Jeremiah - Chapter 21

Jeremiah 21.1 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying, Jeremiah 21.2 Enquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us. Jeremiah 21.3 Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah: Jeremiah 21.4 Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city. Jeremiah 21.5 And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath. Jeremiah 21.6 And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence. Jeremiah 21.7 And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy. Jeremiah 21.8 And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death. Jeremiah 21.9 He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey. Jeremiah 21.10 For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire. Jeremiah 21.11 And touching the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Jeremiah 21.12 O house of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. Jeremiah 21.13 Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the LORD; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations? Jeremiah 21.14 But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.

Jeremiah : Chapter 21

Divine Response to King Zedekiah's Request

Jeremiah chapter 21 offers us a divine response to King Zedekiah's urgent request. In a context of despair, we ask ourselves: what hope remains for Jerusalem? This seminal text marks the beginning of the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecies, as the city faces an inexorable siege by the Babylonians. It presents a difficult path, where abandonment appears to be the only option for survival for its people.

Leadership Responsibility and Divine Judgment

Jeremiah 21 also underscores the crucial responsibility of leadership and the inevitability of divine judgment. This chapter invites us to reflect on the consequences of the choices made by those who lead and the impact of their decisions on the nation as a whole. Five biblical passages enrich our understanding of the powerful themes present in this pivotal chapter.

Correlated Bible Passages

2 Kings 25:1-2: "In the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against Jerusalem with all his army. He encamped against the city and built ramparts around it. The city was besieged until the eleventh year of Zedekiah's reign." This passage describes the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy in Jeremiah 21 concerning the siege of Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 12:13: "I will spread my net, and he shall be taken in my snare; I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, but he shall not see it; there he shall die." Ezekiel prophesies about Zedekiah's fate, thus completing Jeremiah's prophecy in Jeremiah 21.

Deuteronomy 30:15-19: "See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances. Then you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are going to possess..." This passage echoes the theme of the choice between life and death presented by Jeremiah in Jeremiah 21:8-9.

Proverbs 1:31: "Therefore they will eat the fruit of their own ways and be content with their own devices." This proverb reflects the principle of reaping the consequences of one's actions, a theme present in Jeremiah 21.

Isaiah 30:15: "This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: 'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and confidence is your strength, but you would not.'" This passage from Isaiah echoes the call to repentance and the promise of salvation found in Jeremiah 21.

By meditating on these texts, we are invited to become aware of the importance of our choices and our faithfulness to God, while remaining attentive to the calls to repentance and trust in His salvation.