Jeremiah 21:7
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.
6 And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.
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.
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.
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.
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- ‘After that,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officers, and the people in this city who survive the plague and sword and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who seek their lives. He will put them to the sword; he will not spare them or show pity or compassion.’
- KJV
- 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.
- WEB
- Afterward,” says the LORD, “I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants, and the people, even those who are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life. He will strike them with the edge of the sword. He will not spare them, have pity, or have mercy.”’
- ASV
- And afterward, saith Jehovah, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, even 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.
- DARBY
- And afterwards, saith Jehovah, I will give 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 the 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.
- BLB
- ‘And after thus,’ a declaration of YHWH, ‘I will give Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and those left over in this city from the pestilence [and] from the sword and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those seeking their soul. And he will strike them with the mouth of the sword; he will not spare them, and he will not have pity, and he will not have compassion.
- ÅB
- Og deretter, sier Herren, vil jeg gi Sedekias, Judas konge, og hans tjenere og folket, de som i denne by er blitt igjen etter pesten, sverdet og hungersnøden, i Babels konge Nebukadnesars hånd og i deres fienders hånd og i deres hånd som står dem etter livet; og han skal slå dem med sverdets egg, han skal ikke spare dem og ikke skåne og ikke forbarme seg.
- OTB
- Deretter, erklærer Herren, vil jeg overgi Sidkia, kongen av Juda, hans embetsmenn og folket som overlever i denne byen fra pesten, sverdet og hungersnøden, til Nebukadnesar, kongen av Babylon, til deres fiender og til dem som søker deres liv. Han skal slå dem ned med sverdet; han skal ikke vise noen nåde, medfølelse eller barmhjertighet.’
- B1930
- Og derefter, sier Herren, vil jeg gi Sedekias, Judas konge, og hans tjenere og folket, de som i denne by er blitt igjen efter pesten, sverdet og hungersnøden, i Babels konge Nebukadnesars hånd og i deres fienders hånd og i deres hånd som står dem efter livet; og han skal slå dem med sverdets egg, han skal ikke spare dem og ikke skåne og ikke forbarme sig.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Jeremiah 37:17
Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.
Read in contextHabakkuk 1:6–10
For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.
Read in context2 Kings 25:5–7
And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him.
Read in contextEzekiel 7:9
And mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: I will recompense thee according to thy ways and thine abominations that are in the midst of thee; and ye shall know that I am the LORD that smiteth.
Read in contextEzekiel 17:20–21
And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me.
Read in contextJeremiah 13:14
And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.
Read in context2 Kings 25:18–21
And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:
Read in contextJeremiah 52:8–11
But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.
Read in context