Jeremiah 38:17

¹⁵ “If I tell you,” Jeremiah replied, “you will surely put me to death. And even if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.”

¹⁶ But King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has given us this life, I will not kill you, nor will I deliver you into the hands of these men who are seeking your life.”

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you indeed surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive.

¹⁸ But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape their grasp.’”

¹⁹ But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, for the Chaldeans may deliver me into their hands to abuse me.”

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: Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you indeed surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive.
KJV: Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:
WEB: Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “The LORD, the God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you will go out to the king of Babylon’s princes, then your soul will live, and this city will not be burned with fire. You will live, along with your house.
ASV: Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If thou wilt go forth unto the king of Babylon`s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thy house.
DARBY: And Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, Thus saith Jehovah the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If thou wilt freely go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thy house.
BLB: And Jeremiah said to Zedekiah: “Thus says YHWH, the God of Hosts, the God of Israel: ‘If you will surely go forth to the princes of the king of Babylon, then your soul will live and this city will not be burned with fire; and you will live—you and your house.

ÅB: Da sa Jeremias til Sedekias: Så sier Herren, hærskarenes Gud, Israels Gud: Dersom du går ut til Babels konges høvdinger, så skal du leve, og denne by skal ikke bli brent opp med ild, og du skal leve, du og ditt hus.
OTB: Da sa Jeremias til Sidkia: "Så sier Herren, hærskarenes Gud, Israels Gud: 'Hvis du overgir deg til offiserene til kongen av Babylon, skal ditt liv bli spart og denne byen skal ikke bli brent; du og din familie skal leve.
B1930: Da sa Jeremias til Sedekias: Så sier Herren, hærskarenes Gud, Israels Gud: Dersom du går ut til Babels konges høvdinger, så skal du leve, og denne by skal ikke bli brent op med ild, og du skal leve, du og ditt hus.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Jeremiah 27:12
And to Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke the same message: “Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and live!
Read in context
Jeremiah 27:17
Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon and live! Why should this city become a ruin?
Read in context
Jeremiah 38:2
“This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live.
Read in context
Jeremiah 21:8–10
Furthermore, you are to tell this people that this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
Read in context
Jeremiah 39:3
Then all the officials of the king of Babylon entered and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-sarsekim the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon.
Read in context
Jeremiah 7:6–7
if you no longer oppress the foreigner and the fatherless and the widow, and if you no longer shed innocent blood in this place or follow other gods to your own harm,
Read in context
2 Kings 24:12
Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his servants, his commanders, and his officials all surrendered to the king of Babylon. So in the eighth year of his reign, the king of Babylon took him captive.
Read in context
Psalms 80:7
Restore us, O God of Hosts, and cause Your face to shine upon us, that we may be saved.
Read in context