² “This is what the Lord says: ‘Anyone who ^(A)stays in this city will die by the ^(B)sword, by famine, or by plague; but anyone who surrenders to the Chaldeans will live and have his own ^(C)life as plunder, and stay alive.’ ³ This is what the Lord says: ‘This city will certainly be ^(D)handed over to the army of the king of Babylon and he will capture it.’”

¹⁷ So Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord ^(A)God of armies, the ^(B)God of Israel says: ‘If you will indeed ^(C)surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then ^[a]you will live, this city will not be burned with fire, and you and your household will ^[b]survive. ¹⁸ But if you do ^(D)not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city ^(E)will be handed over to the Chaldeans; and they will burn it with fire, and ^(F)you yourself will not escape from their hands.’” ¹⁹ Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am ^(G)in fear of the Jews who have ^(H)deserted to the Chaldeans, for they may hand me over to them, and they will ^(I)abuse me.” ²⁰ But Jeremiah said, “They will not turn you over. Please ^[c](J)obey the Lord in what I am saying to you, so that it may go ^(K)well for you and ^[d](L)you may live. ²¹ But if you keep refusing to surrender, this is the word which the Lord has shown me: ²² ‘Behold, all of the ^(M)women who have been left in the palace of the king of Judah are going to be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon; and those women will say,

²³ They are also going to bring out all your wives and your ^(N)sons to the Chaldeans, and ^(O)you yourself will not escape from their hand, but will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon, and ^(P)this city will be burned with fire.’”