JEREMIAH 26-28

¹ In the beginning of the reign of Je·hoiʹa·kim son of Jo·siʹah, the king of Judah, this word came from Jehovah:

² “This is what Jehovah says, ‘Stand in the courtyard of the house of Jehovah and speak concerning all the people of the cities of Judah who are coming in to worship at the house of Jehovah. Tell them everything that I command you; do not take away a word.

³ Perhaps they will listen and each one will turn back from his evil way, and I will change my mind concerning the calamity that I intend to bring on them because of their evil deeds.

⁴ Say to them: “This is what Jehovah says, ‘If you will not listen to me by following my law that I have placed before you,

⁵ by listening to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I am sending to you again and again, whom you have not listened to,

⁶ then I will make this house like Shiʹloh, and I will make this city an object of cursing to all the nations of the earth.’”’”

⁷ And the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of Jehovah.

⁸ So when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that Jehovah had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him and said: “You will surely die.

⁹ Why have you prophesied in the name of Jehovah, saying, ‘This house will become like Shiʹloh, and this city will be devastated and left without an inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of Jehovah.

¹⁰ When the princes of Judah heard these words, they came up from the house of the king to the house of Jehovah and sat down at the entrance of the new gate of Jehovah.

¹¹ The priests and the prophets said to the princes and to all the people: “This man deserves the death penalty, because he has prophesied against this city just as you have heard with your own ears.”

¹² Jeremiah then said to all the princes and to all the people: “It was Jehovah who sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard.

¹³ So now, reform your ways and your actions and obey the voice of Jehovah your God, and Jehovah will change his mind concerning the calamity that he has spoken against you.

¹⁴ But as for me, I am in your hand. Do to me whatever seems good and right in your eyes.

¹⁵ Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and upon her inhabitants, for in truth Jehovah sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”

¹⁶ Then the princes and all the people said to the priests and the prophets: “This man does not deserve the death penalty, for he spoke to us in the name of Jehovah our God.”

¹⁷ Furthermore, some of the elders of the land rose up and began saying to the entire congregation of the people:

¹⁸ And the mountain of the House will become like high places in a forest.”’

¹⁹ “Did King Hez·e·kiʹah of Judah and all Judah then put him to death? Did he not fear Jehovah and beg for Jehovah’s favor, so that Jehovah changed his mind concerning the calamity that he had spoken against them? So we are about to bring a great calamity on ourselves.

²⁰ “And there was another man prophesying in the name of Jehovah, U·riʹjah son of She·maiʹah from Kirʹi·ath-jeʹa·rim, who prophesied against this city and against this land with words like those of Jeremiah.

²¹ King Je·hoiʹa·kim and all his mighty men and all the princes heard his words, and the king sought to put him to death. When U·riʹjah heard of it, he at once became afraid and fled to Egypt.

²² Then King Je·hoiʹa·kim sent El·naʹthan the son of Achʹbor and other men with him to Egypt.

²³ They brought U·riʹjah from Egypt and took him to King Je·hoiʹa·kim, who then struck him down with the sword and cast his dead body into the graveyard of the common people.”

²⁴ But A·hiʹkam the son of Shaʹphan supported Jeremiah, so that he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.

¹ In the beginning of the reign of Je·hoiʹa·kim son of Jo·siʹah, the king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from Jehovah:

² “This is what Jehovah has told me, ‘Make for yourself straps and yoke bars, and put them on your neck.

³ Then send them to the king of Eʹdom, the king of Moʹab, the king of the Amʹmon·ites, the king of Tyre, and the king of Siʹdon by the hand of the messengers who have come to Jerusalem to King Zed·e·kiʹah of Judah.

⁴ “‘“This is what Jehovah of armies, the God of Israel, says; this is what you should say to your masters,

⁵ ‘It is I who made the earth, mankind, and the beasts that are on the surface of the earth by my great power and by my outstretched arm; and I have given it to whomever I please.

⁶ And now I have given all these lands into the hand of my servant King Neb·u·chad·nezʹzar of Babylon; even the wild beasts of the field I have given him to serve him.

⁷ All the nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until the time for his own land comes, when many nations and great kings will make him their slave.’

⁸ “‘“‘If any nation or kingdom refuses to serve King Neb·u·chad·nezʹzar of Babylon and refuses to put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence,’ declares Jehovah, ‘until I have finished them off by his hand.’

⁹ “‘“‘Therefore, do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your magicians, and your sorcerers, who are saying to you: “You will not serve the king of Babylon.”

