יִרְמְיָהוּ 28

1 וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַהִ֗יא בְּרֵאשִׁית֙ מַמְלֶ֙כֶת֙ צִדְקִיָּ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֔ה בִּשְׁנַת (בַּשָּׁנָה֙) הָֽרְבִעִ֔ית בַּחֹ֖דֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִׁ֑י אָמַ֣ר אֵלַ֡י חֲנַנְיָה֩ בֶן־עַזּ֨וּר הַנָּבִ֜יא אֲשֶׁ֤ר מִגִּבְעֹון֙ בְּבֵ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה לְעֵינֵ֧י הַכֹּהֲנִ֛ים וְכָל־הָעָ֖ם לֵאמֹֽר׃

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,

2 כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֧ה צְבָאֹ֛ות אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר שָׁבַ֞רְתִּי אֶת־עֹ֖ל מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶֽל׃

“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].

3 בְּעֹ֣וד ׀ שְׁנָתַ֣יִם יָמִ֗ים אֲנִ֤י מֵשִׁיב֙ אֶל־הַמָּקֹ֣ום הַזֶּ֔ה אֶֽת־כָּל־כְּלֵ֖י בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר לָקַ֜ח נְבוּכַדנֶאצַּ֤ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶל֙ מִן־הַמָּקֹ֣ום הַזֶּ֔ה וַיְבִיאֵ֖ם בָּבֶֽל׃

(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.

4 וְאֶת־יְכָנְיָ֣ה בֶן־יְהֹויָקִ֣ים מֶֽלֶךְ־יְ֠הוּדָה וְאֶת־כָּל־גָּל֨וּת יְהוּדָ֜ה הַבָּאִ֣ים בָּבֶ֗לָה אֲנִ֥י מֵשִׁ֛יב אֶל־הַמָּקֹ֥ום הַזֶּ֖ה נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה כִּ֣י אֶשְׁבֹּ֔ר אֶת־עֹ֖ל מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶֽל׃

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.’”

5 וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ יִרְמְיָ֣ה הַנָּבִ֔יא אֶל־חֲנַנְיָ֖ה הַנָּבִ֑יא לְעֵינֵ֤י הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ וּלְעֵינֵ֣י כָל־הָעָ֔ם הָעֹמְדִ֖ים בְּבֵ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃

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

6 וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ יִרְמְיָ֣ה הַנָּבִ֔יא אָמֵ֕ן כֵּ֖ן יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה יְהוָ֑ה יָקֵ֤ם יְהוָה֙ אֶת־דְּבָרֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִבֵּ֗אתָ לְהָשִׁ֞יב כְּלֵ֤י בֵית־יְהוָה֙ וְכָל־הַגֹּולָ֔ה מִבָּבֶ֖ל אֶל־הַמָּקֹ֥ום הַזֶּֽה׃

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].

7 אַךְ־שְׁמַֽע־נָא֙ הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י דֹּבֵ֣ר בְּאָזְנֶ֑יךָ וּבְאָזְנֵ֖י כָּל־הָעָֽם׃

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

8 הַנְּבִיאִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָי֧וּ לְפָנַ֛י וּלְפָנֶ֖יךָ מִן־הָֽעֹולָ֑ם וַיִּנָּ֨בְא֜וּ אֶל־אֲרָצֹ֤ות רַבֹּות֙ וְעַל־מַמְלָכֹ֣ות גְּדֹלֹ֔ות לְמִלְחָמָ֖ה וּלְרָעָ֥ה וּלְדָֽבֶר׃

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.

9 הַנָּבִ֕יא אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִנָּבֵ֖א לְשָׁלֹ֑ום בְּבֹא֙ דְּבַ֣ר הַנָּבִ֗יא יִוָּדַע֙ הַנָּבִ֔יא אֲשֶׁר־שְׁלָחֹ֥ו יְהוָ֖ה בֶּאֱמֶֽת׃

[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.”

10 וַיִּקַּ֞ח חֲנַנְיָ֤ה הַנָּבִיא֙ אֶת־הַמֹּוטָ֔ה מֵעַ֕ל צַוַּ֖אר יִרְמְיָ֣ה הַנָּבִ֑יא וַֽיִּשְׁבְּרֵֽהוּ׃

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

11 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר חֲנַנְיָה֩ לְעֵינֵ֨י כָל־הָעָ֜ם לֵאמֹ֗ר כֹּה֮ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָה֒ כָּ֣כָה אֶשְׁבֹּ֞ר אֶת־עֹ֣ל ׀ נְבֻֽכַדְנֶאצַּ֣ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֗ל בְּעֹוד֙ שְׁנָתַ֣יִם יָמִ֔ים מֵעַ֕ל־צַוַּ֖אר כָּל־הַגֹּויִ֑ם וַיֵּ֛לֶךְ יִרְמְיָ֥ה הַנָּבִ֖יא לְדַרְכֹּֽו׃ פ

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.

12 וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֑ה אַ֠חֲרֵי שְׁבֹ֞ור חֲנַנְיָ֤ה הַנָּבִיא֙ אֶת־הַמֹּוטָ֔ה מֵעַ֗ל צַוַּ֛אר יִרְמְיָ֥ה הַנָּבִ֖יא לֵאמֹֽר׃

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

13 הָלֹוךְ֩ וְאָמַרְתָּ֨ אֶל־חֲנַנְיָ֜ה לֵאמֹ֗ר כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה מֹוטֹ֥ת עֵ֖ץ שָׁבָ֑רְתָּ וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ תַחְתֵּיהֶ֖ן מֹטֹ֥ות בַּרְזֶֽל׃

“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.

14 כִּ֣י כֹֽה־אָמַר֩ יְהוָ֨ה צְבָאֹ֜ות אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל עֹ֣ל בַּרְזֶ֡ל נָתַ֜תִּי עַל־צַוַּ֣אר ׀ כָּל־הַגֹּויִ֣ם הָאֵ֗לֶּה לַעֲבֹ֛ד אֶת־נְבֻכַדְנֶאצַּ֥ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל וַעֲבָדֻ֑הוּ וְגַ֛ם אֶת־חַיַּ֥ת הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה נָתַ֥תִּי לֹֽו׃

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.’”

15 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יִרְמְיָ֧ה הַנָּבִ֛יא אֶל־חֲנַנְיָ֥ה הַנָּבִ֖יא שְׁמַֽע־נָ֣א חֲנַנְיָ֑ה לֹֽא־שְׁלָחֲךָ֣ יְהוָ֔ה וְאַתָּ֗ה הִבְטַ֛חְתָּ אֶת־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה עַל־שָֽׁקֶר׃

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.

16 לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הִנְנִי֙ מְשַֽׁלֵּֽחֲךָ֔ מֵעַ֖ל פְּנֵ֣י הָאֲדָמָ֑ה הַשָּׁנָה֙ אַתָּ֣ה מֵ֔ת כִּֽי־סָרָ֥ה דִבַּ֖רְתָּ אֶל־יְהוָֽה׃

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.’”

17 וַיָּ֛מָת חֲנַנְיָ֥ה הַנָּבִ֖יא בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַהִ֑יא בַּחֹ֖דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִֽי׃ פ

Hananiah died two months later.