall strike down the inhabitants of this city), (yea,) men and beasts shall die by great pestilence.

7 And after these things, saith the Lord, I shall give Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his servants, and his people, and (those) that be left in this city from pestilence, and sword, and hunger, in(to) the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and in(to) the hand of their enemies, and in(to) the hand of men seeking the life of them; and he shall smite them by the sharpness of sword (and he shall strike them down by the sharpness of the sword); and he shall not be bowed, neither shall spare, neither shall have mercy.

8 And thou shalt say to this people, The Lord God saith these things, Lo! I give before you the way of life, and the way of death.

9 He that dwelleth in this city, shall die by sword, and hunger, and pestilence; but he that goeth out, and fleeth over to [the] Chaldees that besiege you, shall live, and his life shall be as a prey to him. (He who liveth in this city, shall die by the sword, and hunger, and pestilence; but he who goeth out, and fleeth over to the Chaldeans who besiege you, shall live, but his own life shall be his only prey.)

10 For I have set my face on this city into evil, and not into good, saith the Lord (For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the Lord); it shall be given in(to) the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.