And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the LORD; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity.
And when they ask you, 'Where should we go?' you must tell them, 'This is what the LORD says: Those destined for death will die; those destined for war will face the sword; those destined for hunger will starve; and those destined for captivity will be taken prisoner.'
God is telling Jeremiah that when people ask where they can escape to, he must explain that their various forms of judgment are already determined based on God's justice.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet is speaking to the people of Judah during a time of widespread idolatry and moral decay, under the threat of invasion by the Babylonian Empire in the 6th century BC. God is using Jeremiah to declare inevitable judgment on the nation for their unfaithfulness, outlining specific punishments like death, war, famine, or captivity as divine responses to their sins. This reflects the historical reality of Judah's political instability and the consequences of breaking their covenant with God.
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