Babylon

`And now, I--I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and also the beast of the field I have given to him to serve him;

And it hath come to pass, the nation and the kingdom that do not serve him--Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon--and that which putteth not its neck into the yoke of the king of Babylon, with sword, and with famine, and with pestilence, I lay a charge on that nation--an affirmation of Jehovah--till I consume them by his hand.

`And ye, ye do not hearken unto your prophets, and unto your diviners, and unto your dreamers, and unto your observers of clouds, and unto your sorcerers who are speaking unto you, saying, Ye do not serve the king of Babylon, --

And the nation that causeth its neck to enter into the yoke of the king of Babylon, and hath served him--I have left it on its ground--an affirmation of Jehovah--and it hath tilled it, and dwelt in it.'

And unto Zedekiah king of Judah I have spoken according to all these words, saying, `Cause your necks to enter into the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

Why do ye die, thou and thy people, by sword, by famine, and by pestilence, as Jehovah hath spoken concerning the nation that doth not serve the king of Babylon?

`And ye do not hearken unto the words of the prophets who are speaking unto you, saying, Ye do not serve the king of Babylon, --for falsehood they are prophesying to you.

And unto the priests, and unto all this people, I have spoken, saying, `Thus said Jehovah, Ye do not hearken unto the words of your prophets, who are prophesying to you, saying, Lo, the vessels of the house of Jehovah are brought back from Babylon now in haste, for falsehood they are prophesying to you.

Ye do not hearken unto them, serve the king of Babylon, and live. Why is this city a waste?

`And, if they be prophets, and if a word of Jehovah be with them, let them intercede, I pray you, with Jehovah of Hosts, so that the vessels that are left in the house of Jehovah, and in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem, have not gone into Babylon.

That Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon hath not taken, in his removing Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon with all the freemen of Judah and Jerusalem,

To Babylon they are brought, and there they are till the day of My inspecting them--an affirmation of Jehovah; then I have brought them up, and have brought them back unto this place.'

`Thus spake Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon;

Within two years of days I am bringing back unto this place all the vessels of the house of Jehovah that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon hath taken from this place, and doth carry to Babylon,

And Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the removed of Judah, who are entering Babylon, I am bringing back unto this place--an affirmation of Jehovah; for I do break the yoke of the king of Babylon.'

Yea, Jeremiah the prophet saith, `Amen! so may Jehovah do; Jehovah establish thy words that thou hast prophesied, to bring back the vessels of the house of Jehovah and all the removal from Babylon, unto this place.

And Hananiah speaketh before the eyes of all the people, saying, `Thus said Jehovah, Thus I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, within two years of days, from off the neck of all the nations;' and Jeremiah the prophet goeth on his way.

For thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, A yoke of iron I have put on the neck of all these nations to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they have served him, and also the beast of the field I have given to him.'

And these are words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the remnant of the elders of the removal, and unto the priests, and unto the prophets, and unto all the people--whom Nebuchadnezzar removed from Jerusalem to Babylon,

By the hand of Eleasah son of Shaphan, and Gemariah son of Hilkijah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon--to Babylon, saying,

`Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, to all the removal that I removed from Jerusalem to Babylon,

`For thus said Jehovah, Surely at the fulness of Babylon--seventy years--I inspect you, and have established towards you My good word, to bring you back unto this place.

`Because ye have said, Jehovah hath raised up to us prophets in Babylon,

`And ye, hear ye a word of Jehovah, all ye of the captivity that I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon,

Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, concerning Ahab son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you in My name falsehood: Lo, I am giving them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he hath smitten them before your eyes,