306 TRANSLATION, NOTES, AND COMMENTS
The lower limit is marked by a petu~ah in MA, ML, and MP after v 22, which
again is a chapter division. A new superscription is also present in 28: 1. The
ML has a petu~ah after v 18, which separates Jeremiah's words to the priests and
people from the first divine oracle to the same; MA and MP have no sections
here. The ML and MP also have a setumah after v 20, which separates two mes-
senger formulas preceding the final oracle to the priests and the people; MA
has no section here.
The chapter opens with a superscription supplying a date and a setting (v 1),
after which there is a combination of narrative and divine oracles that report
another circuit of preaching and symbolic action by the prophet. The narrative
is first person, and the oracles number six, the same number as in chap. 28. Be-
cause Yahweh is referred to in the third personin vv 13 and 18, vv l 2b-l 3 and
vv 17-18 are assigned the speaking voice of Jeremiah.
The narrative has a carefully-wrought structure:
A Jeremiah reports a divine directive to make a yoke and address
foreign envoys (vv 2-4a)
Oracle I Yahweh is giving lands to
Nebuchadnezzar, his servant. Nations
are to sen>e him; then in the future,
nations shall make him sen>e! (vv 4b-7)
Oracle II Nations not serving Nebuchadnezzar will
be punished by Yahweh (v 8)
Oracle III ''And you, do not you listen to your
prophets, your diviners ... they who are
saying to you: 'You shall not serve the
king of Babylon.' Indeed a lie they are
prophesying to you, in order to remove
you far from your soil." Nations who
serve the king of Babylon Yahweh will
leave on their own soil to work it and
dwell upon it (vv 9-11)
B Jeremiah reports having spoken similar words to King
Zedekiah (v l 2a)
Jeremiah: "Bring your necks into the yoke of the king
of Babylon, and sen>e him and his people,
and live!" (vv 12b-l 3)
Oracle IV ''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 prophesying to you ... in
order that" [Yahweh] should disperse
you, and you will perish." (vv 14-15)
c Jeremiah reports having spoken to the priests and to all the
people (v l 6a)