Jeremiah 26
26This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah.H7225H4468H3079H1121H2977H4428H3063H1697H3068H5592“This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard in front of the Temple of the Lord, and make an announcement to the people who have come there to worship from all over Judah. Give them my entire message; include every word.H559H3068H5975H2691H3068H1004H1696H5892H3063H935H7812H3068H1004H1697H6680H1696H1639H16973Perhaps they will listen and turn from their evil ways. Then I will change my mind about the disaster I am ready to pour out on them because of their sins.H8085H7725H376H7451H1870H5162H7451H2803H6213H6440H7455H46114“Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you will not listen to me and obey my word I have given you,H559H559H3068H8085H3212H8451H5414H64405and if you will not listen to my servants, the prophets—for I sent them again and again to warn you, but you would not listen to them—H8085H1697H5650H5030H7971H7925H7971H80856then I will destroy this Temple as I destroyed Shiloh, the place where the Tabernacle was located. And I will make Jerusalem an object of cursing in every nation on earth.’”H5414H1004H7887H5414H5892H7045H1471H7767The priests, the prophets, and all the people listened to Jeremiah as he spoke in front of the Lord’s Temple.H3548H5030H5971H8085H3414H1696H1697H1004H30688But when Jeremiah had finished his message, saying everything the Lord had told him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people at the Temple mobbed him. “Kill him!” they shouted.H3414H3615H1696H3068H6680H1696H5971H3548H5030H5971H8610H559H4191H41919“What right do you have to prophesy in the Lord’s name that this Temple will be destroyed like Shiloh? What do you mean, saying that Jerusalem will be destroyed and left with no inhabitants?” And all the people threatened him as he stood in front of the Temple.H5012H8034H3068H559H1004H7887H5892H2717H3427H5971H6950H3414H1004H306810When the officials of Judah heard what was happening, they rushed over from the palace and sat down at the New Gate of the Temple to hold court.H8269H3063H8085H1697H5927H4428H1004H1004H3068H3427H6607H2319H8179H306811The priests and prophets presented their accusations to the officials and the people. “This man should die!” they said. “You have heard with your own ears what a traitor he is, for he has prophesied against this city.”H559H3548H5030H8269H5971H559H376H4941H4194H5012H5892H8085H24112Then Jeremiah spoke to the officials and the people in his own defense. “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this Temple and this city,” he said. “The Lord gave me every word that I have spoken.H559H3414H8269H5971H559H3068H7971H5012H1004H5892H1697H808513But if you stop your sinning and begin to obey the Lord your God, he will change his mind about this disaster that he has announced against you.H3190H1870H4611H8085H6963H3068H430H3068H5162H7451H169614As for me, I am in your hands—do with me as you think best.H3027H6213H5869H2896H347715But if you kill me, rest assured that you will be killing an innocent man! The responsibility for such a deed will lie on you, on this city, and on every person living in it. For it is absolutely true that the Lord sent me to speak every word you have heard.”H3045H3045H4191H5414H5355H1818H5892H3427H571H3068H7971H1696H1697H24116Then the officials and the people said to the priests and prophets, “This man does not deserve the death sentence, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”H559H8269H5971H3548H5030H376H4941H4194H1696H8034H3068H43017Then some of the wise old men stood and spoke to all the people assembled there.H6965H582H2205H776H559H6951H5971H55918They said, “Remember when Micah of Moresheth prophesied during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah. He told the people of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Mount Zion will be plowed like an open field; Jerusalem will be reduced to ruins! A thicket will grow on the heights where the Temple now stands.’H4320H4183H5012H3117H2396H4428H3063H559H5971H3063H559H559H3068H6635H6726H2790H7704H3389H5856H2022H1004H1116H329319But did King Hezekiah and the people kill him for saying this? No, they turned from their sins and worshiped the Lord. They begged him for mercy. Then the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had pronounced against them. So we are about to do ourselves great harm.”H2396H4428H3063H3063H4191H4191H3373H3068H2470H3068H6440H3068H5162H7451H1696H587H6213H1419H7451H531520At this time Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim was also prophesying for the Lord. And he predicted the same terrible disaster against the city and nation as Jeremiah did.H376H5012H8034H3068H223H1121H8098H7157H5012H5892H776H1697H341421When King Jehoiakim and the army officers and officials heard what he was saying, the king sent someone to kill him. But Uriah heard about the plan and escaped in fear to Egypt.H3079H4428H1368H8269H8085H1697H4428H1245H4191H223H8085H3372H1272H935H471422Then King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan son of Acbor to Egypt along with several other men to capture Uriah.H3079H4428H7971H582H4714H494H1121H5907H582H471423They took him prisoner and brought him back to King Jehoiakim. The king then killed Uriah with a sword and had him buried in an unmarked grave.H3318H223H4714H935H3079H4428H5221H2719H7993H5038H6913H1121H597124Nevertheless, Ahikam son of Shaphan stood up for Jeremiah and persuaded the court not to turn him over to the mob to be killed.H3027H296H1121H8227H3414H5414H3027H5971H4191
