18 Jeremiah 21-36: A Translation
you,^15 for I have not sent them-oracle of Yahweh-and they are prophe-
sying the lie in my name in order that I should disperse you, and you will
perish, you and the prophets who are prophesying 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.
(^17) Do 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 Yahweh 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 concerning the
sea, and concerning the stands, and concerning the rest of the vessels re-
maining in this city,^20 which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, did not
take when he exiled Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jeru-
salem to Babylon, also all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem:^21 Indeed,
thus said Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, concerning the vessels remaining
in the house of Yahweh, and the house of the king of Judah, and Jerusalem:
(^22) To Babylon they shall be brought, and there they shall be until the day I
attend to them-oracle of Yahweh-and I bring them out and bring them
back to this place.
E. Jeremiah Meets Hananiah (28:1-17)
28 1 And it happened in that year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah,
king of Judah, in the fourth year in the fifth month, Hananiah son of Azzur, the
prophet who was from Gibeon, said to me in the house of Yahweh in the pres-
ence of the priests and all the people:
(^2) Thus said Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel:
I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.^3 Within two years' time I will
bring back to this place all the vessels of the house of Yahweh that Nebu-
chadnezzar, king of Babylon, took from this place and brought to Babylon.
(^4) And Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles of Judah
who came to Babylon, I will bring back to this place-oracle of Yahweh-
for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.
(^5) Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of
the priests and in the presence of all the people who were standing in the
house of Yahweh;^6 and Jeremiah the prophet said:
Amen! So may Yahweh do! May Yahweh confirm your words that you
have prophesied-to bring back the vessels of the house of Yahweh and all
the exiles from Babylon to this place!^7 But do hear this word that I speak in
your ears and in the ears of all the people:^8 'The prophets who were before