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The wordwhichcame to Jeremiah from the LORD when KingZedekiahsent to him Pashhur the son of Malchijah, and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying,
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"Pleaseinquire of the LORD on our behalf, for Nebuchadnezzarking of Babylon is warringagainst us; perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all His wonderfulacts, so that the enemy will withdraw from us."
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'Thussays the LORDGod of Israel, "Behold, I am about to turnback the weapons of warwhich are in your hands, with which you are warringagainst the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging* you outside* the wall; and I will gather them into the center of thiscity.
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"Then afterwards*," declares the LORD, "I will give over Zedekiahking of Judah and his servants and the people, even those who survive in thiscity from the pestilence, the sword and the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzarking of Babylon, and into the hand of their foes and into the hand of those who seek their lives; and he will strike them down with the edge of the sword. He will not spare them norhavepitynorcompassion."'
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"He who dwells in thiscity will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence; but he who goes out and fallsaway to the Chaldeans who are besieging* you will live, and he will have his own life as booty.
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"For I have set My face against thiscity for harm and not for good," declares the LORD. "It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon and he will burn it with fire."'
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"Then say to the household of the king of Judah, 'Hear the word of the LORD,
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O house of David, thussays the LORD: "Administerjustice every morning; And deliver the person who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor, That My wrath may not goforth like fire And burn with none to extinguish it, Because* of the evil of their deeds.
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"Behold, I am against you, O valleydweller, O rockyplain," declares the LORD, "You men who say, 'Who will comedownagainst us? Or who will enter into our habitations?'
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"But I will punish you according to the results of your deeds," declares the LORD, "And I will kindle a fire in its forest That it may devourall its environs.""'