Jeremiah 27
27This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah.H7225H4467H3079H1121H2977H4428H3063H1697H3414H3068H5592This is what the Lord said to me: “Make a yoke, and fasten it on your neck with leather thongs.H559H3068H6213H4147H4133H5414H66773Then send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through their ambassadors who have come to see King Zedekiah in Jerusalem.H7971H4428H123H4428H4124H4428H1121H5983H4428H6865H4428H6721H3027H4397H935H3389H6667H4428H30634Give them this message for their masters: ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says:H6680H559H113H559H3068H6635H430H3478H559H1135With my great strength and powerful arm I made the earth and all its people and every animal. I can give these things of mine to anyone I choose.H6213H776H120H929H6440H776H1419H3581H5186H2220H5414H5869H34746Now I will give your countries to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.H5414H776H3027H5019H4428H894H5650H2416H7704H5414H56477All the nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until his time is up. Then many nations and great kings will conquer and rule over Babylon.H1471H5647H1121H1121H1121H6256H776H935H7227H1471H1419H4428H56478So you must submit to Babylon’s king and serve him; put your neck under Babylon’s yoke! I will punish any nation that refuses to be his slave, says the Lord. I will send war, famine, and disease upon that nation until Babylon has conquered it.H1471H4467H5647H5019H4428H894H5414H6677H5923H4428H894H1471H6485H5002H3068H2719H7458H1698H8552H30279“‘Do not listen to your false prophets, fortune-tellers, interpreters of dreams, mediums, and sorcerers who say, “The king of Babylon will not conquer you.”H8085H5030H7080H2472H6049H3786H559H559H5647H4428H89410They are all liars, and their lies will lead to your being driven out of your land. I will drive you out and send you far away to die.H5012H8267H7368H127H5080H611But the people of any nation that submits to the king of Babylon will be allowed to stay in their own country to farm the land as usual. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”H1471H935H6677H5923H4428H894H5647H3240H127H5002H3068H5647H342712Then I repeated this same message to King Zedekiah of Judah. “If you want to live, submit to the yoke of the king of Babylon and his people.H1696H6667H4428H3063H1697H559H935H6677H5923H4428H894H5647H5971H242113Why do you insist on dying—you and your people? Why should you choose war, famine, and disease, which the Lord will bring against every nation that refuses to submit to Babylon’s king?H4191H5971H2719H7458H1698H3068H1696H1471H5647H4428H89414Do not listen to the false prophets who keep telling you, ‘The king of Babylon will not conquer you.’ They are liars.H8085H1697H5030H559H559H5647H4428H894H5012H826715This is what the Lord says: ‘I have not sent these prophets! They are telling you lies in my name, so I will drive you from this land. You will all die—you and all these prophets, too.’”H7971H5002H3068H5012H8267H8034H5080H6H5030H501216Then I spoke to the priests and the people and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not listen to your prophets who claim that soon the gold articles taken from my Temple will be returned from Babylon. It is all a lie!H1696H3548H5971H559H559H3068H8085H1697H5030H5012H559H3627H3068H1004H4120H7725H894H5012H826717Do not listen to them. Surrender to the king of Babylon, and you will live. Why should this whole city be destroyed?H8085H5647H4428H894H2421H5892H272318If they really are prophets and speak the Lord’s messages, let them pray to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Let them pray that the articles remaining in the Lord’s Temple and in the king’s palace and in the palaces of Jerusalem will not be carried away to Babylon!’H5030H1697H3068H3426H6293H3068H6635H3627H3498H1004H3068H1004H4428H3063H3389H935H89419“For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has spoken about the pillars in front of the Temple, the great bronze basin called the Sea, the water carts, and all the other ceremonial articles.H559H3068H6635H5982H3220H4350H3499H3627H3498H589220King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon left them here when he exiled Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, to Babylon, along with all the other nobles of Judah and Jerusalem.H5019H4428H894H3947H1540H3204H1121H3079H4428H3063H3389H894H2715H3063H338921Yes, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says about the precious things still in the Temple and in the palace of Judah’s king:H559H3068H6635H430H3478H3627H3498H1004H3068H1004H4428H3063H338922‘They will all be carried away to Babylon and will stay there until I send for them,’ says the Lord. ‘Then I will bring them back to Jerusalem again.’”H935H894H3117H6485H5002H3068H5927H7725H4725
