The Hebrew Prophets

`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, --

For falsehood they are prophesying to you, so as to remove you far from off your ground, and I have driven you out, and ye have perished.

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.

For I have not sent them--an affirmation of Jehovah--and they are prophesying in My name falsely, so as to drive you out, and ye have perished, ye, and the prophets who 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.

For thus said Jehovah of Hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the rest of the vessels that are left in this city,

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,

Surely thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left of the house of Jehovah, and of the house of the king of Judah, and in 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.'

And it cometh to pass, in that year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, spoken unto me hath Hananiah son of Azur the prophet, who is of Gibeon, in the house of Jehovah, before the eyes of the priests, and all the people, saying,

`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.'

And Jeremiah the prophet saith unto Hananiah the prophet, before the eyes of the priests, and before the eyes of all the people who are standing in the house of Jehovah,

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.

`Only, hear, I pray thee, this word that I am speaking in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people.

The prophets who have been before me, and before thee, from of old, even they prophesy concerning many lands, and concerning great kingdoms, of battle, and of evil, and of pestilence.

The prophet who doth prophesy of peace--by the coming in of the word of the prophet, known is the prophet that Jehovah hath truly sent him.'

And Hananiah the prophet taketh the yoke from off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, and breaketh it,

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.