3 Jeremiah responded to them, “This is what you should say to Zedekiah,
4 ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: I’m going to take your weapons away from you. You are using these weapons to fight the king of Babylon as well as the Babylonians who are now blockading you outside the wall. I will bring the Babylonians inside this city.
5 I will fight you in anger, fury, and rage with my powerful hand and my mighty arm.
6 I will defeat those who live in this city, both people and animals. They will die from a terrible plague.
7 Afterwards, declares the Lord, I will hand over Judah’s King Zedekiah, his officials, the people, and everyone else in this city who survives the plague, war, and famine. They will be handed over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and to their enemies who want to kill them. Nebuchadnezzar will kill them with swords. He won’t spare them, show them compassion, or care for them.’
8 “Say to these people, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to give you the choice of life or death.
9 Those who live in this city will die in the war, famine, or plague. Those of you who go out and surrender to the Babylonians will live. You will escape with your lives.