Jeremiah 38:2 cpdv — “Thus says the Lord: Whoever will remain in this city will die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence. But whoe…

Catholic Public Domain Version

"“Thus says the Lord: Whoever will remain in this city will die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence. But whoever will flee away from the Chaldeans, will live, and his soul will dwell in safety. "

— Jeremiah 38:2, Catholic Public Domain Version

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Jeremiah 38:2 in Other Translations

7 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “Thus saith the Lord, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.”

  • ASV

    “Thus saith Jehovah, He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey, and he shall live. ”

  • WEB

    “Thus says Yahweh, He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he who goes forth to the Chaldeans shall live, and his life shall be to him for a prey, and he shall live.”

  • NET

    ““The LORD says,‘Those who stay in this city will die in battle or of starvation or disease. Those who leave the city and surrender to the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives.’””

  • DRB

    “Thus saith the Lord: Whosoever shall remain in this city, shall die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence: but he that shall go forth to the Chaldeans, shall live, and his life shall be safe, and he shall live.”

  • BBE

    “These are the words of the Lord: Whoever goes on living in this town will come to his death by the sword or through need of food or by disease: but whoever goes out to the Chaldaeans will keep his life out of the power of the attackers and be safe.”

  • KJVA

    “Thus saith the Lord, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.”

Jeremiah 38 — Context

1

Then Shephatiah, the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah, the son of Pashhur, and Jehucal, the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur, the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people, saying:

2

“Thus says the Lord: Whoever will remain in this city will die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence. But whoever will flee away from the Chaldeans, will live, and his soul will dwell in safety.

3

Thus says the Lord: This city will certainly be delivered into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.”

4

And the leaders said to the king: “We petition you to put this man to death. For he is deliberately weakening the hands of the men of war, who have remained in this city, and the hands of the people, by speaking to them with these words. For this man is certainly not seeking peace for this people, but evil.”

5

And king Zedekiah said: “Behold, he is in your hands. For it is not fitting for the king to deny you anything.”

Jeremiah 38:2 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Jeremiah 38:2 say?
Jeremiah 38:2 in the Catholic Public Domain Version reads: ““Thus says the Lord: Whoever will remain in this city will die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence. But whoever will flee away from the Chaldeans, will live, and his soul will dwell in safety. ”
Where is Jeremiah 38:2 in the Bible?
Jeremiah 38:2 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Jeremiah, chapter 38, verse 2.
Who wrote Jeremiah?
Jeremiah is traditionally attributed to Jeremiah, with scribal help from Baruch. It was written c. 627–580 BC.
What is the book of Jeremiah about?
Jeremiah, the "weeping prophet," ministered through Judah's slow-motion collapse — pleading with kings and people to repent, suffering imprisonment for his message, and ultimately watching Jerusalem fall. Yet in the midst of judgment he promises a new covenant written on the heart.
What are the major themes of Jeremiah?
Jeremiah explores themes including Judgment, Repentance, New Covenant, Suffering Prophet, Hope. These themes shape the meaning and context of Jeremiah 38:2.
What translation should I read Jeremiah 38:2 in?
Jeremiah 38:2 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Jeremiah 38:2?
Jeremiah 38:2 reads (CPDV): ““Thus says the Lord: Whoever will remain in this city will die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence. But whoever will flee away from the Chaldeans, will live, and his soul will dwell in safety. ” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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