Jeremiah 28
28One day in late summer of that same year—the fourth year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah—Hananiah son of Azzur, a prophet from Gibeon, addressed me publicly in the Temple while all the priests and people listened. He said,H8141H7225H4467H6667H4428H3063H7243H8141H2549H2320H2608H1121H5809H5030H1391H559H1004H3068H5869H3548H5971H5592“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will remove the yoke of the king of Babylon from your necks.H559H3068H6635H430H3478H559H7665H5923H4428H8943Within two years I will bring back all the Temple treasures that King Nebuchadnezzar carried off to Babylon.H3117H8141H7725H4725H3627H3068H1004H5019H4428H894H3947H4725H935H8944And I will bring back Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the other captives that were taken to Babylon. I will surely break the yoke that the king of Babylon has put on your necks. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”H7725H4725H3204H1121H3079H4428H3063H1546H3063H935H894H5002H3068H7665H5923H4428H8945Jeremiah responded to Hananiah as they stood in front of all the priests and people at the Temple.H5030H3414H559H5030H2608H5869H3548H5869H5971H5975H1004H30686He said, “Amen! May your prophecies come true! I hope the Lord does everything you say. I hope he does bring back from Babylon the treasures of this Temple and all the captives.H5030H3414H559H543H3068H6213H3068H6965H1697H5012H7725H3627H3068H1004H1473H894H47257But listen now to the solemn words I speak to you in the presence of all these people.H8085H1697H1696H241H241H59718The ancient prophets who preceded you and me spoke against many nations, always warning of war, disaster, and disease.H5030H6440H6440H5769H5012H7227H776H1419H4467H4421H7451H16989So a prophet who predicts peace must show he is right. Only when his predictions come true can we know that he is really from the Lord.”H5030H5012H7965H1697H5030H935H227H5030H3045H3068H571H797110Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke off Jeremiah’s neck and broke it in pieces.H2608H5030H3947H4133H5030H3414H6677H766511And Hananiah said again to the crowd that had gathered, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Just as this yoke has been broken, within two years I will break the yoke of oppression from all the nations now subject to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.’” With that, Jeremiah left the Temple area.H2608H559H5869H5971H559H559H3068H7665H5923H5019H4428H894H6677H1471H3117H8141H5030H3414H3212H187012Soon after this confrontation with Hananiah, the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah:H1697H3068H3414H310H2608H5030H7665H4133H6677H5030H3414H55913“Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but you have replaced it with a yoke of iron.H1980H559H2608H559H559H3068H7665H4133H6086H6213H4133H127014The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I have put a yoke of iron on the necks of all these nations, forcing them into slavery under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.’”H559H3068H6635H430H3478H5414H5923H1270H6677H1471H5647H5019H4428H894H5647H5414H2416H770415Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, but the people believe your lies.H559H5030H3414H2608H5030H8085H2608H3068H7971H5971H982H826716Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘You must die. Your life will end this very year because you have rebelled against the Lord.’”H559H3068H7971H6440H127H8141H4191H1696H5627H306817Two months later the prophet Hananiah died.H2608H5030H4191H8141H7637H2320
Jeremiah 29
29Jeremiah wrote a letter from Jerusalem to the elders, priests, prophets, and all the people who had been exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar.H1697H5612H3414H5030H7971H3389H3499H2205H1473H3548H5030H5971H5019H1540H3389H8942This was after King Jehoiachin, the queen mother, the court officials, the other officials of Judah, and all the craftsmen and artisans had been deported from Jerusalem.H310H3204H4428H1377H5631H8269H3063H3389H2796H4525H3318H33893He sent the letter with Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah when they went to Babylon as King Zedekiah’s ambassadors to Nebuchadnezzar. This is what Jeremiah’s letter said.H3027H501H1121H8227H1587H1121H2518H6667H4428H3063H7971H894H5019H4428H894H5594This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem:H559H3068H6635H430H3478H1473H1540H3389H8945“Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce.H1129H1004H3427H5193H1593H398H65296Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away!H3947H802H3205H1121H1323H3947H802H1121H5414H1323H582H3205H1121H1121H7235H45917And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”H1875H7965H5892H1540H6419H3068H7965H79658This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let