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
This prophecy came during the final years before Jerusalem's destruction in 586 BC, when the Babylonian army was threatening Judah. Jeremiah was warning that God's judgment was inevitable due to the people's persistent rebellion and idolatry. The four punishments mentioned (death, sword, famine, captivity) were the typical consequences of ancient warfare and siege.
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