1 I n the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord:

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

2 T hus says the Lord to me: Make for yourself thongs and yoke bars and put them on your neck,

“Thus says the Lord to me: ‘Make for yourselves bonds and yokes, and put them on your neck,

3 A nd send them to the king of Edom, to the king of Moab, to the king of the Ammonites, to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon by the hand of the messengers who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah.

and send them to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the Ammonites, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah.

4 A nd command them to say to their masters, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Thus shall you say to your masters:

And command them to say to their masters, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel—thus you shall say to your masters:

5 I have made the earth, the men, and the beasts that are upon the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I give it to whomever it seems right and suitable to Me.

‘I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed proper to Me.

6 A nd now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant and instrument, and the beasts of the field also I have given him to serve him.

And now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field I have also given him to serve him.

7 A nd all nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson until the time of his own land comes; and then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave.

So all nations shall serve him and his son and his son’s son, until the time of his land comes; and then many nations and great kings shall make him serve them.

8 B ut any nation or kingdom that will not serve this same Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, says the Lord, with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, until I have consumed it by hand.

And it shall be, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and which will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will punish,’ says the Lord, ‘with the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.

9 S o do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers, your sorcerers, who say to you, You shall not serve the king of Babylon.

Therefore do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, “You shall not serve the king of Babylon.”

10 F or they prophesy a lie to you which will cause you to be removed far from your land; and I will drive you out, and you will perish.

For they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out, and you will perish.

11 B ut any nation that brings its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serves him, that nation will I let remain on its own land, says the Lord, to cultivate it and dwell in it.

But the nations that bring their necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let them remain in their own land,’ says the Lord, ‘and they shall till it and dwell in it.’”’”

12 I spoke also to Zedekiah king of Judah in the same way: Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

I also 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 W hy will you and your people die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lord has spoken concerning any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lord has spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

14 D o not listen to and believe the words of the prophets who are saying to you, You shall not serve the king of Babylon, for it is a lie that they prophesy to you.

Therefore do not 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 F or I have not sent them, says the Lord; but they are prophesying falsely in My name. I will drive you out to perish together with the prophets who prophesy to you.

for I have not sent them,” says the Lord, “yet they prophesy a lie in My name, that I may drive you out, and that you may perish, you and the prophets who prophesy to you.”

16 A lso I said to the priests and to all these people, Thus says the Lord: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who are prophesying to you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the Lord’s house shall now shortly be brought back from Babylon; for they are prophesying a lie to you.

Also 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 vessels of the Lord ’s house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon”; for they prophesy a lie to you.

17 D o not listen to them or heed them; serve the king of Babylon, and live. Why should this city be laid waste?

Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city be laid waste?

18 B ut if they are true prophets and if the word of the Lord is really spoken by them, let them now make intercession to 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.

But if they are prophets, and if the word of the Lord is with them, let them now make intercession to 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 at Jerusalem, do not go to Babylon.’

19 F or thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the pillars, the Sea, the bases, and the remainder of the vessels which are left in this city,

“For thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the pillars, concerning the Sea, concerning the carts, and concerning the remainder of the vessels that remain in this city,

20 W hich Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem—

which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not 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 Y es, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels which remain in the house of the Lord, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem:

yes, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem:

22 T hey will be carried to Babylon and there will they be until the day that I visit them, says the Lord. Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.

‘They shall be carried to Babylon, and there they shall be until the day that I visit them,’ says the Lord. ‘Then I will bring them up and restore them to this place.’”