27
The Yoke of Babylon Will Be on Judah
1 When Zedekiah, son of King Josiah of Judah, began to rule, the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah.
2 This is what the Lord said to me: Make ⌞leather⌟ straps and a wooden yoke,* and strap the yoke on your neck. 3 Then send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon, with messengers who have come to King Zedekiah of Judah in Jerusalem. 4 Give them an order for their masters: “This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Say this to your masters, 5 ‘I used my great strength and my powerful arm to make the earth along with the people and the animals on it. I give it to anyone I please. 6 Now I have handed all these countries over to my servant King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have even made wild animals serve him. 7 All nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until Babylon is defeated. Then many nations and great kings will make him their slave.
8 “ ‘Suppose nations or kingdoms won’t serve or surrender to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I will punish those nations by wars, famines, and plagues, until I have put an end to them by Nebuchadnezzar’s power, declares the Lord. 9 Don’t listen to prophets, mediums, interpreters of dreams, fortunetellers, or sorcerers who tell you that you’ll never serve the king of Babylon. 10 They are prophesying lies to you. They will cause you to be taken far from your lands. I’ll scatter you, and you will die. 11 But suppose a nation surrenders to the king of Babylon and serves him. I will let it stay in its own land. People will farm the land and live on it,’ ” declares the Lord.
12 I spoke the same message to King Zedekiah of Judah, “Surrender to the king of Babylon, serve him and his people, and you will stay alive. 13 Why should you and your people die in wars, famines, and plagues? The Lord has threatened the nations that don’t serve the king of Babylon. 14 Don’t listen to the prophets who tell you that you’ll never serve the king of Babylon. They are prophesying lies to you. 15 I didn’t send them, declares the Lord. They prophesy lies in my name. So I will scatter you, and you and the prophets will die.”
16 I also spoke this message to the priests and all the people. “This is what the Lord said to me: Don’t listen to the prophets who tell you that the utensils of the Lord’s temple will be brought back from Babylon soon. They are prophesying lies to you. 17 Don’t listen to them. Instead, serve the king of Babylon, and live. Why should this city be turned into rubble? 18 If they are prophets and the Lord is speaking to them, they should beg the Lord of Armies not to allow the utensils that are left in the Lord’s temple, in the royal palace of Judah, and in Jerusalem to be taken away to Babylon.
19-20 “Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiakin,† son of King Jehoiakim of Judah, into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. But he didn’t take the pillars, the bronze pool, the stands, and the rest of the utensils that are left in this city. 21 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says about the utensils that are left in the Lord’s temple, in the royal palace of Judah, and in Jerusalem: 22 They will be taken to Babylon and stay there until I come for them, declares the Lord. I will take them from there and bring them back to this place.”
* 27:2 A yoke is a wooden bar placed over the necks of work animals so that they can pull plows or carts. † 27:19-20 Masoretic Text “Jeconiah,” an alternate form of Jehoiakin.