Here King Zedekiah is secretly meeting with Jeremiah. Zedekiah wants to ask the prophet Jeremiah a question. Zedekiah did not want Jeremiah to hide anything in his response. but Jeremiah was afraid that if he gave Zedekiah an answer he did not like he would kill him. Or that he would completely ignore his counsel. Jeremiah had constantly predicted that the Babylonians would defeat the Jewish people in battle. He even urges the king to surrender to the Babylonians. God is using the Babylonians to punish the Jewish people. Jeremiah, though he was doing the will of God, was not a popular person. Some even considered him a traitor and wanted to put him to death. But Zedekiah swore before the Almighty God that he would not put Jeremiah to death or hand him over to those who wanted to kill him. Then Jeremiah gave Zedekiah the message from God. Jeremiah first let him know that the message was from the Lord of Hosts. The God of Israel. He is the God who is over all.

Jeremiah gives King Zedekiah a message from God.

Jeremiah tells Zedekiah that if he surrenders to the Babylonian according to the Lord, your life will be spared, and the city will be burned. God also said that if you surrender, you and your family will live. But if you fail to surrender to the king of Babylon, the city will be given to the Babylonians, and they will burn it down and you and your family will be taken as their prisoners.

 Zedekiah not only feared the Babylonians but he told Jeremiah that he also feared the Jews that had deserted to Babylon. He feared that the Babylonians would turn him over to the Jews that deserted to Babylon and these Jews would mistreat him.

Jeremiah however assured him that nothing will happen to him if he surrenders. Jeremiah says that things will go well for him if he surrenders and his life will be spared. Jeremiah said that if Zedekiah refuses to surrender, the Lord has revealed to him what will happen. All the women in the house of the king of Judah will be brought the officials of Babylon. They will taunt Zedekiah for being deceived by his trusted advisers. Furthermore, Jeremiah stated that Zedekiah, his wives, and children will be prisoners of the Babylonians and the city will be burned.