Jeremiah 27
Wycliffe Bible
27 In the beginning of the realm of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word was made of the Lord to Jeremy, and said, (At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, this word of the Lord was made to Jeremiah, and said,)
2 The Lord saith these things to me, Make thou to thee bonds and chains, and thou shalt put them in thy neck (and thou shalt put them on, or around, thy neck);
3 and thou shalt send those to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the sons of Ammon (and to the king of the Ammonites), and to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon, by the hand of [the] messengers that came to Jerusalem, and to Zedekiah, king of Judah.
4 And thou shalt command to them, that they speak to their lords, (and say,) The Lord of hosts, God of Israel saith these things, Ye shall say these things to your lords,
5 I made earth, and man, and beasts that be on the face of all earth, in my great strength, and in mine arm holden forth; and I gave it to him that pleased (me) before mine eyes. (I made the earth, and the people, and all the beasts that be upon the face of the earth, by my great strength, and by my arm stretched forth; and I gave it to those who pleased my eyes.)
6 And now therefore I gave all these lands in the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, my servant, the king of Babylon; furthermore and I gave to him the beasts of the field, that they serve him. (And so now I have given all of these lands into the hands, or into the power, of my servant Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon; and I have even given him the beasts of the field, so that they would serve him.)
7 And all folks shall serve him, and his son, and the son of his son, till the time of his land and of him come; and many folks and great kings shall serve him. (And all the nations shall serve him, and his son, and the son of his son, until the time of the end for his own land come; yea, many nations and great kings shall serve him.)
8 Forsooth the folk and realm that serveth not Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and whoever boweth not his neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I shall visit on that folk in sword, and hunger, and pestilence, saith the Lord, till I waste them in his hand. (But the nation, or the kingdom, that serveth not Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and whoever boweth not his neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I shall punish that nation with the sword, and hunger, and pestilence, saith the Lord, until I destroy them by his hand, or by his power.)
9 Therefore do not ye hear your prophets, and false diviners, and dreamers, and diviners by (the) chittering and flying of birds, and witches, that say to you, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon;
10 for they prophesy a leasing to you, that they make you far from your land, and cast out you, and ye perish. (for they prophesy a lie to you, so that they make you far from your land, and cast you out, and ye perish.)
11 Certainly the folk that maketh subject their noll under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serveth him, I shall leave, either deliver, it in his (own) land, saith the Lord; and it shall till that land, and shall dwell therein. (Truly the nation that maketh subject their necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serveth him, I shall leave them in their own land, saith the Lord; and they shall till that land, and shall live there.)
12 And I spake by all these words to Zedekiah, king of Judah, and I said, Make ye subject your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve ye him, and his people, and ye shall live.
13 Why shall ye die, thou and thy people, by sword, and hunger, and pestilence, as the Lord spake to the folk, that would not serve to the king of Babylon? (Why shall ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, and hunger, and pestilence, as the Lord said would happen to any nation, that would not serve the king of Babylon?)
14 Do not ye hear the words of prophets saying to you, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon; for they speak leasing to you (for they say lies to you),
15 for I sent not them, saith the Lord; and they prophesy falsely in my name, that they cast out you, and that ye perish, both ye and the prophets that prophesy to you. (for I did not send them, saith the Lord; and they prophesy falsely in my name, and so I shall cast you out, and ye shall perish, both ye and the prophets who prophesy to you.)
16 And I spake to the priests, and to this people, and I said, The Lord God saith these things, Do not ye hear the words of your prophets, that prophesy to you, and say, Lo! the vessels of the (house of the) Lord shall turn again now soon from Babylon; for they prophesy a leasing to you. (And I spoke to the priests, and to this people, and I said, The Lord God saith these things, Do not ye listen to the words of your prophets, who prophesy to you, and say, Lo! the vessels of the House of the Lord shall soon be brought back from Babylon; for they prophesy a lie to you.)
