Judah to Serve Nebuchadnezzar

27 Early in the reign of Zedekiaha g son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 This is what the Lord said to me: “Make a yokeh out of straps and crossbars and put it on your neck. 3 Then sendi word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon,j Tyre and Sidonk through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4 Give them a message for their masters and say, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Tell this to your masters: 5 With my great power and outstretched arml I madem the earth and its people and the animalsn that are on it, and I giveo it to anyone I please. 6 Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servantp Nebuchadnezzarq king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him.r 7 All nations will serves him and his son and his grandson until the timet for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugateu him.

8 “ ‘ “If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punishv that nation with the sword,w faminex and plague,y declares the Lord, until I destroy it by his hand. 9 So do not listen to your prophets,z your diviners,a your interpreters of dreams,b your mediumsc or your sorcerersd who tell you, ‘You will not servee the king of Babylon.’ 10 They prophesy liesf to you that will only serve to removeg you far from your lands; I will banish you and you will perish. 11 But if any nation will bow its neck under the yokeh of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let that nation remain in its own land to till it and to livei there, declares the Lord.” ’ ”

12 I gave the same message to Zedekiah king of Judah. I said, “Bow your neck under the yokej of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and you will live.k 13 Why will you and your people diel by the sword, famine and plaguem with which the Lord has threatened any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 Do not listenn to the words of the prophetso who say to you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying liesp to you. 15 ‘I have not sentq them,’ declares the Lord. ‘They are prophesying lies in my name.r Therefore, I will banish you and you will perish,s both you and the prophets who prophesy to you.’ ”

16 Then I said to the priests and all these people, “This is what the Lord says: Do not listen to the prophets who say, ‘Very soon now the articlest from the Lord’s house will be brought back from Babylon.’ They are prophesying lies to you. 17 Do not listenu to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and you will live.v Why should this city become a ruin? 18 If they are prophets and have the word of the Lord, let them pleadw with the Lord Almighty that the articles remaining in the house of the Lord and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem not be taken to Babylon. 19 For this is what the Lord Almighty says about the pillars, the bronze Sea,x the movable stands and the other articlesy that are left in this city, 20 which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away when he carriedz Jehoiachinb a son of Jehoiakim king of Judah into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem—21 yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about the things that are left in the house of the Lord and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem: 22 ‘They will be takenb to Babylon and there they will remain until the dayc I come for them,’ declares the Lord. ‘Then I will bringd them back and restore them to this place.’ ”

The False Prophet Hananiah

28 In the fifth month of that same year, the fourth year, early in the reign of Zedekiahe king of Judah, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon,f said to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and all the people: 2 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will break the yokeg of the king of Babylon. 3 Within two years I will bring back to this place all the articlesh of the Lord’s house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed from here and took to Babylon. 4 I will also bring back to this place Jehoiachina i son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and all the other exiles from Judah who went to Babylon,’ declares the Lord, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’ ”j

5 Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah before the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord. 6 He said, “Amen! May the Lord do so! May the Lord fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the Lord’s house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon.k 7 Nevertheless, listen to what I have to say in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: 8 From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plaguel against many countries and great kingdoms. 9 But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true.m”

10 Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoken off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, 11 and he saido before all the people, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years.’ ” At this, the prophet Jeremiah went on his way.

12 After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 13 “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but in its place you will get a yoke of iron. 14 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will put an iron yokep on the necks of all these nations to make them serveq Nebuchadnezzarr king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.s’ ”

15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sentt you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies.u 16 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth.v This very year you are going to die,w because you have preached rebellionx against the Lord.’ ”

17 In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died.y

A Letter to the Exiles

29 This is the text of the letterz that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.a 2 (This was after King Jehoiachina b and the queen mother,c the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) 3 He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:

4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carriedd into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Builde houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.f 7 Also, seekg the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Prayh to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” 8 Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophetsi and diviners among you deceivej you. Do not listen to the dreamsk you encourage them to have.l 9 They are prophesying liesm to you in my name. I have not sentn them,” declares the Lord.

10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy yearso are completed for Babylon, I will come to youp and fulfill my good promiseq to bring you backr to this place. 11 For I know the planss I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prospert you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.u 12 Then you will callv on me and come and prayw to me, and I will listenx to you. 13 You will seeky me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.z 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you backa from captivity.b I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”b

15 You may say, “The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,” 16 but this is what the Lord says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all the people who remain in this city, your fellow citizens who did not go with you into exile—17 yes, this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will send the sword, famine and plaguec against them and I will make them like figsd that are so bad they cannot be eaten. 18 I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrente to all the kingdoms of the earth, a cursec f and an object of horror,g of scornh and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them. 19 For they have not listened to my words,”i declares the Lord, “words that I sent to them again and againj by my servants the prophets.k And you exiles have not listened either,” declares the Lord.

