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

But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I am worried about the Judeans who have deserted to the Chaldeans. They may hand me over to them to abuse me."

But if you refuse to surrender, this is the verdict that the LORD has shown me:

All your wives and sons will be brought out to the Chaldeans. You yourself will not escape from them, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon and this city will burn down.'"

"But you must say to this people, 'This is what the LORD says: Look, I am presenting to you the way of life and the way of death.

Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live and will retain his life like the spoils [of war].

"But as for the bad figs, so bad they are inedible, this is what the LORD says: in this way I will deal with Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem-- those remaining in this land and those living in the land of Egypt.

Why should you and your people die by the sword, famine, or plague as the LORD has threatened against any nation that does not serve the king of Babylon?

I will pursue them with sword, famine, and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth-- a curse and a desolation, an object of scorn and a disgrace among all the nations where I will have banished them.

"Therefore, this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed Me by proclaiming freedom, each man for his brother and for his neighbor. I hereby proclaim freedom for you"-- [this is] the LORD's declaration-- "to the sword, to plague, and to famine! I will make you a horror to all the earth's kingdoms.

All who resolve to go to Egypt to live there for a while will die by the sword, famine, and plague. They will have no survivor or escapee from the disaster I will bring on them.'

Now therefore, know for certain that by the sword, famine, and plague you will die in the place where you desired to go to live for a while."

I will punish those living in the land of Egypt just as I punished Jerusalem by sword, famine, and plague.

One third of your people will die by plague and be consumed by famine within you; one third will fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter one third to every direction of the wind, and I will draw a sword [to chase] after them.

"I will make you a ruin and a disgrace among the nations around you, in the sight of everyone who passes by.

When I shoot deadly arrows of famine at them, arrows for destruction that I will send to destroy you, [inhabitants of Jerusalem], I will intensify the famine against you and cut off your supply of bread.

"This is what the Lord God says: Clap your hands, stamp your feet, and cry out over all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, who will fall by the sword, famine, and plague.

The sword is on the outside; plague and famine are on the inside. Whoever is in the field will die by the sword, and famine and plague will devour whoever is in the city.

"For this is what the Lord God says: How much worse will it be when I send My four devastating judgments against Jerusalem-- sword, famine, dangerous animals, and plague-- in order to wipe out [both] man and animal from it!

For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

All these events are the beginning of birth pains.

Then another horse went out, a fiery red one, and its horseman was empowered to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And a large sword was given to him.

Then I heard something like a voice among the four living creatures say, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius-- but do not harm the olive oil and the wine."

And I looked, and there was a pale green horse. The horseman on it was named Death, and Hades was following after him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill by the sword, by famine, by plague, and by the wild animals of the earth.

Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live and will retain his life like the spoils [of war].

Indeed, I will certainly deliver you so that you do not fall by the sword. Because you have trusted in Me, you will keep your life like the spoils [of war]." [This is] the LORD's declaration.

But as for you, do you seek great things for yourself? Stop seeking! For I am about to bring disaster on every living creature'-- [this is] the LORD's declaration-- 'but I will grant you your life like the spoils [of war] wherever you go.'"