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