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Monday, April 13th, 2026
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Bible in Basic English

Jeremiah 21:9

He who keeps in this town will come to his death by the sword and through need of food and through disease; but he who goes out and gives himself up to the Chaldaeans who are shutting you in, will go on living, and will keep his life safe.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Thompson Chain Reference - Nebuchadnezzar;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Babylon;   Plague or Pestilence, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Babylon;   Egypt;   Jeremiah;   Judah, tribe and kingdom;   Zedekiah;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Remnant;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah;   Pashur;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Famine;   Jeremiah;   Medicine;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Chaldeans, Chaldees;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Four;   Judah, Kingdom of;   Zedekiah (2);  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
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.
Hebrew Names Version
He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he who goes out, and passes over to the Kasdim who besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be to him for a prey.
King James Version
He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.
English Standard Version
He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live and shall have his life as a prize of war.
New American Standard Bible
"Anyone who stays in this city will die by the sword, by famine, or by plague; but anyone who leaves and goes over to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and he will have his own life as plunder.
New Century Version
Anyone who stays in Jerusalem will die in war or from hunger or from a terrible disease. But anyone who goes out of Jerusalem and surrenders to the Babylonians who are attacking you will live. Anyone who leaves the city will save his life as if it were a prize won in war.
Amplified Bible
"He who remains in this city [of Jerusalem] will die by the sword and by famine and by virulent disease. But he who goes outside and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and his life will be like a prize of war to him.
World English Bible
He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he who goes out, and passes over to the Chaldeans who besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be to him for a prey.
Geneva Bible (1587)
He that abideth in this citie, shall dye by the sword and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Caldeans, that besiege you, he shall liue, and his life shalbe vnto him for a pray.
Legacy Standard Bible
He who inhabits this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence; but he who goes out and falls away to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and he will have his own life as spoil.
Berean Standard Bible
Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who besiege you will live and retain his life like a spoil of war.
Contemporary English Version
The Babylonian army has surrounded Jerusalem, so if you want to live, you must go out and surrender to them. But if you want to die because of hunger, disease, or war, then stay here in the city.
Complete Jewish Bible
Anyone who stays in this city will die by sword, famine and plague. But he who leaves and surrenders to the Kasdim besieging you will stay alive; his own life will be his only ‘spoils of war.'
Darby Translation
He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he that goeth out, and deserteth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.
Easy-to-Read Version
Anyone who stays in Jerusalem will die in war or from hunger or disease. But anyone who goes out of Jerusalem and surrenders to the Babylonians attacking you will live. Only those who leave the city will win anything in this war—their lives!
George Lamsa Translation
He who abides in this city shall die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence; but he who surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you, he shall live, and he shall save his life.
Good News Translation
Anyone who stays in the city will be killed in war or by starvation or disease. But those who go out and surrender to the Babylonians, who are now attacking the city, will not be killed; they will at least escape with their life.
Lexham English Bible
He who stays in this city will die by the sword, or by the famine, or by the plague. And he who goes out and goes over to the Chaldeans who are laying siege to you will live, and his life will be to him as booty.
Literal Translation
He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the plague. But he who goes out and falls to the Chaldeans who are besieging you, he shall live, and his life shall be for a prize to him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Who so abydeth in this cite, shal perish: ether wt the swearde, with honger, or with pestilece. But who so goeth out to holde on ye Caldees parte, yt besege it, he shal saue his life, and shall wynne his soule for a pray.
American Standard Version
He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he that goeth out, and passeth over to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he that goeth out, and falleth away to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.
King James Version (1611)
He that abideth in this citie, shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Caldeans, that besiege you, he shall liue, and his life shall be vnto him, for a pray.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Whoso abideth in the citie, shall perishe, either with the sworde, with hunger, or pestilence: but whoso goeth out to holde on the Chaldees part that besiege it, he shall saue his lyfe, and shall winne his soule for a pray.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
He that remains in this city shall die by the sword, and by famine: but he that goes forth to advance to the Chaldeans that have besieged you, shall live, and his life shall be to him for a spoil, and he shall live.
English Revised Version
He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth away to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
He that dwellith in this citee, schal die bi swerd, and hungur, and pestilence; but he that goith out, and fleeth ouer to Caldeis that bisegen you, schal lyue, and his lijf schal be as a prey to hym.
Update Bible Version
He that abides in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he that goes out, and passes over to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be to him for a prey.
Webster's Bible Translation
He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be to him for a prey.
New English Translation
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 who are besieging it will live. They will escape with their lives.
New King James Version
He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes out and defects to the Chaldeans who besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be as a prize to him.
New Living Translation
Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who go out and surrender to the Babylonians will live. Their reward will be life!
New Life Bible
He who lives in this city will die by the sword and by hunger and by disease. But he who goes out and gives himself up to the Babylonians whose armies shut you in will live, he will at least have his life.
New Revised Standard
Those who stay in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but those who go out and surrender to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live and shall have their lives as a prize of war.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
He that remaineth in this city, shall die - by the sword ors by the famine or by the pestilence, - Whereas, he that goeth forth and falleth unto the Chaldeans, who are besieging you, - then shall he live, and, his life, shall become to him, a spoil;
Douay-Rheims Bible
He that shall abide in this city, shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that shall go out and flee over to the Chaldeans, that besiege you, shall live, and his life shall be to him as a spoil.
Revised Standard Version
He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes out and surrenders to the Chalde'ans who are besieging you shall live and shall have his life as a prize of war.
Young's Literal Translation
Whoso is abiding in this city -- dieth, By sword, and by famine, and by pestilence, And whoso is going forth, And hath fallen unto the Chaldeans, Who are laying siege against you -- liveth, And his life hath been to him for a spoil.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"He who dwells in this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence; but he who goes out and falls away to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and he will have his own life as booty.

