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27 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying, Yahweh says to me: “Make bonds and bars, and put them on your neck. Then send them to the king of Edom, to the king of Moab, to the king of the children of Ammon, to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. Give them a command to their masters, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel says, “You shall tell your masters: ‘I have made the earth, the men, and the animals that are on the surface of the earth by my great power and by my outstretched arm. I give it to whom it seems right to me. Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant. I have also given the animals of the field to him to serve him. All the nations will serve him, his son, and his son’s son, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings will make him their bondservant.

“‘“‘It will happen that I will punish the nation and the kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon,’ says Yahweh, ‘with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. But as for you, don’t listen to your prophets, to your diviners, to your dreams, to your soothsayers, or to your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, “You shall not serve the king of Babylon;” 10 for they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land, so that I would drive you out, and you would perish. 11 But the nation that brings their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serves him, that nation I will let remain in their own land,’ says Yahweh; ‘and they will till it and dwell in it.’”’”

12 I spoke 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 you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as Yahweh has spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon;’ for they prophesy a lie to you. 15 For I have not sent them,” says Yahweh, “but they prophesy falsely in my name; that I may drive you out, and that you may perish, you, and the prophets who prophesy to you.”

16 Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, Yahweh says, “Don’t listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, ‘Behold, the vessels of Yahweh’s house will now shortly be brought again from Babylon;’ for they prophesy a lie to you. 17 Don’t listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and live. Why should this city become a desolation? 18 But if they are prophets, and if Yahweh’s word is with them, let them now make intercession to Yahweh of Armies, that the vessels which are left in Yahweh’s house, in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, don’t go to Babylon. 19 For Yahweh of Armies says concerning the pillars, concerning the sea, concerning the bases, and concerning the rest of the vessels that are left in this city, 20 which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon didn’t take 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 yes, Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says concerning the vessels that are left in Yahweh’s house, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem: 22 ‘They will be carried to Babylon, and there they will be, until the day that I visit them,’ says Yahweh; ‘then I will bring them up, and restore them to this place.’”

The Nations to Submit to Nebuchadnezzar

27 In the beginning of the reign of [a](A)Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying— this is what the Lord has said to me: “Make for yourself (B)restraints and (C)yokes and put them on your neck, and send [b]word to the king of (D)Edom, the king of (E)Moab, the king of the sons of (F)Ammon, the king of (G)Tyre, and to the king of (H)Sidon [c]by the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. Order them to go to their masters, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “This is what you shall say to your masters: (I)I have made the earth, mankind, and the animals which are on the face of the earth (J)by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I will (K)give it to the one who is [d]pleasing in My sight. And now I (L)have handed all these lands over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, (M)My servant, and I have also given him the (N)animals of the field to serve him. (O)All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson (P)until the time of his own land comes; then (Q)many nations and great kings will [e]make him their servant.

‘And it will be that the nation or the kingdom which (R)will not serve him, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the (S)sword, with famine, and with plague,’ declares the Lord, ‘until I have eliminated [f]it by his hand. And as for you, (T)do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your [g]dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers who talk to you, saying, “You will not serve the king of Babylon.” 10 For they are prophesying a (U)lie to you in order to (V)remove you far from your land; and I will drive you away and you will perish. 11 But the nation that will (W)bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will (X)let remain on its land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and they will cultivate it and live in it.’”’”

12 I spoke words like all these to (Y)Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people, and live! 13 Why should you (Z)die, you and your people, by the sword, famine, and plague, as the Lord has spoken to the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 So (AA)do not listen to the words of the prophets who talk to you, saying, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying a (AB)lie to you; 15 for (AC)I have not sent them,” declares the Lord, “but they are (AD)prophesying falsely in My name, so that I will (AE)drive you away and that you will perish, (AF)you and the prophets who prophesy to you.”

16 Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying: “This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, “Behold, the (AG)vessels of the Lords house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon”; for they are prophesying a (AH)lie to you. 17 Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city (AI)become a place of ruins? 18 But (AJ)if they are prophets, and if the word of the Lord is with them, have them now (AK)plead with the Lord of armies that the vessels which are left in the house of the Lord and the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem do not go to Babylon. 19 For this is what the Lord of armies says concerning the (AL)pillars, concerning the [h]sea, concerning the kettle stands, and concerning the rest of the vessels that are left in this city, 20 which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he (AM)led into exile Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem— 21 Yes, this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, says concerning the vessels that are left in the house of the Lord and in the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem: 22 “They will be (AN)brought to Babylon and will be there until the (AO)day I visit them,” declares the Lord. “Then I will (AP)bring them [i]back and restore them to this place.”’”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 27:1 Many mss Jehoiakim
  2. Jeremiah 27:3 Lit them
  3. Jeremiah 27:3 Lit by the hand of
  4. Jeremiah 27:5 Or upright
  5. Jeremiah 27:7 Or enslave him
  6. Jeremiah 27:8 Lit them
  7. Jeremiah 27:9 Lit dreams
  8. Jeremiah 27:19 I.e., the bronze basin or laver from the temple
  9. Jeremiah 27:22 Lit up