MLV(i)
1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,
2 Jehovah says thus to me: You make bonds and bars and put them upon your neck.
3 And send them to the king of Edom and to the king of Moab and to the king of the sons of Ammon and to the king of Tyre and to the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah.
4 And give them a charge to their masters, saying, Jehovah of hosts says thus, the God of Israel: Thus you* will say to your* masters: 5 I have made the earth, the men and the beasts that are upon the face of the earth, by my great power and by my outstretched arm and I give it to whom it seems right to me.
6 And now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant. And the beasts of the field I have also given him to serve him. 7 And all the nations will serve him and his son and his son's son, until the time of his own land comes. And then many nations and great kings will make him their bondman.
8 And it will happen, that the nation and the kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will punish, says Jehovah, with the sword and with the famine and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.
9 But as for you*, do not listen to your* prophets, nor to your* diviners, nor to your* dreams, nor to your* soothsayers, nor to your* sorcerers, who speak to you*, saying, You* will not serve the king of Babylon. 10 For they prophesy a lie to you*, to remove you* far from your* land and that I should drive you* out and you* should perish.
11 But the nation that will bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, that nation I will let remain in their own land, says Jehovah and they will till it and dwell in it.
12 And I spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your* necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people and live. 13 Why will you* die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine and by the pestilence, as Jehovah has spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
14 And listen not to the words of the prophets who speak to you*, saying, You* will not serve the king of Babylon, for they prophesy a lie to you*. 15 For I have not sent them, says Jehovah, but they prophesy falsely in my name, that I may drive you* out and that you* may perish, you* and the prophets who prophesy to you*.
16 Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, Jehovah says thus: Listen not to the words of your* prophets who prophesy to you*, saying, Behold, the vessels of Jehovah's house will now shortly be brought again from Babylon, for they prophesy a lie to you*. 17 Listen not to them. Serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city become a desolation?
18 But if they are prophets and if the word of Jehovah is with them, let them now make intercession to Jehovah of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of Jehovah and in the house of the king of Judah and at Jerusalem, not go to Babylon.
19 For Jehovah of hosts says thus concerning the pillars and concerning the sea and concerning the stands and concerning the residue of the vessels that are left in this city, 20 which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. 21 Yes, Jehovah of hosts says thus, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of Jehovah and in the house of the king of Judah and at Jerusalem: 22 They will be carried to Babylon and there they will be until the day that I visit them, says Jehovah. Then I will bring them up and restore them to this place.
4 And give them a charge to their masters, saying, Jehovah of hosts says thus, the God of Israel: Thus you* will say to your* masters: 5 I have made the earth, the men and the beasts that are upon the face of the earth, by my great power and by my outstretched arm and I give it to whom it seems right to me.
6 And now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant. And the beasts of the field I have also given him to serve him. 7 And all the nations will serve him and his son and his son's son, until the time of his own land comes. And then many nations and great kings will make him their bondman.
8 And it will happen, that the nation and the kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will punish, says Jehovah, with the sword and with the famine and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.
9 But as for you*, do not listen to your* prophets, nor to your* diviners, nor to your* dreams, nor to your* soothsayers, nor to your* sorcerers, who speak to you*, saying, You* will not serve the king of Babylon. 10 For they prophesy a lie to you*, to remove you* far from your* land and that I should drive you* out and you* should perish.
11 But the nation that will bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, that nation I will let remain in their own land, says Jehovah and they will till it and dwell in it.
12 And I spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your* necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people and live. 13 Why will you* die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine and by the pestilence, as Jehovah has spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
14 And listen not to the words of the prophets who speak to you*, saying, You* will not serve the king of Babylon, for they prophesy a lie to you*. 15 For I have not sent them, says Jehovah, but they prophesy falsely in my name, that I may drive you* out and that you* may perish, you* and the prophets who prophesy to you*.
16 Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, Jehovah says thus: Listen not to the words of your* prophets who prophesy to you*, saying, Behold, the vessels of Jehovah's house will now shortly be brought again from Babylon, for they prophesy a lie to you*. 17 Listen not to them. Serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city become a desolation?
18 But if they are prophets and if the word of Jehovah is with them, let them now make intercession to Jehovah of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of Jehovah and in the house of the king of Judah and at Jerusalem, not go to Babylon.
19 For Jehovah of hosts says thus concerning the pillars and concerning the sea and concerning the stands and concerning the residue of the vessels that are left in this city, 20 which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. 21 Yes, Jehovah of hosts says thus, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of Jehovah and in the house of the king of Judah and at Jerusalem: 22 They will be carried to Babylon and there they will be until the day that I visit them, says Jehovah. Then I will bring them up and restore them to this place.