Jeremiah 28

1 When Zedekiah had been the King of Judah for more than three years, late in the (summer/hot season), Azzur’s son Hananiah, a prophet from Gibeon [city], spoke to me in the [courtyard of the] temple, while [all] the priests and other people were listening. He said,

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,

2 “This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says: ‘I will cause the king of Babylon to stop ruling/controlling [MET] [all of you].

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.

3 (Within two years/Before two years have ended), I will cause to be brought bring back to this temple all the valuable things that King Nebuchadnezzar’s [soldiers] took from this temple and took to Babylon.

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:

4 And I will also cause King Jehoiachin to be brought back here, and all the [other] people who were captured and taken to Babylon. The king of Babylon has [forced you to do what he wants, like someone] puts a yoke [on the neck of an ox to force it to do what he] wants [MET] it to do. But I will cause that to end. [That will happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it.’”

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.

5 I replied to Hananiah in front of [all] the priests and other people who were standing outside the temple.

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,

6 I said, “(Amen/May that happen)! I desire/hope that what you have predicted will happen. I hope/desire that Yahweh will do everything that you have said! I hope/desire that he will cause [men from Babylon] to bring back from Babylon [all] the valuable things that were in this temple, and all the people who were taken [to Babylon].

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.

7 But now listen to what I say to you while all these people are listening.

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

8 Many years ago, those who were prophets before you and I [became prophets] spoke messages about many nations and great kingdoms. They predicted/prophesied that wars and disasters and plagues/diseases would occur in those nations.

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.

9 [So now you or] any other prophet who predicts that things will go well [for us must show that your message is correct. Only] if what you predict actually happens will we know that you were truly appointed by Yahweh.”

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

10 Then Hananiah took the yoke off my neck and broke it.

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

11 Then he said this to all the people who were there: “This is what Yahweh says: ‘Just like Hananiah has broken this yoke, within two years I will cause King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to [stop forcing the people to do what he wants, which has been like] a heavy yoke on all their necks [MET].’” After Hananiah said that, I left the temple area.

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.

12 [Soon] after Hananiah had broken the yoke that was around my neck, Yahweh gave this message to me:

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,

13 “Go and say this to Hananiah: ‘Yahweh says that you have broken a wooden yoke, but that he will replace it with an iron yoke.

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.

14 I have forced the people of all these nations to [become slaves of] King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. That is [like] [MET] an iron yoke around their necks. I have put everything, even wild animals, under his control.’”

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.

15 Then I [went to] Hananiah and said to him, “Hananiah, listen [to this]: Yahweh has not appointed you; instead, [you have told] lies to the people, and they have believed your lies.

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.

16 Therefore, this is what Yahweh says: ‘You will [soon] die. Before the end of this year, you will die, because you have rebelled against Yahweh.’”

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.

17 Hananiah died two months later.

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