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: “It is I who (A)by my great power and my outstretched arm (B)have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, (C)and I give it to whomever it seems right to me. (D)Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, (E)my servant, (F)and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. (G)All the nations shall serve him and (H)his son and (I)his grandson, (J)until the time of his own land comes. (K)Then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave.

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

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Command them to go to their masters, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Tell this to your masters: “By my great strength and outstretched arm,(A) I made the earth,(B) and the people, and animals on the face of the earth. I give it to anyone I please.[a](C) So now I have placed all these lands under the authority of my servant(D) Nebuchadnezzar,(E) king of Babylon. I have even given him the wild animals to serve him. All nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until the time for his own land comes, and then many nations and great kings will enslave him.(F)

“‘“As for the nation or kingdom that does not serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and does not place its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will punish by sword, famine, and plague—this is the Lord’s declaration—until through him I have destroyed it. So you should not listen to your prophets, diviners,(G) dreamers, fortune-tellers,(H) or sorcerers(I) who say to you, ‘Don’t serve the king of Babylon!’ 10 They are prophesying a lie(J) to you so that you will be removed from your land. I will banish you, and you will perish. 11 But as for the nation that will put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave it in its own land, and that nation will cultivate[b] it and reside in it. This is the Lord’s declaration.”’”

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Footnotes

  1. 27:5 Lit to whomever is upright in my eyes
  2. 27:11 Lit work