The Yoke of Nebuchadnezzar

In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah† son of Josiah king of Judah this word came to Jeremiah from YHWH, saying:† 2Thus says YHWH to me:

“Make for yourself bonds and yokes, and put them upon your neck. 3And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the sons of Ammon, and to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon by the hand of the messengers having come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4And command them toward their masters to say: Thus says YHWH of Hosts, the God of Israel; thus you⁺ shall say to your⁺ masters:

5I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the face of the earth, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I have given it to those whom it seemed right in My eyes. 6And now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant; and also the beasts of the field I have given to him to serve him. And all the nations will serve him, and his son, and the son of his son, until the time of his own land comes—even it. And many nations and great kings will enslave him.

8And it will come to pass that the nation and the kingdom that does not serve Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon—with the sword and with the famine and with the pestilence I will punish that nation, a declaration of YHWH, until I have finished them by his hand.

9And you⁺, do not listen to your⁺ prophets, and to your⁺ diviners, and to your⁺ dreamers, and to your⁺ soothsayers, and to your⁺ sorcerers, whom they speak to you⁺, saying: ‘You⁺ shall not serve the king of Babylon. 10For they prophesy a lie to you⁺ so as to remove you⁺ far from your⁺ land; and I will drive you⁺ out, and you⁺ will perish. 11And the nation that brings their necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serves him, then will I let them rest upon their own land,” a declaration of YHWH, and they shall work it and dwell in it.

12And to Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke 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. Why should you⁺ die—you and your people—by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as YHWH has spoken against the nation that does not serve the king of Babylon?

14And 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⁺. 15For I have not sent them, a declaration of YHWH, and they prophesy a lie in My name, that I might drive you⁺ out and you⁺ may perish—you⁺ and the prophets prophesying to you⁺.”

16And to the priests and to all this people, I spoke, saying: “Thus says YHWH: Do not listen to the words of your⁺ prophets prophesying to you⁺, saying: ‘Behold, the vessels of the house of YHWH now shortly will be brought back from Babylon!’ For they are prophesying a lie to you⁺. 17Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon and live! Why should this city be laid waste?

And if they are prophets, and if the word of YHWH is with them, let them intercede now with YHWH of Hosts that the vessels remaining in the house of YHWH and in the house of the king of Judah in Jerusalem not go to Babylon.

19For thus says YHWH of Hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the Sea, and concerning the carts, and concerning the remainder of the vessels that remain in this city, 20Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he removed Jeconiah† son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon—and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. For thus says YHWH of Hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels remaining in the house of YHWH, and in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem: 22‘They shall be carried to Babylon, and they shall be there until the day I attend to them, a declaration of YHWH, ‘And I will bring them up, and I will restore them to this place.’”