¹⁰ For they are prophesying lies to you, so that you will be taken far away from your land and I will disperse you and you will perish.

¹¹ “‘“‘But the nation that brings its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serves him, I will allow to remain on its land,’ declares Jehovah, ‘to cultivate it and dwell in it.’”’”

¹² Also to King Zed·e·kiʹah of Judah I spoke in the same way, saying: “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people, and you will keep living.

¹³ Why should you and your people die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, as Jehovah has said about the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

¹⁴ Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are saying to you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ because they are prophesying lies to you.

¹⁵ “‘For I have not sent them,’ declares Jehovah, ‘but they are prophesying lies in my name, with the result that I will disperse you and you will perish, you and the prophets who are prophesying to you.’”

¹⁶ And to the priests and to all this people I said: “This is what Jehovah says, ‘Do not listen to the words of your prophets who are prophesying to you: “Look! The utensils of the house of Jehovah will be brought back from Babylon very soon!” for they are prophesying lies to you.

¹⁷ Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon and you will keep living. Why should this city become a ruin?

¹⁸ But if they are prophets and if the word of Jehovah is with them, please let them beg Jehovah of armies that the remaining utensils in the house of Jehovah, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem may not be taken away to Babylon.’

¹⁹ “For this is what Jehovah of armies says concerning the pillars, the Sea, the carriages, and the remaining utensils that are left in this city,

²⁰ which King Neb·u·chad·nezʹzar of Babylon did not take when he took into exile Jec·o·niʹah son of Je·hoiʹa·kim, the king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, together with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;

²¹ yes, this is what Jehovah of armies, the God of Israel, says concerning the utensils that are left at the house of Jehovah, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem:

²² ‘“To Babylon they will be brought, and there they will remain until the day I turn my attention to them,” declares Jehovah. “Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.”’”

¹ In that same year, in the beginning of the reign of King Zed·e·kiʹah of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, the prophet Han·a·niʹah the son of Azʹzur from Gibʹe·on said to me in the house of Jehovah in the presence of the priests and all the people:

² “This is what Jehovah of armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.

³ Within two years I am bringing back to this place all the utensils of the house of Jehovah that King Neb·u·chad·nezʹzar of Babylon took from this place and brought to Babylon.’”

⁴ “‘And I will bring back to this place Jec·o·niʹah son of Je·hoiʹa·kim, the king of Judah, and all the exiles of Judah who have gone to Babylon,’ declares Jehovah, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”

⁵ Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Han·a·niʹah the prophet in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of Jehovah.

⁶ Jeremiah the prophet said: “Amen! May Jehovah do this! May Jehovah fulfill your words that you prophesied by bringing back from Babylon to this place the utensils of the house of Jehovah and all the exiled people!

⁷ However, hear, please, this message that I am speaking in your ears and in the ears of all the people.

⁸ Long ago the prophets who were prior to me and prior to you used to prophesy concerning many lands and great kingdoms, about war, calamity, and pestilence.

⁹ If a prophet prophesies about peace and the word of that prophet comes true, then it will be known that Jehovah truly sent that prophet.”

¹⁰ At that Han·a·niʹah the prophet took the yoke bar off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it.

¹¹ Han·a·niʹah then said in the presence of all the people: “This is what Jehovah says, ‘Just like this I will break the yoke of King Neb·u·chad·nezʹzar of Babylon from off the neck of all the nations within two years.’” And Jeremiah the prophet went on his way.

¹² After Han·a·niʹah the prophet had broken the yoke bar from off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, this message of Jehovah came to Jeremiah:

¹³ “Go and say to Han·a·niʹah, ‘This is what Jehovah says: “You have broken yoke bars of wood, but instead of them you will make yoke bars of iron.”

¹⁴ For this is what Jehovah of armies, the God of Israel, says: “I will put an iron yoke bar on the neck of all these nations, to serve King Neb·u·chad·nezʹzar of Babylon, and they must serve him. Even the wild beasts of the field I will give him.”’”

¹⁵ Jeremiah the prophet then said to Han·a·niʹah the prophet: “Listen, please, O Han·a·niʹah! Jehovah has not sent you, but you have caused this people to trust in a lie.

¹⁶ Therefore this is what Jehovah says, ‘Look! I am removing you from the face of the ground. This year you will die, for you have urged rebellion against Jehovah.’”

¹⁷ So Han·a·niʹah the prophet died in that year, in the seventh month.