וְהָיָ֛ה כִּֽי־יֹאמְר֥וּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ אָ֣נָה נֵצֵ֑א וְאָמַרְתָּ֨ אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר לַמָּ֤וֶת לַמָּ֙וֶת֙ וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר לַחֶ֙רֶב֙ לַחֶ֔רֶב וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר לָֽרָעָב֙ לָֽרָעָ֔ב וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר לַשְּׁבִ֖י לַשֶּֽׁבִי׃
Dan apabila mereka bertanya kepadamu: “Ke manakah kami harus pergi?” maka katakanlah kepada mereka: Beginilah firman Yang Mahakekal: Siapa yang ditentukan untuk maut, ke maut; siapa yang ditentukan untuk pedang, ke pedang; siapa yang ditentukan untuk kelaparan, ke kelaparan; dan siapa yang ditentukan untuk penawanan, ke penawanan.
Bava Batra
Rava said to Rabbah bar Mari: From where is this statement of the Sages [derived], that redeeming captives is a great mitzvah? He responded: as it is written: (Jeremiah 15, 2) "And it shall come to pass, when they say unto thee: Whither shall we go forth? then thou shall 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 captivity, to captivity." And Rabbi Yochanan said: As we go in to the verse, each part is harsher than the previous ones.