Contextual Overview

8 And to this people you are to say, The Lord has said, See, I put before you the way of life and the way of death. 9 He who keeps in this town will come to his death by the sword and through need of food and through disease; but he who goes out and gives himself up to the Chaldaeans who are shutting you in, will go on living, and will keep his life safe. 10 For my face is turned to this town for evil and not for good, says the Lord: it will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will have it burned with fire. 11 About the family of the king of Judah. Give ear to the word of the Lord; 12 O family of David, this is what the Lord has said: Do what is right in the morning, and make free from the hands of the cruel one him whose goods have been violently taken away, or my wrath will go out like fire, burning so that no one may put it out, because of the evil of your doings. 13 See, I am against you, you who are living on the rock of the valley, says the Lord; you who say, Who will come down against us? or who will get into our houses? 14 I will send punishment on you in keeping with the fruit of your doings, says the Lord: and I will put a fire in her woodlands, burning up everything round about her.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

that abideth: Jeremiah 21:7, Jeremiah 27:13, Jeremiah 38:2, Jeremiah 38:17-23

and his: Jeremiah 38:2, Jeremiah 39:18, Jeremiah 45:5

Reciprocal: Isaiah 3:25 - Thy men Jeremiah 27:11 - those Jeremiah 37:13 - Thou Jeremiah 44:13 - General Jeremiah 52:6 - the famine Ezekiel 5:12 - third part of Ezekiel 14:19 - if I Micah 6:16 - that

Cross-References

Genesis 16:1
Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had given him no children; and she had a servant, a woman of Egypt whose name was Hagar.
Genesis 17:20
As for Ishmael, I have given ear to your prayer: truly I have given him my blessing and I will make him fertile and give him great increase; he will be the father of twelve chiefs, and I will make him a great nation.
Genesis 21:1
And the Lord came to Sarah as he had said and did to her as he had undertaken.
Genesis 21:3
And Abraham gave to his son, to whom Sarah had given birth, the name Isaac.
Genesis 21:5
Now Abraham was a hundred years old when the birth of Isaac took place.
Genesis 21:6
And Sarah said, God has given me cause for laughing, and everyone who has news of it will be laughing with me.
Genesis 21:13
And I will make a nation of the son of your servant-woman, because he is your seed.
Genesis 21:14
And early in the morning Abraham got up, and gave Hagar some bread and a water-skin, and put the boy on her back, and sent her away: and she went, wandering in the waste land of Beer-sheba.
Genesis 21:23
Now, then, give me your oath, in the name of God, that you will not be false to me or to my sons after me, but that as I have been good to you, so you will be to me and to this land where you have been living.
Genesis 21:24
And Abraham said, I will give you my oath.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He that abideth in this city,.... Imagining himself safe there; not fearing its being taken by the king of Babylon; though it was so often foretold by the prophet of the Lord that it should:

shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: by the first of these, in sallying out against the enemy; and by the other two, which raged within the city:

but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you,

he shall live; not fall upon them, as the words may be literally rendered; so it would describe such that went out of the city and sallied upon them; whereas it designs such who should go out of the city, and surrender themselves unto the Chaldeans; submit to them, so as to obey them, as the Targum adds; such shall have their lives spared:

and his life shall be unto him for a prey; it shall be like a spoil or booty taken out of an enemy's hands; it shall be with difficulty obtained, and with joy possessed, as a prey or spoil is.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He that ... falleth to the Chaldeans - This was to counsel desertion, and would have been treason in an ordinary man: but the prophets Spoke with an authority above that even of the king, and constantly interfered in political matters with summary decisiveness. Compare Matthew 24:16-18.

A prey - Something not a man’s own, upon which he seizes in the midst of danger, and hurries away with it. So must the Jews hurry away with their lives as something more than they had a right to, and place them in the Chaldaean camp as in a place of safety.


 
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