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The False Prophet Hananiah

28 It was the fifth month of King Zedekiah’s fourth year as king of Judah. This was at the beginning of the king’s rule. At that time Hananiah the prophet spoke to me. He was the son of Azzur. And he was from the town of Gibeon. He was in the Temple of the Lord when he spoke to me. In front of the priests and all the people, Hananiah said: “The Lord of heaven’s armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will break the yoke the king of Babylon has put on Judah. Before two years are over, I will bring back everything that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took from the Lord’s Temple. I will also bring Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah back here. And I will bring back all the other people of Judah as captives to Babylon,’ says the Lord. ‘So I will break the yoke the king of Babylon put on Judah.’”

Then the prophet Jeremiah answered the prophet Hananiah. They were standing in the Temple of the Lord. The priests and all the people there could hear Jeremiah’s answer. He said, “Amen! Let the Lord really do that! May the Lord make the message you prophesy come true. May the Lord bring everything from the Lord’s Temple back from Babylon. And may he bring back to their homes all the people who were taken as captives.

“But listen to what I must say to you and all the people. There were prophets long before we became prophets, Hananiah. They prophesied that war, hunger and terrible sicknesses would come. They would come to many countries and great kingdoms. But a prophet might prophesy that we will have peace. The message of that prophet might come true. If it does, only then can he be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord!”

10 Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off Jeremiah’s neck and broke it. 11 Hananiah said in front of all the people, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He put that yoke on all the nations of the world. But I will break it before two years are over.’” After Hananiah had said that, Jeremiah left the Temple.

12 Then the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah. This was not long after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off of the prophet Jeremiah’s neck. 13 The Lord said, “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke. But I will make a yoke of iron in the place of the wooden one! 14 The Lord of heaven’s armies, the God of Israel, says: I will put a yoke of iron on the necks of all these nations. I will do that to make them serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. And they will be slaves to him. I will even give Nebuchadnezzar control over the wild animals.’”

15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord did not send you. And you have made the people of Judah trust in lies. 16 So this is what the Lord says: ‘Soon I will remove you from the earth. You will die this year. This is because you taught the people to turn against the Lord.’”

17 Hananiah died in the seventh month of that same year.

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: “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will break the yoke(C) of the king of Babylon. 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. 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)

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. He said, “Amen! May the Lord do so! May the Lord fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the Lord’s house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon.(G) Nevertheless, listen to what I have to say in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plague(H) against many countries and great kingdoms. But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true.(I)

10 Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke(J) off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, 11 and he said(K) 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(L) on the necks of all these nations to make them serve(M) Nebuchadnezzar(N) king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.(O)’”

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

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

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 28:4 Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant of Jehoiachin

Hananiah’s Falsehood and Doom

28 And (A)it happened in the same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the (B)fourth year and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of (C)Azur the prophet, who was from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying, “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘I have broken (D)the yoke of the king of Babylon. (E)Within two full years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon (F)took away from this place and carried to Babylon. And I will bring back to this place [a]Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah who went to Babylon,’ says the Lord, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’ ”

Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the people who stood in the house of the Lord, and the prophet Jeremiah said, (G)“Amen! The Lord do so; the Lord perform your words which you have prophesied, to bring back the vessels of the Lord’s house and all who were carried away captive, from Babylon to this place. Nevertheless hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: The prophets who have been before me and before you of old prophesied against many countries and great kingdoms—of war and disaster and pestilence. As for (H)the prophet who prophesies of (I)peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the Lord has truly sent.”

10 Then Hananiah the prophet took the (J)yoke off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck and broke it. 11 And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Even so I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon (K)from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years.’ ” And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.

12 Now the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying, 13 “Go and tell Hananiah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made in their place yokes of iron.” 14 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: (L)“I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him. (M)I have given him the beasts of the field also.” ’ ”

15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Hear now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, but (N)you make this people trust in a (O)lie. 16 Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you shall (P)die, because you have taught (Q)rebellion against the Lord.’ ”

17 So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 28:4 Jehoiachin, 2 Kin. 24:12

Hananiah the False Prophet

28 In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of (A)Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hananiah the son of (B)Azzur, the prophet from (C)Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord, in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: (D)I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. (E)Within (F)two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord's house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. I will also bring back to this place (G)Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, declares the Lord, (H)for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”

Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord, and the prophet Jeremiah said, (I)“Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord make the words that you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles. Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. (J)The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. (K)As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.”

10 Then the prophet Hananiah took the (L)yoke-bars from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke them. 11 And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, (M)“Thus says the Lord: (N)Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of (O)all the nations within two years.” But Jeremiah the prophet went his way.

12 Sometime after the prophet (P)Hananiah had broken the yoke-bars from off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 13 “Go, tell Hananiah, ‘Thus says the Lord: You have broken wooden bars, but you have made in their place bars of iron. 14 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have put upon the neck of all these nations (Q)an iron yoke to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, (R)and they shall serve him, (S)for I have given to him even the beasts of the field.’” 15 And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah, (T)the Lord has not sent you, (U)and you have made this people trust in a lie. 16 Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, (V)because you have uttered rebellion against the Lord.’”

17 In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hananiah died.