¹⁴ so that the kingdom would be brought low,^(A) unable to rise again, surviving only by keeping his treaty.

¹⁴ I will bring them back from captivity and return them to Upper Egypt,^(A) the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowly^(B) kingdom.^(C)

¹⁷ Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax^[a](A) to Caesar or not?”

¹⁸ But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? ¹⁹ Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, ²⁰ and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

²¹ “Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s,^(B) and to God what is God’s.”

⁶ and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches^(A) turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out leafy boughs.^(B)

¹⁷ Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender^(A) to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live.^(B)

¹² I gave the same message to Zedekiah king of Judah. I said, “Bow your neck under the yoke^(A) of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and you will live.^{(B) 13} Why will you and your people die^(C) by the sword, famine and plague^(D) with which the Lord has threatened any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? ¹⁴ Do not listen^(E) to the words of the prophets^(F) who say to you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying lies^(G) to you. ¹⁵ ‘I have not sent^(H) them,’ declares the Lord. ‘They are prophesying lies in my name.^(I) Therefore, I will banish you and you will perish,^(J) 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 articles^(K) from the Lord’s house will be brought back from Babylon.’ They are prophesying lies to you. ¹⁷ Do not listen^(L) to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and you will live.^(M) Why should this city become a ruin?

³⁰ “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.^(A)’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor,^(B) but those who despise^(C) me will be disdained.^(D)