¹⁹ Where are your prophets^(A) who prophesied to you, ‘The king of Babylon will not attack you or this land’?

¹⁰ Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke^(A) off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, ¹¹ and he said^(B) 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 yoke^(C) on the necks of all these nations to make them serve^(D) Nebuchadnezzar^(E) king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.^(F)’”

¹⁵ Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent^(G) you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies.^{(H) 16} Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth.^(I) This very year you are going to die,^(J) because you have preached rebellion^(K) against the Lord.’”

¹⁷ In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died.^(L)

¹³ Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Why do you want to involve me? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.”

“No,” the king of Israel answered, “because it was the Lord who called us three kings together to deliver us into the hands of Moab.”

¹⁰ “‘Because they lead my people astray,^(A) saying, “Peace,”^(B) when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash,^{(C) 11} therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones^(D) hurtling down,^(E) and violent winds will burst forth.^{(F) 12} When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?”

¹³ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones^(G) and torrents of rain^(H) will fall with destructive fury.^{(I) 14} I will tear down the wall^(J) you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation^(K) will be laid bare. When it^[a] falls,^(L) you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord. ¹⁵ So I will pour out my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, ¹⁶ those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(M)”’

³¹ “Send this message to all the exiles: ‘This is what the Lord says about Shemaiah^(A) the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I did not send^(B) him, and has persuaded you to trust in lies,

The False Prophet Hananiah

28 In the fifth month of that same year, the fourth year, early in the reign of Zedekiah^(A) king of Judah, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon,^(B) 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 yoke^(C) of the king of Babylon. ³ Within two years I will bring back to this place all the articles^(D) 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](E) 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.’”^(F)

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.

¹⁴ Do not listen^(A) to the words of the prophets^(B) who say to you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying lies^(C) to you. ¹⁵ ‘I have not sent^(D) them,’ declares the Lord. ‘They are prophesying lies in my name.^(E) Therefore, I will banish you and you will perish,^(F) 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^(G) from the Lord’s house will be brought back from Babylon.’ They are prophesying lies to you. ¹⁷ Do not listen^(H) to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and you will live.^(I) Why should this city become a ruin? ¹⁸ If they are prophets and have the word of the Lord, let them plead^(J) 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.