Jeremiah 27

1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, came this word unto Jeremiah, from Yahweh, saying:

At the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD.

2 Thus, said Yahweh unto me, Make thee, bonds and bars, and put them upon thine own neck.

This is what the LORD said to me: “Make for yourself a yoke out of leather straps and put it on your neck.

3 Then shalt thou send them unto the king of Edom and unto the king of Moab and unto the king of the sons of Ammon, and unto the king of Tyre and unto the king of Zidon, —by the hand of messengers coming into Jerusalem, unto Zedekiah king of Judah.

Send word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah.

4 And thou shall give them charge unto their lords saying, —Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts God of Israel, Thus shall ye say unto your lords: —

Give them a message from the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, to relay to their masters:

5 I, made The earth—The man and the beast that are on the face of the earth—By my great power, And by mine outstretched arm, —And gave it to whomsoever was right in mine own eyes.

By My great power and outstretched arm, I made the earth and the men and beasts on the face of it, and I give it to whom I please.

6 Now, therefore, I, have given all these lands, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon my servant, —Moreover also, the wild beast of the field, have I given him, to serve him.

So now I have placed all these lands under the authority of My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I have even made the beasts of the field subject to him.

7 Therefore shall all the nations serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, —until the time even of his own land, itself arrive, when many nations and great kings, shall use him as a slave.

All nations will serve him and his son and grandson, until the time of his own land comes; then many nations and great kings will enslave him.

8 And it shall come to pass that, the nation or kingdom which will not serve him, even Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and that will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, —with sword and with famine, and with pestilence, will I bring punishment upon that nation, Declareth Yahweh, until I have consumed them by his hand.

As for the nation or kingdom that does not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and does not place its neck under his yoke, I will punish that nation by sword and famine and plague, declares the LORD, until I have destroyed it by his hand.

9 Ye, therefore do not ye hearken unto your prophets, nor unto your diviners, nor unto your dreams, nor unto your users of hidden arts nor unto your mutterers of incantations, —in that, they, are speaking unto you saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon;

But as for you, do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams, your mediums, or your sorcerers who declare, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’

10 for falsehood, are they prophesying unto you, that ye may be far removed from off your own soil, and I drive you out, and ye be destroyed

For they prophesy to you a lie that will serve to remove you from your land; I will banish you and you will perish.

11 But the nation that shall bring its neck into the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let them remain in quietness upon their own soil, Declareth Yahweh, and they shall till it, and dwell therein.

But the nation that will put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave in its own land, to cultivate it and reside in it, declares the LORD.”

12 Also unto Zedekiah king of Judah, spake I, according to all these words saying, -Bring your necks into the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people and live!

And to Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke the same message: “Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and live!

13 Wherefore, should ye die, thou, and thy people, by sword, by famine, and by pestilence, —as Yahweh hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

Why should you and your people die by sword and famine and plague, as the LORD has decreed against any nation that does not serve the king of Babylon?

14 Do not, then hearken unto the words of the prophets who are speaking unto you, saying—Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon, —for falsehood, are they prophesying unto you.

Do not listen to the words of the prophets who say, ‘You must not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying to you a lie.

15 For I have not sent them, Declareth Yahweh, but they are prophesying in my name, falsely, —to the end I may drive you out and ye be destroyed, ye and the prophets who are prophesying unto you.

For I have not sent them, declares the LORD, and yet they are prophesying falsely in My name; therefore I will banish you, and you will perish—you and the prophets who prophesy to you.”

16 Also unto the priests, and unto all this people, spake I, saying, Thus! saith Yahweh, Do not hearken unto the words of your prophets, who are prophesying unto you saying, Lo! the vessels of the house of Yahweh, are to be brought back out of Babylon now, quickly; for falsehood, are they prophesying unto you.

Then I said to the priests and to all this people, “This is what the LORD says: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, ‘Look, very soon now the articles from the house of the LORD will be brought back from Babylon.’ They are prophesying to you a lie.

17 Do not hearken unto them, serve the king of Babylon land live! wherefore, should this city become a desolation?

Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon and live! Why should this city become a ruin?

18 But, if prophets, they are, and if the word of Yahweh is with them, let them intercede, I pray you, with Yahweh of hosts, that the vessels which are left remaining in the house of Yahweh and the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem, come not into Babylon.

If they are indeed prophets and the word of the LORD is with them, let them now plead with the LORD of Hosts that the articles remaining in the house of the LORD, in the palace of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem, not be taken to Babylon.

19 For Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts—Concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the stands, —and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city

For this is what the LORD of Hosts says about the pillars, the sea, the bases, and the rest of the articles that remain in this city,

20 which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not when he carried away captive Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, —with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem,

which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he carried Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem.

21 Yea—Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts God of Israel Concerning the vessels that are left in thee house of Yahweh and the house of the king of Judah, and Jerusalem,

Yes, this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says about the articles that remain in the house of the LORD, in the palace of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem:

22 Into Babylon, shall they be taken And there, shall they remain, Until the day that I visit them, Declareth Yahweh, When I will bring them up, and restore them unto this place.

‘They will be carried to Babylon and will remain there until the day I attend to them again,’ declares the LORD. ‘Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.’”