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Jeremiah Condemns Hananiah

28 One day in late summer[a] of that same year—the fourth year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah—Hananiah son of Azzur, a prophet from Gibeon, addressed me publicly in the Temple while all the priests and people listened. He said, “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will remove the yoke of the king of Babylon from your necks. Within two years I will bring back all the Temple treasures that King Nebuchadnezzar carried off to Babylon. And I will bring back Jehoiachin[b] son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the other captives that were taken to Babylon. I will surely break the yoke that the king of Babylon has put on your necks. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”

Jeremiah responded to Hananiah as they stood in front of all the priests and people at the Temple. He said, “Amen! May your prophecies come true! I hope the Lord does everything you say. I hope he does bring back from Babylon the treasures of this Temple and all the captives. But listen now to the solemn words I speak to you in the presence of all these people. The ancient prophets who preceded you and me spoke against many nations, always warning of war, disaster, and disease. So a prophet who predicts peace must show he is right. Only when his predictions come true can we know that he is really from the Lord.”

10 Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke off Jeremiah’s neck and broke it in pieces. 11 And Hananiah said again to the crowd that had gathered, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Just as this yoke has been broken, within two years I will break the yoke of oppression from all the nations now subject to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.’” With that, Jeremiah left the Temple area.

12 Soon after this confrontation with Hananiah, the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah: 13 “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but you have replaced it with a yoke of iron. 14 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I have put a yoke of iron on the necks of all these nations, forcing them into slavery under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.’”

15 Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, but the people believe your lies. 16 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘You must die. Your life will end this very year because you have rebelled against the Lord.’”

17 Two months later[c] the prophet Hananiah died.

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Footnotes

  1. 28:1 Hebrew In the fifth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. The fifth month in the fourth year of Zedekiah’s reign occurred within the months of August and September 593 B.c. Also see note on 1:3.
  2. 28:4 Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant spelling of Jehoiachin.
  3. 28:17 Hebrew In the seventh month of that same year. See 28:1 and the note there.

Jeremiah Challenges a False Prophet

28 In that same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, in the fourth year and the fifth month, Azzur’s son Hananiah, the prophet from Gibeon, told me at the Lord’s Temple in front of the priests and all the people, “This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I’ve broken the yoke of the king of Babylon, and within two years I’ll bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord’s Temple that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took from this place and carried to Babylon. I’ll bring back Jehoiakim’s son Jeconiah, king of Judah, and all the exiles of Judah who went to Babylon to this place,’ declares the Lord, ‘for I’ll break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”

The prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in front of the priests and all[a] the people who were standing in the Lord’s Temple. The prophet Jeremiah said, “May the Lord truly do this thing! May the Lord fulfill the words[b] that you prophesied to bring back the vessels of the Lord’s Temple and all the exiles from Babylon to this place. But please listen to what I’m saying in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. The prophets who came before us[c] from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and plague against many lands and great kingdoms. When a prophet prophesies peace, and what the prophet speaks comes about, he will be known as the prophet whom the Lord has truly sent.”

10 Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke[d] from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke it. 11 Hananiah, in front of all the people, said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way, within two years, I’ll break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations.’” Then Jeremiah the prophet went on his way.

12 This message from the Lord came to Jeremiah after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke[e] from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet: 13 “Go and say to Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: “You have broken wooden yokes,[f] but you have made iron yokes[g] in their place.” 14 For this is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: “I’ve put an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. They’ll serve him, and I’ve even given the wild animals to him.”’”

15 The prophet Jeremiah told the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord didn’t send you, and you are causing these people to trust in a lie. 16 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘I’m about to remove[h] you from the face of the earth. This year you will die because you have preached rebellion against the Lord.’”

17 So the prophet Hananiah died in the seventh month of that year.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 28:5 Lit. and in front of
  2. Jeremiah 28:6 Lit. your words
  3. Jeremiah 28:8 Lit. before me and before you
  4. Jeremiah 28:10 Lit. the bar of the yoke
  5. Jeremiah 28:12 Lit. the bar of the yoke
  6. Jeremiah 28:13 Lit. the bars of the yoke
  7. Jeremiah 28:13 Lit. the bars of the yoke
  8. Jeremiah 28:16 Lit. send you away