The False Prophet Hananiah

28 In the fifth month of that same year, the fourth year, early in the reign of Zedekiahe king of Judah, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon,f said to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and all the people: 2 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will break the yokeg of the king of Babylon. 3 Within two years I will bring back to this place all the articlesh of the Lord’s house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed from here and took to Babylon. 4 I will also bring back to this place Jehoiachina i son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and all the other exiles from Judah who went to Babylon,’ declares the Lord, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’ ”j

5 Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah before the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord. 6 He said, “Amen! May the Lord do so! May the Lord fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the Lord’s house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon.k 7 Nevertheless, listen to what I have to say in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: 8 From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plaguel against many countries and great kingdoms. 9 But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true.m”

10 Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoken off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, 11 and he saido before all the people, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years.’ ” At this, the prophet Jeremiah went on his way.

12 After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 13 “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but in its place you will get a yoke of iron. 14 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will put an iron yokep on the necks of all these nations to make them serveq Nebuchadnezzarr king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.s’ ”

15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sentt you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies.u 16 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth.v This very year you are going to die,w because you have preached rebellionx against the Lord.’ ”

17 In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died.y

A Letter to the Exiles

29 This is the text of the letterz that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.a 2 (This was after King Jehoiachina b and the queen mother,c the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) 3 He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:

4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carriedd into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Builde houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.f 7 Also, seekg the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Prayh to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” 8 Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophetsi and diviners among you deceivej you. Do not listen to the dreamsk you encourage them to have.l 9 They are prophesying liesm to you in my name. I have not sentn them,” declares the Lord.

10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy yearso are completed for Babylon, I will come to youp and fulfill my good promiseq to bring you backr to this place. 11 For I know the planss I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prospert you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.u 12 Then you will callv on me and come and prayw to me, and I will listenx to you. 13 You will seeky me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.z 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you backa from captivity.b I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”b

15 You may say, “The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,” 16 but this is what the Lord says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all the people who remain in this city, your fellow citizens who did not go with you into exile—17 yes, this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will send the sword, famine and plaguec against them and I will make them like figsd that are so bad they cannot be eaten. 18 I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrente to all the kingdoms of the earth, a cursec f and an object of horror,g of scornh and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them. 19 For they have not listened to my words,”i declares the Lord, “words that I sent to them again and againj by my servants the prophets.k And you exiles have not listened either,” declares the Lord.

20 Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles whom I have sentl away from Jerusalem to Babylon. 21 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying liesm to you in my name: “I will deliver them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will put them to death before your very eyes. 22 Because of them, all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the Lord treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burnedn in the fire.’ 23 For they have done outrageous things in Israel; they have committed adulteryo with their neighbors’ wives, and in my name they have uttered lies—which I did not authorize. I knowp it and am a witnessq to it,” declares the Lord.

Message to Shemaiah

24 Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite, 25 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniahr son of Maaseiah, and to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah, 26 ‘The Lord has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada to be in charge of the house of the Lord; you should put any maniacs who acts like a prophet into the stockst and neck-irons. 27 So why have you not reprimanded Jeremiah from Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you? 28 He has sent this messageu to us in Babylon: It will be a long time.v Therefore buildw houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.’ ”

29 Zephaniahx the priest, however, read the letter to Jeremiah the prophet. 30 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 31 “Send this message to all the exiles: ‘This is what the Lord says about Shemaiahy the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I did not sendz him, and has persuaded you to trust in lies, 32 this is what the Lord says: I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants.a He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the goodb things I will do for my people, declares the Lord, because he has preached rebellionc against me.’ ”

Restoration of Israel

30 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Writed in a book all the words I have spoken to you. 3 The dayse are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will bringf my people Israel and Judah back from captivitya and restoreg them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the Lord.”

4 These are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: 5 “This is what the Lord says:

“ ‘Cries of fearh are heard—

terror, not peace.

6 Ask and see:

Can a man bear children?

Then why do I see every strong man

with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor,i

every face turned deathly pale?j

7 How awful that dayk will be!

No other will be like it.

It will be a time of troublel for Jacob,

but he will be savedm out of it.

8 “ ‘In that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty,

‘I will break the yoken off their necks

and will tear off their bonds;o

no longer will foreigners enslave them.p

9 Instead, they will serve the Lord their God

and Davidq their king,r

whom I will raise up for them.

10 “ ‘So do not be afraid,s Jacob my servant;t

do not be dismayed, Israel,’

declares the Lord.

‘I will surely saveu you out of a distant place,

your descendants from the land of their exile.

Jacob will again have peace and security,v

and no one will make him afraid.w

11 I am with youx and will save you,’

declares the Lord.

‘Though I completely destroy all the nations

among which I scatter you,

I will not completely destroyy you.

I will disciplinez you but only in due measure;

I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’a

12 “This is what the Lord says:

“ ‘Your woundb is incurable,

your injury beyond healing.c

13 There is no one to plead your cause,d

no remedy for your sore,

no healinge for you.

14 All your alliesf have forgotten you;

they care nothing for you.

I have struck you as an enemyg would

and punished you as would the cruel,h

because your guilt is so great

and your sinsi so many.

15 Why do you cry out over your wound,

your pain that has no cure?j

Because of your great guilt and many sins

I have done these things to you.k

16 “ ‘But all who devourl you will be devoured;

all your enemies will go into exile.m

Those who plundern you will be plundered;

all who make spoil of you I will despoil.

17 But I will restore you to health

and healo your wounds,’

declares the Lord,

‘because you are called an outcast,p

Zion for whom no one cares.’q

18 “This is what the Lord says:

“ ‘I will restore the fortunesr of Jacob’s tentss

and have compassiont on his dwellings;

the city will be rebuiltu on her ruins,

and the palace will stand in its proper place.

19 From them will come songsv of thanksgivingw

and the sound of rejoicing.x

I will add to their numbers,y

and they will not be decreased;

I will bring them honor,z

and they will not be disdained.

20 Their childrena will be as in days of old,

and their community will be establishedb before me;

I will punishc all who oppress them.

21 Their leaderd will be one of their own;

their ruler will arise from among them.e

I will bring him nearf and he will come close to me—

for who is he who will devote himself

to be close to me?’

declares the Lord.

22 “ ‘So you will be my people,g

and I will be your God.h’ ”

23 See, the stormi of the Lord

will burst out in wrath,

a driving wind swirling down

on the heads of the wicked.

24 The fierce angerj of the Lord will not turn backk

until he fully accomplishes

the purposes of his heart.

In days to come

you will understandl this.