⁵ Then he will ^(A)take Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will be there until I visit him,” declares the Lord. “If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will ^(B)not succeed”’?”

⁵ ‘While they are coming to ^(A)fight the Chaldeans and to fill ^[a]their houses with the bodies of people whom I have struck down in My anger and My wrath, and I have ^(B)hidden My face from this city because of all their wickedness:

⁸ Then the Chaldeans will ^(A)return and fight against this city, and they will capture it and burn it with fire.”’ ⁹ This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not ^(B)deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will certainly go away from us,” for they will not go. ¹⁰ For ^(C)even if you had defeated the entire army of Chaldeans who were fighting against you, and there were only wounded men left among them, each man in his tent, they would rise up and ^(D)burn this city with fire.’”

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.’”