Jeremiah Counsels Submission to Babylon

27:1 The Lord spoke to Jeremiah1 early in the reign of Josiah’s son, King Zedekiah of Judah.2 27:2 The Lord told me,3 “Make a yoke4 out of leather straps and wooden crossbars and put it on your neck. 27:3 Use it to send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre,5 and Sidon.6 Send them through7 the envoys who have come to Jerusalem8 to King Zedekiah of Judah. 27:4 Charge them to give their masters a message from me. Tell them, ‘The Lord God of Israel who rules over all9 says to give your masters this message.10 27:5 “I made the earth and the people and animals on it by my mighty power and great strength,11 and I give it to whomever I see fit.12 27:6 I have at this time placed all these nations of yours under the power13 of my servant,14 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have even made all the wild animals subject to him.15 27:7 All nations must serve him and his son and grandson16 until the time comes for his own nation to fall.17 Then many nations and great kings will in turn subjugate Babylon.18 27:8 But suppose a nation or a kingdom will not be subject to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Suppose it will not submit to the yoke of servitude to19 him. I, the Lord, affirm that20 I will punish that nation. I will use the king of Babylon to punish it21 with war,22 starvation, and disease until I have destroyed it.23 27:9 So do not listen to your prophets or to those who claim to predict the future by divination,24 by dreams, by consulting the dead,25 or by practicing magic. They keep telling you, ‘You do not need to be26 subject to the king of Babylon.’ 27:10 Do not listen to them,27 because their prophecies are lies.28 Listening to them will only cause you29 to be taken far away from your native land. I will drive you out of your country and you will die in exile.30 27:11 Things will go better for the nation that submits to the yoke of servitude to31 the king of Babylon and is subject to him. I will leave that nation32 in its native land. Its people can continue to farm it and live in it. I, the Lord, affirm it!” ’ ”33

27:12 I told King Zedekiah of Judah the same thing. I said,34 “Submit35 to the yoke of servitude to36 the king of Babylon. Be subject to him and his people. Then you will continue to live. 27:13 There is no reason why you and your people should die in war37 or from starvation or disease!38 That’s what the Lord says will happen to any nation39 that will not be subject to the king of Babylon. 27:14 Do not listen to the prophets who are telling you that you do not need to serve40 the king of Babylon. For they are prophesying lies to you. 27:15 For I, the Lord, affirm41 that I did not send them. They are prophesying lies to you. If you42 listen to them, I will drive you and the prophets who are prophesying lies out of the land and you will all die in exile.”43

27:16 I also told the priests and all the people, “The Lord says, ‘Do not listen to what your prophets are saying. They are prophesying to you that44 the valuable articles taken from the Lord’s temple will be brought back from Babylon very soon.45 But they are prophesying a lie to you. 27:17 Do not listen to them. Be subject to the king of Babylon. Then you46 will continue to live. Why should this city be made a pile of rubble?’ ”47 27:18 I also told them,48 “If they are really prophets and the Lord is speaking to them,49 let them pray earnestly to the Lord who rules over all.50 Let them plead with him not to let the valuable articles that are still left in the Lord’s temple, in the royal palace, and in Jerusalem be taken away51 to Babylon. 27:19 For the Lord who rules over all52 has already spoken about the two bronze pillars,53 the large bronze basin called ‘The Sea,’54 and the movable bronze stands.55 He has already spoken about the rest of the valuable articles that are left in this city. 27:20 He has already spoken about these things that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon did not take away when he carried Jehoiakim’s son King Jeconiah of Judah and the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem away as captives.56 27:21 Indeed, the Lord God of Israel who rules over all57 has already spoken58 about the valuable articles that are left in the Lord’s temple, in the royal palace of Judah, and in Jerusalem. 27:22 He has said, ‘They will be carried off to Babylon. They will remain there until it is time for me to show consideration for them again.59 Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.’ I, the Lord, affirm this!”60