Jeremiah and the Yoke Bars (27:1-22) 303have given to him, to serve him.^7 So all the nations shall serve him
and his son and his grandson until the time of his land comes-even
he! Then many nations and great kings shall make him serve!(^8) And it shall be that the nation or the kingdom who does not serve
him, that is, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and who will not put
its neck into the yoke of the king of Babylon, by sword and by famine
and by pestilence I will reckon with that nation-oracle of Yahweh-
until I have consumed them by his hand.
(^9) And you, do not you listen to your prophets, and to your diviners, and
to your dreamers,b and to your soothsayers, and to your sorcerers-
they who are saying to you: 'You shall not serve the king of Babylon.'
(^10) Indeed a lie they are prophesying to you, in order to remove you far
from your soil, for I will disperse you and you will perish.^11 But the na-
tion who does bring its neck into the yoke of the king of Babylon, and
serves him, I will then leave it on its own soil-oracle of Yahweh-to
work it and dwell upon it.
(^12) And to Zedekiah, king of Judah, I spoke all these words: Bring your necks
into the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and
live!^13 Why should you die, you and your people, by sword, by famine, and
by pestilence according to what Yahweh has spoken to the nation that will
not serve the king of Babylon?
(^14) And do not listen to the words of the prophets who are saying to you:
'You shall not serve the king of Babylon.' Indeed a lie they are proph-
esying to you,^15 for I have not sent them-oracle of Yahweh-and
they are prophesying the lie in my name in order that I should dis-
perse you, and you will perish, you and the prophets who are prophe-
sying to you.
(^16) Then to the priests and to all this people I spoke:
Thus said Yahweh:
Do not listen to the words of your prophets who are prophesying to
you, saying, 'Look, the vessels of the house of Yahweh will be
brought back from Babylon now shortly.' Indeed a lie they are
prophesying to you.
(^1700) not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should
this city become a ruin?^18 And if they are prophets and if the word of Yah-
weh is with them, do let them pressure Yahweh of hosts so that the vessels
remaining in the house of Yahweh and the house of the king of Judah and
in Jerusalem not go to Babylon.
(^19) For thus said Yahweh of hosts concerning the pillars, and concern-
ing the sea, and concerning the stands, and concerning the rest of the
vessels remaining in this city,^20 which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Baby-
lon, did not take when he exiled Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim, king of
bEmend with the Yrs to l:zolemekem; MT has /:ziilomotekem, "your dreams."