¹¹ and he said^(A) 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.

² “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will break the yoke^(A) of the king of Babylon. ³ Within two years I will bring back to this place all the articles^(B) 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 Jehoiachin^[a](C) 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.’”^(D)

² This is what the Lord said to me: “Make a yoke^(A) out of straps and crossbars and put it on your neck. ³ Then send^(B) word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon,^(C) Tyre and Sidon^(D) 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 arm^(E) I made^(F) the earth and its people and the animals^(G) that are on it, and I give^(H) it to anyone I please. ⁶ Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant^(I) Nebuchadnezzar^(J) king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him.^{(K) 7} All nations will serve^(L) him and his son and his grandson until the time^(M) for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate^(N) him.

⁸ “‘“If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punish^(O) that nation with the sword,^(P) famine^(Q) and plague,^(R) declares the Lord, until I destroy it by his hand. ⁹ So do not listen to your prophets,^(S) your diviners,^(T) your interpreters of dreams,^(U) your mediums^(V) or your sorcerers^(W) who tell you, ‘You will not serve^(X) the king of Babylon.’ ¹⁰ They prophesy lies^(Y) to you that will only serve to remove^(Z) you far from your lands; I will banish you and you will perish. ¹¹ But if any nation will bow its neck under the yoke^(AA) of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let that nation remain in its own land to till it and to live^(AB) there, declares the Lord.”’”

¹² I gave the same message to Zedekiah king of Judah. I said, “Bow your neck under the yoke^(AC) of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and you will live.^(AD)

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies^(A) in my name. I have not sent^(B) them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions,^(C) divinations,^(D) idolatries^[a] and the delusions of their own minds.

²² “So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours.^(A) The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”

²³ Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped^(B) Micaiah in the face. “Which way did the spirit from^[a] the Lord go when he went from me to speak to you?” he asked.

¹⁰ Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns, and he declared, “This is what the Lord says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’”