17 Therefore do not ye hear them, but serve ye the king of Babylon, that ye live; why is this city given into wilderness? (And so do not ye listen to them, but serve ye the king of Babylon, so that ye can live; why should this city be turned into a wilderness?)
18 And if they be prophets, and if the word of God is in them, run they (now) to the Lord of hosts, (and plead) that the vessels, which were left in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem, come not into Babylon (be not taken away to Babylon).
19 For the Lord of hosts saith these things to the pillars, and to the sea, that is, a great washing vessel, and to the foundaments, and to the remnants of [the] vessels, that were left in this city, (For the Lord of hosts saith these things about the pillars, and the sea, that is, a great washing vessel, and their bases, and the remnants of the vessels, that were left in this city,)
20 which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, took not, when he translated Jeconiah (when he carried away captive Jeconiah), the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem into Babylon, and all the principal men of Judah and of Jerusalem.
21 For the Lord of hosts, God of Israel, saith these things to the vessels that be left in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem, (For the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saith these things about the vessels that be left in the House of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem,)
22 They shall be translated, either led over, into Babylon, and shall be (left) there unto the day of their visitation, saith the Lord; and (then) I shall make those to be brought (back), and to be restored in this place.
Jeremiah 27
King James Version
27 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
2 Thus saith the Lord to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,
3 And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah;
4 And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters;
5 I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.
6 And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.
7 And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.
8 And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.
9 Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:
10 For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.
11 But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the Lord; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.
12 I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.
13 Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lord hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
14 Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.
15 For I have not sent them, saith the Lord, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.
16 Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the Lord's house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.
17 Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste?
18 But if they be prophets, and if the word of the Lord be with them, let them now make intercession to the Lord of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.
19 For thus saith the Lord of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city.
20 Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;
21 Yea, thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem;
22 They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the Lord; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.
Jeremiah 27
English Standard Version
The Yoke of Nebuchadnezzar
27 In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah[a] the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord. 2 Thus the Lord said to me: (A)“Make yourself straps and (B)yoke-bars, and put them on your neck. 3 Send word[b] to the king of (C)Edom, the king of (D)Moab, the king of the sons of (E)Ammon, the king of (F)Tyre, and the king of Sidon by the hand of the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4 Give them this charge for their masters: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: This is what you shall say to your masters: 5 “It is I who (G)by my great power and my outstretched arm (H)have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, (I)and I give it to whomever it seems right to me. 6 (J)Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, (K)my servant, (L)and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. 7 (M)All the nations shall serve him and (N)his son and (O)his grandson, (P)until the time of his own land comes. (Q)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, (R)and put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation (S)with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, declares the Lord, until I have consumed it by his hand. 9 So (T)do not listen to your (U)prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your (V)fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers, who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.’ 10 (W)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 (X)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 (Y)Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke in like manner: (Z)“Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and (AA)serve him and his people and live. 13 (AB)Why will you and your people die (AC)by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, (AD)as the Lord has spoken concerning any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 (AE)Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon,’ (AF)for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you. 15 I have not sent them, declares the Lord, but (AG)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: (AH)Do not listen to the words of your prophets who are prophesying to you, saying, (AI)‘Behold, the vessels of the Lord's house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon,’ (AJ)for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you. 17 (AK)Do not listen to them; (AL)serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city (AM)become a desolation? 18 If they are prophets, and if the word of the Lord is with them, then (AN)let them intercede with the Lord of hosts, (AO)that the vessels that are left in the house of the Lord, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem may not go to Babylon. 19 (AP)For thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the pillars, the sea, the stands, and the rest of the vessels that are left in this city, 20 which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away, (AQ)when he took into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem— 21 thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, (AR)concerning the vessels that are left in the house of the Lord, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem: 22 (AS)They shall be carried to Babylon (AT)and remain there (AU)until the day when I visit them, declares the Lord. (AV)Then I will bring them back (AW)and restore them to this place.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 27:1 Or Jehoiakim
- Jeremiah 27:3 Hebrew Send them
2001 by Terence P. Noble
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
