Jeremiah 34:5

Peace

³ And you yourself will not escape his grasp, but will surely be captured and delivered into his hand. You will see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face; and you will go to Babylon.

⁴ Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the LORD says concerning you: You will not die by the sword;

you will die in peace. As spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who preceded you, so people will burn spices for you and lament, ‘Alas, O master!’ For I Myself have spoken this word, declares the LORD.”

⁶ In Jerusalem, then, Jeremiah the prophet relayed all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah

⁷ as the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the remaining cities of Judah—against Lachish and Azekah. For these were the only fortified cities remaining in Judah.

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: you will die in peace. As spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who preceded you, so people will burn spices for you and lament, ‘Alas, O master!’ For I Myself have spoken this word, declares the LORD.”
KJV: But thou shalt die in peace: and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings which were before thee, so shall they burn odours for thee; and they will lament thee, saying, Ah lord! for I have pronounced the word, saith the LORD.
WEB: You will die in peace; and with the burnings of your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they will make a burning for you. They will lament you, saying, “Ah Lord!” for I have spoken the word,’ says the LORD.”
ASV: thou shalt die in peace; and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings that were before thee, so shall they make a burning for thee; and they shall lament thee, [saying], Ah Lord! for I have spoken the word, saith Jehovah.
DARBY: thou shalt die in peace, and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings that were before thee, so shall they burn for thee; and they will lament for thee, Ah, lord! for I have spoken the word, saith Jehovah.
BLB: You will die in peace. And with the burnings of your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they will burn for you, and will they lament for you: ‘Alas O lord! For I have spoken the word,” a declaration of YHWH.

ÅB: I fred skal du dø, og slik som de brant bål til ære for dine fedre, de forrige konger, de som var før deg, slik skal de også brenne for deg, og de skal holde sørgehøytid over deg og rope: Ve, herre! For et ord har jeg talt, sier Herren.
OTB: du vil dø fredelig. Som krydder ble brent for dine forfedre, de tidligere kongene før deg, slik vil de brenne krydder for deg og klage, “Akk, min herre!” Jeg har talt dette ordet, erklærer Herren.’”
B1930: I fred skal du dø, og likesom de brente bål til ære for dine fedre, de forrige konger, de som var før dig, således skal de også brenne for dig, og de skal holde sørgehøitid over dig og rope: Ve, herre! For et ord har jeg talt, sier Herren.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

2 Chronicles 16:14
And he was buried in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier that was full of spices and various blended perfumes; then they made a great fire in his honor.
Read in context
Jeremiah 22:18
Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: “They will not mourn for him: ‘Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!’ They will not mourn for him: ‘Alas, my master! Alas, his splendor!’
Read in context
2 Chronicles 34:28
‘Now I will indeed gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the calamity that I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants.’” So they brought her answer back to the king.
Read in context
Daniel 2:46
At this, King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, paid homage to Daniel, and ordered that an offering of incense be presented to him.
Read in context
Lamentations 4:20
The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. We had said of him, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”
Read in context
2 Chronicles 21:19–20
This continued day after day until two full years had passed. Finally, his intestines came out because of his disease, and he died in severe pain. And his people did not make a fire in his honor as they had done for his fathers.
Read in context
Ezekiel 17:16
‘As surely as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who enthroned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke.
Read in context
2 Kings 22:20
‘Therefore I will indeed gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the calamity that I will bring on this place.’” So they brought her answer back to the king.
Read in context