In the beginning of the reign
of 1 aZedekiah
the son
of Josiah
, king
of Judah
, this
word
came
to Jeremiah
from the LORD
, saying
--
thus says
the LORD
to me--"Make
for yourself abonds
and byokes
and put
them on your neck
,
and send 1word to the king
of aEdom
, to the king
of aMoab
, to the king
of the sons
of aAmmon
, to the king
of aTyre
and to the king
of aSidon
2by the messengers
who come
to Jerusalem
to Zedekiah
king
of Judah
.
"Command them to go to their masters
, saying
, `Thus
says
the LORD
of hosts
, the God
of Israel
, thus
you shall say
to your masters
,
" aI have made the earth
, the men
and the beasts
which
are on the face
of the earth
bby My great
power
and by My outstretched
arm
, and I will cgive
it to the one who
is 1pleasing
in My sight
.
"Now I ahave given
all
these
lands
into the hand
of Nebuchadnezzar
king
of Babylon
, bMy servant
, and I have given
him also
the cwild
animals
of the field
to serve
him.
" aAll the nations
shall serve
him and his son
and his grandson
buntil
the time
of his own land
comes
; then cmany
nations
and great
kings
will 1make
him their servant
.
"It will be, that the nation or the kingdom
which
awill not serve
him, Nebuchadnezzar
king
of Babylon
, and which
will not put
its neck
under the yoke
of the king
of Babylon
, I will punish
that nation
with the bsword
, with famine
and with pestilence
," declares
the LORD
, "until
I have destroyed
1it by his hand
.
"But as for you, ado not listen to your prophets
, your diviners
, your 1dreamers
, your soothsayers
or your sorcerers
who
speak
to you, saying
, `You will not serve
the king
of Babylon
.'
"For they prophesy a alie
to you in order
to bremove
you far
from your land
; and I will drive
you out and you will perish
.
"But the nation which
will abring
its neck
under the yoke
of the king
of Babylon
and serve
him, I will blet remain
on its land
," declares
the LORD
, "and they will till
it and dwell
in it.""'
I spoke words
like all
these
to aZedekiah
king
of Judah
, saying
, "Bring
your necks
under the yoke
of the king
of Babylon
and serve
him and his people
, and live
!
"Why will you adie
, you and your people
, by the sword
, famine
and pestilence
, as the LORD
has spoken
to that nation
which
will not serve
the king
of Babylon
?
"So ado not listen to the words
of the prophets
who speak
to you, saying
, `You will not serve
the king
of Babylon
,' for they prophesy
a blie
to you;
for aI have not sent them," declares
the LORD
, "but they bprophesy
falsely
in My name
, in order
that I may cdrive
you out and that you may perish
, dyou and the prophets
who prophesy
to you."
Then I spoke to the priests
and to all
this
people
, saying
, "Thus
says
the LORD
: Do not listen
to the words
of your prophets
who prophesy
to you, saying
, `Behold
, the avessels
of the LORD'S
house
will now
shortly
be brought
again
from Babylon
'; for they are prophesying
a blie
to you.
"Do not listen to them; serve
the king
of Babylon
, and live
! Why
should this
city
abecome
a ruin
?
"But aif they are prophets
, and if
the word
of the LORD
is with them, let them now
bentreat
the LORD
of hosts
that the vessels
which are left
in the house
of the LORD
, in the house
of the king
of Judah
and in Jerusalem
may not go
to Babylon
.
"For thus says
the LORD
of hosts
concerning
the apillars
, concerning
the sea
, concerning
the stands
and concerning
the rest
of the vessels
that are left
in this
city
,
which Nebuchadnezzar
king
of Babylon
did not take
when he acarried
into exile
Jeconiah
the son
of Jehoiakim
, king
of Judah
, from Jerusalem
to Babylon
, and all
the nobles
of Judah
and Jerusalem
.
"Yes, thus
says
the LORD
of hosts
, the God
of Israel
, concerning
the vessels
that are left
in the house
of the LORD
and in the house
of the king
of Judah
and in Jerusalem
,
`They will be acarried to Babylon
and they will be there
until
the bday
I visit
them,' declares
the LORD
. `Then I will cbring
them 1back
and restore
them to this
place
.' "