1A message from the LORD came to Jeremiah. It was shortly after Zedekiah became king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah.2The LORD said, ‘Make a yoke out of ropes and wooden boards. Put it on your neck.3Then write down a message for the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon. Give it to their messengers who have come to Jerusalem. They have come to see Zedekiah, the king of Judah.4Give them a message for the kings who sent them. It should say, “The LORD who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, ‘Here is what I want you to tell your masters.5I reached out my great and powerful arm. I made the earth. I made its people and animals. And I can give the earth to anyone I please.6Now I will hand over all your countries to my servant Nebuchadnezzar. He is the king of Babylon. I will put even the wild animals under his control.7All the nations will serve him and his son and grandson. After that, I will judge his land. Then many nations and great kings will make him serve them.8‘ “ ‘But suppose any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. And suppose it refuses to put its neck under his yoke. Then I will punish that nation with war, hunger and plague,’ announces the LORD. ‘I will punish it until his powerful hand destroys it.9So do not listen to your prophets. Do not listen to those who claim to have secret knowledge. Do not listen to those who try to explain your dreams. Do not listen to those who get messages from people who have died. Do not listen to those who practise evil magic. All of them will tell you, “You won’t serve the king of Babylon.”10But they prophesy lies to you. If you listen to them, you will be removed far away from your lands. I will drive you away from them. And you will die.11But suppose any nation will put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon. And suppose it serves him. Then I will let that nation remain in its own land. I will let its people plough the land and live there,’ ” ’ announces the LORD.12I gave the same message to Zedekiah, the king of Judah. I said, ‘Put your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon. Obey him. Serve his people. Then you will live.13Why should you and your people die? Why should you die of war, hunger and plague? That’s what the LORD said would happen to any nation that won’t serve the king of Babylon.14Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, “You won’t serve the king of Babylon.” They are prophesying lies to you.15“I have not sent them,” announces the LORD. “They are prophesying lies in my name. So I will drive you away from your land. And you will die. So will the prophets who prophesy to you.” ’16Then I spoke to the priests and all these people. I said, ‘The LORD says, “Do not listen to the prophets who speak to you. They say, ‘Very soon the objects from the LORD’s house will be brought back from Babylon.’ Those prophets are prophesying lies to you.17Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon. Then you will live. Why should this city be destroyed?18If they are prophets and have received a message from me, let them pray to me. I am the LORD who rules over all. Those prophets should pray that what is still in Jerusalem will remain here. They should pray that the objects in my house and the king’s palace will not be taken to Babylon.19I am the LORD who rules over all. Do you know what these objects are? They include the two pillars in front of the temple. They include the huge bronze bowl. They include the bronze stands that can be moved around. And they include the other things left in this city.20Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, did not take these things away at first. That was when he took King Jehoiachin from Jerusalem to Babylon. Jehoiachin is the son of Jehoiakim. Nebuchadnezzar also took all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem along with Jehoiachin.21I am the LORD who rules over all. I am the God of Israel. Here is what will happen to the things that are left in my house, the king’s palace and Jerusalem.22They will be taken to Babylon. They will remain there until the day I come for them,” announces the LORD. “Then I will bring them back. I will return them to this place.” ’
Jeremiah 27
English Standard Version
The Yoke of Nebuchadnezzar
1In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah[1] the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord.2Thus the Lord said to me: “Make yourself straps and yoke-bars, and put them on your neck. (Le 26:13; 1Ki 22:11; Jer 28:10; Jer 28:12; Eze 7:23)3Send word[2] to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the sons of Ammon, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon by the hand of the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. (Jer 25:21)4Give them this charge for their masters: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: This is what you shall say to your masters:5“It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me. (Ps 115:15; Ps 115:16; Isa 45:12; Jer 21:5; Da 4:17; Da 4:25; Da 4:32)6Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. (Jer 25:9; Jer 28:14; Eze 30:21; Eze 30:25; Da 2:38)7All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave. (Jer 25:12; Jer 25:14; Jer 52:31; Da 2:37; Da 5:1; Da 5:30)8““But if any nation or kingdom will not serve this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and 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 the Lord, until I have consumed it by his hand. (Jer 14:12; Jer 27:11; Jer 30:8)9So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers, who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.’ (De 18:10; Isa 2:6; Jer 14:14; Jer 29:8)10For it is a lie that they are prophesying to you, with the result that you will be removed far from your land, and I will drive you out, and you will perish. (Jer 5:31)11But any nation that will bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave on its own land, to work it and dwell there, declares the Lord.”’” (Jer 27:2; Jer 27:8)12To Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke in like manner: “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people and live. (Jer 27:1; Jer 27:11; Jer 27:17; Jer 28:1; Jer 38:17)13Why will you and your people die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, as the Lord has spoken concerning any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? (Jer 14:12; Jer 27:8; Eze 18:31)14Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon,’ for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you. (Jer 14:14; Jer 27:10)15I have not sent them, declares the Lord, but they are prophesying falsely in my name, with the result that I will drive you out and you will perish, you and the prophets who are prophesying to you.” (Jer 27:10)16Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who are prophesying to you, saying, ‘Behold, the vessels of the Lord’s house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon,’ for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you. (2Ki 24:13; 2Ch 36:7; 2Ch 36:10; 2Ch 36:18; Jer 27:10; Jer 27:14; Jer 28:3)17Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city become a desolation? (Jer 7:34; Jer 27:11; Jer 27:14)18If they are prophets, and if the word of the Lord is with them, then let them intercede with the Lord of hosts, that the vessels that are left in the house of the Lord, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem may not go to Babylon. (Isa 59:16; Da 1:2)19For thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the pillars, the sea, the stands, and the rest of the vessels that are left in this city, (2Ki 25:13)20which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away, when he took into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem— (2Ki 24:14; Jer 24:1; Mt 1:11)21thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of the Lord, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem: (Jer 27:19)22They shall be carried to Babylon and remain there until the day when I visit them, declares the Lord. Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.” (2Ki 25:13; 2Ch 36:18; 2Ch 36:22; Ezr 1:1; Ezr 1:7; Ezr 5:14; Ezr 7:19; Jer 29:10; Jer 32:5; Jer 52:17; Jer 52:20)