your prophets and fortune-tellers who are with you in the land of Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams,H559H3068H6635H430H3478H5030H7080H7130H5377H8085H2472H24929because they are telling you lies in my name. I have not sent them,” says the Lord.H5012H8267H8034H7971H5002H306810This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.H559H3068H6310H7657H8141H4390H894H6485H6965H2896H1697H7725H472511For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.H3045H4284H2803H5002H3068H4284H7965H7451H5414H8615H31912In those days when you pray, I will listen.H7121H1980H6419H808513If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.H1245H4672H1875H382414I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”H4672H5002H3068H7725H7622H7622H6908H1471H4725H5080H5002H3068H7725H4725H154015You claim that the Lord has raised up prophets for you in Babylon.H559H3068H6965H5030H89416But this is what the Lord says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all those still living here in Jerusalem—your relatives who were not exiled to Babylon.H559H3068H4428H3427H3678H1732H5971H3427H5892H251H3318H147317This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “I will send war, famine, and disease upon them and make them like bad figs, too rotten to eat.H559H3068H6635H7971H2719H7458H1698H5414H8182H8384H398H745518Yes, I will pursue them with war, famine, and disease, and I will scatter them around the world. In every nation where I send them, I will make them an object of damnation, horror, contempt, and mockery.H7291H310H2719H7458H1698H5414H2189H2113H4467H776H423H8047H8322H2781H1471H508019For they refuse to listen to me, though I have spoken to them repeatedly through the prophets I sent. And you who are in exile have not listened either,” says the Lord.H8085H1697H5002H3068H7971H5650H5030H7925H7971H8085H5002H306820Therefore, listen to this message from the Lord, all you captives there in Babylon.H8085H1697H3068H1473H7971H3389H89421This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says about your prophets—Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah—who are telling you lies in my name: “I will turn them over to Nebuchadnezzar for execution before your eyes.H559H3068H6635H430H3478H256H1121H6964H6667H1121H4641H5012H8267H8034H5414H3027H5019H4428H894H5221H586922Their terrible fate will become proverbial, so that the Judean exiles will curse someone by saying, ‘May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned alive!’H3947H7045H1546H3063H894H559H3068H7760H6667H256H4428H894H7033H78423For these men have done terrible things among my people. They have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have lied in my name, saying things I did not command. I am a witness to this. I, the Lord, have spoken.”H6213H5039H3478H6213H5003H7453H802H1696H8267H1697H8034H6680H3045H5707H5002H306824The Lord sent this message to Shemaiah the Nehelamite in Babylon:H559H8098H5161H55925“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: You wrote a letter on your own authority to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, and you sent copies to the other priests and people in Jerusalem. You wrote to Zephaniah,H559H3068H6635H430H3478H559H7971H5612H8034H5971H3389H6846H1121H4641H3548H3548H55926“The Lord has appointed you to replace Jehoiada as the priest in charge of the house of the Lord. You are responsible to put into stocks and neck irons any crazy man who claims to be a prophet.H3068H5414H3548H3077H3548H6496H1004H3068H376H7696H5012H5414H4115H672927So why have you done nothing to stop Jeremiah from Anathoth, who pretends to be a prophet among you?H1605H3414H6069H501228Jeremiah sent a letter here to Babylon, predicting that our captivity will be a long one. He said, ‘Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce.’”H7971H894H559H1931H752H1129H1004H3427H5193H1593H398H652929But when Zephaniah the priest received Shemaiah’s letter, he took it to Jeremiah and read it to him.H6846H3548H7121H5612H241H3414H503030Then the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah:H1697H3068H3414H55931“Send an open letter to all the exiles in Babylon. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Since he has prophesied to you when I did not send him and has tricked you into believing his lies,H7971H1473H559H559H3068H8098H5161H8098H5012H7971H982H826732I will punish him and his family. None of his descendants will see the good things I will do for my people, for he has incited you to rebel against me. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”H559H3068H6485H8098H5161H2233H376H3427H8432H5971H7200H2896H6213H5971H5002H3068H1696H5627H3068
Dublin, OH
, king of Judah.H7225