20 Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles whom I have sentl away from Jerusalem to Babylon. 21 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying liesm to you in my name: “I will deliver them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will put them to death before your very eyes. 22 Because of them, all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the Lord treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burnedn in the fire.’ 23 For they have done outrageous things in Israel; they have committed adulteryo with their neighbors’ wives, and in my name they have uttered lies—which I did not authorize. I knowp it and am a witnessq to it,” declares the Lord.

Message to Shemaiah

24 Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite, 25 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniahr son of Maaseiah, and to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah, 26 ‘The Lord has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada to be in charge of the house of the Lord; you should put any maniacs who acts like a prophet into the stockst and neck-irons. 27 So why have you not reprimanded Jeremiah from Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you? 28 He has sent this messageu to us in Babylon: It will be a long time.v Therefore buildw houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.’ ”

29 Zephaniahx the priest, however, read the letter to Jeremiah the prophet. 30 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 31 “Send this message to all the exiles: ‘This is what the Lord says about Shemaiahy the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I did not sendz him, and has persuaded you to trust in lies, 32 this is what the Lord says: I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants.a He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the goodb things I will do for my people, declares the Lord, because he has preached rebellionc against me.’ ”

Restoration of Israel

30 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Writed in a book all the words I have spoken to you. 3 The dayse are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will bringf my people Israel and Judah back from captivitya and restoreg them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the Lord.”

4 These are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: 5 “This is what the Lord says:

“ ‘Cries of fearh are heard—

terror, not peace.

6 Ask and see:

Can a man bear children?

Then why do I see every strong man

with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor,i

every face turned deathly pale?j

7 How awful that dayk will be!

No other will be like it.

It will be a time of troublel for Jacob,

but he will be savedm out of it.

8 “ ‘In that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty,

‘I will break the yoken off their necks

and will tear off their bonds;o

no longer will foreigners enslave them.p

9 Instead, they will serve the Lord their God

and Davidq their king,r

whom I will raise up for them.

10 “ ‘So do not be afraid,s Jacob my servant;t

do not be dismayed, Israel,’

declares the Lord.

‘I will surely saveu you out of a distant place,

your descendants from the land of their exile.

Jacob will again have peace and security,v

and no one will make him afraid.w

11 I am with youx and will save you,’

declares the Lord.

‘Though I completely destroy all the nations

among which I scatter you,

I will not completely destroyy you.

I will disciplinez you but only in due measure;

I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’a

12 “This is what the Lord says:

“ ‘Your woundb is incurable,

your injury beyond healing.c

13 There is no one to plead your cause,d

no remedy for your sore,

no healinge for you.

14 All your alliesf have forgotten you;

they care nothing for you.

I have struck you as an enemyg would

and punished you as would the cruel,h

because your guilt is so great

and your sinsi so many.

15 Why do you cry out over your wound,

your pain that has no cure?j

Because of your great guilt and many sins

I have done these things to you.k

16 “ ‘But all who devourl you will be devoured;

all your enemies will go into exile.m

Those who plundern you will be plundered;

all who make spoil of you I will despoil.

17 But I will restore you to health

and healo your wounds,’

declares the Lord,

‘because you are called an outcast,p

Zion for whom no one cares.’q

18 “This is what the Lord says:

“ ‘I will restore the fortunesr of Jacob’s tentss

and have compassiont on his dwellings;

the city will be rebuiltu on her ruins,

and the palace will stand in its proper place.

19 From them will come songsv of thanksgivingw

and the sound of rejoicing.x

I will add to their numbers,y

and they will not be decreased;

I will bring them honor,z

and they will not be disdained.

20 Their childrena will be as in days of old,

and their community will be establishedb before me;

I will punishc all who oppress them.

21 Their leaderd will be one of their own;

their ruler will arise from among them.e

I will bring him nearf and he will come close to me—

for who is he who will devote himself

to be close to me?’

declares the Lord.

22 “ ‘So you will be my people,g

and I will be your God.h’ ”

23 See, the stormi of the Lord

will burst out in wrath,

a driving wind swirling down

on the heads of the wicked.

24 The fierce angerj of the Lord will not turn backk

until he fully accomplishes

the purposes of his heart.

In days to come

you will understandl this.

31 “At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the Godm of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”

2 This is what the Lord says:

“The people who survive the sword

will find favorn in the wilderness;

I will come to give resto to Israel.”

3 The Lord appeared to us in the past,a saying:

“I have lovedp you with an everlasting love;

I have drawnq you with unfailing kindness.

