Jeremiah 21:2

Nebuchadnezzar Babylon

¹ This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said,

“Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is waging war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us something like all His past wonders, so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.”

³ But Jeremiah answered, “You are to tell Zedekiah that

⁴ this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will turn against you the weapons of war in your hands, with which you are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the wall, and I will assemble their forces in the center of this city.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: “Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is waging war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us something like all His past wonders, so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.”
KJV: 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.
WEB: “Please inquire of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon makes war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may withdraw from us.”
ASV: Inquire, I pray thee, of Jehovah for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us: peradventure Jehovah will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.
DARBY: Inquire, I pray thee, of Jehovah for us; for Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that Jehovah will deal with us according to all his marvellous works, that he may go up from us.
BLB: “Inquire for us, please, of YHWH, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps YHWH will deal with us according to all His wonderful deeds, and he will go away from us.

ÅB: Spør Herren for oss! For Babels konge Nebukadnesar strider mot oss. Kanskje Herren vil gjøre med oss etter alle sine undergjerninger, så han drar bort fra oss.
OTB: "Vær så snill å spørre Herren for oss, fordi Nebukadnesar, kongen av Babylon, fører krig mot oss. Kanskje Herren vil handle for oss i henhold til alle sine underfulle gjerninger, slik at fienden vil trekke seg tilbake fra oss."
B1930: Spør Herren for oss! For Babels konge Nebukadnesar strider mot oss. Kanskje Herren vil gjøre med oss efter alle sine undergjerninger, så han drar bort fra oss.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Jeremiah 37:3
Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet with the message, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us!”
Read in context
Ezekiel 20:1–3
In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down before me.
Read in context
Jeremiah 37:7
“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says that you are to tell the king of Judah, who sent you to Me: Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which has marched out to help you, will go back to its own land of Egypt.
Read in context
Jeremiah 42:4–6
“I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will surely pray to the LORD your God as you request, and I will tell you everything that the LORD answers; I will not withhold a word from you.”
Read in context
Psalms 44:1–4
We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us the work You did in their days, in the days of old.
Read in context
1 Samuel 28:6
He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.
Read in context
1 Kings 14:2–3
and Jeroboam said to his wife, “Now get up, disguise yourself so they will not recognize you as my wife, and go to Shiloh. For Ahijah the prophet is there; it was he who spoke about my kingship over this people.
Read in context
1 Samuel 28:15
Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” “I am deeply distressed,” replied Saul. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”
Read in context