Jeremiah 28

1 And it came about in that year, when Zedekiah first became king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, that Hananiah, the son of Azzur the prophet, who came from Gibeon, said to Jeremiah in the house of the Lord, before the priests and all the people,

This is what happened in the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah, in the fifth month of that same year, the fourth year. The prophet Hananiah, son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, told me in the Lord's Temple in front of the priests and all the people:

2 These are the words of the Lord of armies, the God of Israel: By me the yoke of the king of Babylon has been broken.

“This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

3 In the space of two years I will send back into this place all the vessels of the Lord's house which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, took away from this place to Babylon:

Before two years have passed I'm going to bring back to Jerusalem all the Temple objects that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed and took to Babylon.

4 And I will let Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, come back to this place, with all the prisoners of Judah who went to Babylon, says the Lord: for I will have the yoke of the king of Babylon broken.

I will also bring back to Jerusalem Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, together with all the exiles from Judah who were taken to Babylon, declares the Lord, because I'm going to break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”

5 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, before the priests and all the people who had come into the house of the Lord,

Then the prophet Jeremiah responded to the prophet Hananiah in front of the priests and all the people who were standing in the Lord's Temple.

6 The prophet Jeremiah said, So be it: may the Lord do so: may the Lord give effect to the words which you have said, and let the vessels of the Lord's house, and all the people who have been taken away, come back from Babylon to this place.

“Amen!” said Jeremiah. “I wish the Lord would do just that! I wish the Lord would fulfill your prophetic words and bring back Temple objects and all the exiles back to Jerusalem from Babylon.

7 But still, give ear to this word which I am saying to you and to all the people:

But even so, pay attention to this message I'm going to tell you and everyone here.

8 The prophets, who were before me and before you, from early times gave word to a number of countries and great kingdoms about war and destruction and disease.

The prophets of long ago who came before you and me prophesied war, disaster, and disease against many countries and great kingdoms.

9 The prophet whose words are of peace, when his words come true, will be seen to be a prophet whom the Lord has sent.

When it comes to a prophet who prophesies peace, see if their prophecies come true. Only that will prove they are really sent by the Lord.”

10 Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and it was broken by his hands.

Then the prophet Hananiah removed the yoke from the prophet Jeremiah's neck and broke it.

11 And before all the people Hananiah said, The Lord has said, Even so will I let the yoke of the king of Babylon be broken off the necks of all the nations in the space of two years. Then the prophet Jeremiah went away.

Hananiah announced in front of everyone, “This is what the Lord says: Just like this, before two years have passed I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations.” Jeremiah the prophet left.

12 Then after the yoke had been broken off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah by Hananiah the prophet, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,

However, right after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from his neck, a message of the Lord came to Jeremiah:

13 Go and say to Hananiah, This is what the Lord has said: Yokes of wood have been broken by you, but in their place I will make yokes of iron.

“Go and tell Hananiah that this is what the Lord says: You may have broken a wooden yoke of wood, but you have replaced it with an iron yoke.

14 For the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, has said: I have put a yoke of iron on the necks of all these nations, making them servants to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon; and they are to be his servants: and in addition I have given him the beasts of the field.

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I have tied iron yokes on the necks of all these nations to force them to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I have even given him control over the wild animals.”

15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, Give ear, now, Hananiah; the Lord has not sent you; but you are making this people put their faith in what is false.

Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen to this, Hananiah! The Lord didn't send you, but you have convinced these people to believe in a lie.

16 For this reason the Lord has said, See, I will send you away from off the face of the earth: this year death will overtake you, because you have said words against the Lord.

So this is what the Lord says: I'm going to get rid of you from the earth. You will die this year because you have promoted rebellion against the Lord.”

17 So death came to Hananiah the prophet the same year, in the seventh month.

The prophet Hananiah died in the seventh month of that very year.