4 I will build you up again,

and you, Virginr Israel, will be rebuilt.s

Again you will take up your timbrelst

and go out to danceu with the joyful.v

5 Again you will plantw vineyards

on the hills of Samaria;x

the farmers will plant them

and enjoy their fruit.y

6 There will be a day when watchmenz cry out

on the hills of Ephraim,

‘Come, let us go up to Zion,

to the Lord our God.’ ”a

7 This is what the Lord says:

“Singb with joy for Jacob;

shout for the foremostc of the nations.

Make your praises heard, and say,

‘Lord, saved your people,

the remnante of Israel.’

8 See, I will bring them from the land of the northf

and gatherg them from the ends of the earth.

Among them will be the blindh and the lame,i

expectant mothers and women in labor;

a great throng will return.

9 They will come with weeping;j

they will pray as I bring them back.

I will leadk them beside streams of waterl

on a levelm path where they will not stumble,

because I am Israel’s father,n

and Ephraim is my firstborn son.

10 “Hear the word of the Lord, you nations;

proclaim it in distant coastlands:o

‘He who scatteredp Israel will gatherq them

and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’r

11 For the Lord will deliver Jacob

and redeems them from the hand of those strongert than they.

12 They will come and shout for joyu on the heightsv of Zion;

they will rejoice in the bountyw of the Lord—

the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,x

the young of the flocksy and herds.

They will be like a well-watered garden,z

and they will sorrowa no more.

13 Then young women will dance and be glad,

young men and old as well.

I will turn their mourningb into gladness;

I will give them comfortc and joyd instead of sorrow.

14 I will satisfye the priestsf with abundance,

and my people will be filled with my bounty,g”

declares the Lord.

15 This is what the Lord says:

“A voice is heard in Ramah,h

mourning and great weeping,

Rachel weeping for her children

and refusing to be comforted,i

because they are no more.”j

16 This is what the Lord says:

“Restrain your voice from weeping

and your eyes from tears,k

for your work will be rewarded,l”

declares the Lord.

“They will returnm from the land of the enemy.

17 So there is hopen for your descendants,”

declares the Lord.

“Your childreno will return to their own land.

18 “I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:

‘You disciplinedp me like an unruly calf,q

and I have been disciplined.

Restorer me, and I will return,

because you are the Lord my God.

19 After I strayed,s

I repented;

after I came to understand,

I beatt my breast.

I was ashamedu and humiliated

because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’v

20 Is not Ephraim my dear son,

the childw in whom I delight?

Though I often speak against him,

I still rememberx him.

Therefore my heart yearns for him;

I have great compassiony for him,”

declares the Lord.

21 “Set up road signs;

put up guideposts.z

Take note of the highway,a

the road that you take.

Return,b Virginc Israel,

return to your towns.

22 How long will you wander,d

unfaithfule Daughter Israel?

The Lord will create a new thingf on earth—

the woman will return tob g the man.”

23 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity,c h the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: ‘The Lord blessi you, you prosperous city,j you sacred mountain.’k 24 People will livel together in Judah and all its towns—farmers and those who move about with their flocks.m 25 I will refresh the wearyn and satisfy the faint.”o

26 At this I awokep and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.

27 “The days are coming,”q declares the Lord, “when I will plantr the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals. 28 Just as I watcheds over them to uproott and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster,u so I will watch over them to build and to plant,”v declares the Lord. 29 “In those days people will no longer say,

‘The parentsw have eaten sour grapes,

and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’x

30 Instead, everyone will die for their own sin;y whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.

31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,

“when I will make a new covenantz

with the people of Israel

and with the people of Judah.

32 It will not be like the covenanta

I made with their ancestorsb

when I took them by the hand

to lead them out of Egypt,c

because they broke my covenant,

though I was a husbandd tod them,e”

declares the Lord.

33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel

after that time,” declares the Lord.

“I will put my law in their mindse

and write it on their hearts.f

I will be their God,

and they will be my people.g

34 No longer will they teachh their neighbor,

or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’

because they will all knowi me,

from the least of them to the greatest,”

declares the Lord.

“For I will forgivej their wickedness

and will remember their sinsk no more.”

35 This is what the Lord says,

he who appointsl the sun

to shine by day,

who decrees the moon and stars

to shine by night,m

who stirs up the sean

so that its waves roaro—

the Lord Almighty is his name:p

36 “Only if these decreesq vanish from my sight,”

declares the Lord,

“will Israelr ever cease

being a nation before me.”

37 This is what the Lord says:

“Only if the heavens above can be measureds

and the foundations of the earth below be searched out

will I rejectt all the descendants of Israel

because of all they have done,”

declares the Lord.

38 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this city will be rebuiltu for me from the Tower of Hananelv to the Corner Gate.w 39 The measuring linex will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. 40 The whole valleyy where dead bodiesz and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valleya on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate,b will be holyc to the Lord. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.”