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[1]Inthe beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
[2]Thussaith the Lord to me, Make thee bonds, and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,
[3]Andsend them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah the king of Judah,
[4]Andcommand them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel, Thus shall ye say unto your masters,
[5]Ihave made the earth, the man, and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power, and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it pleased me.
[6]Butnow I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchad-nezzar the king of Babylon my servant, and the beasts of the field have I also given him to serve him.
[7]Andall nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son until the very time of his land come also: then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.
[8]Andthe nation and 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, the same nation will I visit, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have wholly given them into his hands.
[9]Thereforehear not your prophets nor your soothsayers, nor your dreamers, nor your enchanters, nor your sorcerers, which say unto you thus, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon.
[10]Forthey prophesy a lie unto you to cause you to go far from your land, and that I should cast you out, and you should perish.
[11]Butthe nation that put their necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the Lord, and they shall occupy it, and dwell therein.
[12]Ispake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, that ye may live.
[13]Whywill ye die, thou, and thy people by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lord hath spoken against the nation, that will not serve the king of Babylon?
[14]Thereforehear not the words of the prophets, that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.
[15]ForI have not sent them, saith the Lord, yet they prophesy a lie in my name, that I might cast you out, and that ye might perish , both you, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.
[16]AlsoI spake to the priests, and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hear not the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the house of the Lord shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon, for they prophesy a lie unto you.
[17]Hearthem not , but serve the king of Babylon, that ye may live: wherefore should this city be desolate?
[18]Butif they be prophets, and if the word of the Lord be with them, let them entreat the Lord of hosts, that the vessels, which are left in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.
[19]Forthus saith the Lord of hosts, concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city,
[20]WhichNebuchad-nezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem.
[21]Forthus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem,
[22]Theyshall be brought to Babylon, and there they shall be until the day that I visit them, saith the Lord: then will I bring them up, and restore them unto this place.
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