Jeremiah Chapter 27

Jeremiah 27 — English translation

Translation: THE JPS TANAKH: Gender-Sensitive Edition. Verse numbers match the Hebrew text below.

1. 1At the beginning of the reign of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from G OD :
2. 2Thus said G OD to me: Make for yourself thongs and bars of a yoke, and put them on your neck.
3. 3And send them to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the Ammonites, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon, by envoys who have come to King Zedekiah of Judah in Jerusalem;
4. 4and give them this charge to their masters: Thus said G OD of Hosts, the God of Israel: Say this to your masters:
5. 5“It is I who made the earth, and the humans and animals that are on the earth, by My great might and My outstretched arm; and I give it to whomever I deem proper.
6. 6I herewith deliver all these lands to My servant, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon; I even give him the wild beasts to serve him.
7. 7All nations shall serve him, his son and his grandson—until the turn of his own land comes, when many nations and great kings shall subjugate him.
8. 8The nation or kingdom that does not serve him—King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon—and does not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will visit—declares G OD —with sword, famine, and pestilence, until I have destroyed it by his hands.
9. 9As for you, give no heed to your prophets, augurs, dreamers, diviners, and sorcerers, who say to you, ‘Do not serve the king of Babylon.’
10. 10For they prophesy falsely to you—with the result that you shall be banished from your land; I will drive you out and you shall perish.
11. 11But the nation that puts its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serves him, will be left by Me on its own soil—declares G OD —to till it and dwell on it.”
12. 12I also spoke to King Zedekiah of Judah in just the same way: “Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and live!
13. 13Otherwise you will die together with your people, by sword, famine, and pestilence, as G OD has decreed against any nation that does not serve the king of Babylon.
14. 14Give no heed to the words of the prophets who say to you, ‘Do not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they prophesy falsely to you.
15. 15I have not sent them—declares G OD —and they prophesy falsely in My name, with the result that I will drive you out and you shall perish, together with the prophets who prophesy to you.”
16. 16And to the priests and to all that people I said: “Thus said G OD : Give no heed to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, ‘The vessels of the House of G OD shall shortly be brought back from Babylon,’ for they prophesy falsely to you.
17. 17Give them no heed. Serve the king of Babylon, and live! Otherwise this city shall become a ruin.
18. 18If they are really prophets and the word of G OD is with them, let them intercede with G OD of Hosts not to let the vessels remaining in the House of G OD , in the royal palace of Judah, and in Jerusalem, go to Babylon!
19. 19“For thus said G OD of Hosts concerning the columns, the tank, the stands, and the rest of the vessels remaining in this city,
20. 20which King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon did not take when he exiled King Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;
21. 21for thus said G OD of Hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels remaining in the House of G OD , in the royal palace of Judah, and in Jerusalem:
22. 22They shall be brought to Babylon, and there they shall remain, until I take note of them—declares G OD of Hosts—and bring them up and restore them to this place.”

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