The Lord’s response to Zedekiah’s inquiry is not what he hoped it would be. Through Jeremiah the Lord, the God of Israel says, Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the King of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls.
The Lord makes it clear that he will not protect Jerusalem against the invasion. He will in fact work against the city. Instead of causing the Babylonian army to withdraw, he will cause Judah’s fighting forces, who were trying to resist the invasion, to be turned back in defeat.
4 ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city.