Jeremiah 27:6-17

English Standard Version

^6 (A)Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, ^(B)my servant, ^(C)and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. ^7 (D)All the nations shall serve him and ^(E)his son and ^(F)his grandson, ^(G)until the time of his own land comes. ^(H)Then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave.

⁸ “‘“But if any nation or kingdom will not serve this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, ^(I)and put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation ^(J)with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, declares the Lord, until I have consumed it by his hand. ⁹ So ^(K)do not listen to your ^(L)prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your ^(M)fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers, who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.’ ^10 (N)For 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. ^11 (O)But 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.”’”

¹² To ^(P)Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke in like manner: ^(Q)“Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and ^(R)serve him and his people and live. ^13 (S)Why will you and your people die ^(T)by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, ^(U)as the Lord has spoken concerning any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? ^14 (V)Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon,’ ^(W)for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you. ¹⁵ I have not sent them, declares the Lord, but ^(X)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.”

¹⁶ Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ^(Y)Do not listen to the words of your prophets who are prophesying to you, saying, ^(Z)‘Behold, the vessels of the Lord's house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon,’ ^(AA)for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you. ^17 (AB)Do not listen to them; ^(AC)serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city ^(AD)become a desolation?