1 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, (when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the peoples, fought against Jerusalem and against all the cities thereof) saying,
2 Thus hath the Lord God of Israel said: Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus hath the Lord said: Behold, I give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire:
3 and thou shalt not escape out of his hand but shalt surely be taken and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.
4 Yet hear the word of the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus hath the Lord said of thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword:
5 but thou shalt die in peace: and according to 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, said the Lord.
6 Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem
7 when the king of Babylon’s army fought against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against Azekah, for of the strong cities of Judah these had remained.