Judah to Serve Nebuchadnezzar
1Early in the reign of Zedekiah27:1 A few Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac (see also 27:3,12 and 28:1); most Hebrew manuscripts Jehoiakim (Most Septuagint manuscripts do not have this verse.) son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2This is what the Lord said to me: “Make a yoke out of straps and crossbars and put it on your neck. 3Then send word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4Give them a message for their masters and say, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Tell this to your masters: 5With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. 6Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him. 7All nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until the time for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate him.
8“ ‘ “If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punish that nation with the sword, famine and plague, declares the Lord, until I destroy it by his hand. 9So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams, your mediums or your sorcerers who tell you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’ 10They prophesy lies to you that will only serve to remove you far from your lands; I will banish you and you will perish. 11But if any nation will bow its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let that nation remain in its own land to till it and to live there, declares the Lord.” ’ ”
12I gave the same message to Zedekiah king of Judah. I said, “Bow your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and you will live. 13Why will you and your people die by the sword, famine and plague with which the Lord has threatened any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? 14Do not listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying lies to you. 15‘I have not sent them,’ declares the Lord. ‘They are prophesying lies in my name. Therefore, I will banish you and you will perish, both you and the prophets who prophesy to you.’ ”
16Then I said to the priests and all these people, “This is what the Lord says: Do not listen to the prophets who say, ‘Very soon now the articles from the Lord’s house will be brought back from Babylon.’ They are prophesying lies to you. 17Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and you will live. Why should this city become a ruin? 18If they are prophets and have the word of the Lord, let them plead with the Lord Almighty that the articles remaining in the house of the Lord and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem not be taken to Babylon. 19For this is what the Lord Almighty says about the pillars, the bronze Sea, the movable stands and the other articles that are left in this city, 20which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away when he carried Jehoiachin27:20 Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant of Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem— 21yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about the things that are left in the house of the Lord and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem: 22‘They will be taken to Babylon and there they will remain until the day I come for them,’ declares the Lord. ‘Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.’ ”
耶利米负轭的比喻
1约西亚的儿子犹大王约雅敬执政初期，耶和华的话传给了耶利米。 2耶和华对我说：“你要用皮带和木头做个轭，套在自己颈上。 3然后请那些到耶路撒冷朝见犹大王西底迦的使者传话给他们的主人以东王、摩押王、亚扪王、泰尔王和西顿王， 4说，‘以色列的上帝——万军之耶和华说， 5我伸出大能的臂膀创造了大地、地上的人类和动物，我想把大地赐给谁就赐给谁。 6现在，我要把你们的国家交给我的仆人巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒，连田野的走兽也要归他管辖。 7各国都要臣服于他和他的子孙，直到他的国家灭亡。那时，许多国家和强大的君王必奴役他。 8如果哪一邦或哪一国不肯臣服于巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒，不肯负巴比伦王的轭，我必用刀剑、饥荒和瘟疫惩罚他们，直到我借巴比伦王的手毁灭他们。这是耶和华说的。 9你们不可听信你们的先知、占卜者、解梦者、巫师和术士的话，他们说你们不会臣服于巴比伦王。 10他们的预言是骗人的，只会使你们远离家园。我会赶走你们，使你们灭亡。 11但如果哪一国肯负巴比伦王的轭，臣服于他，我必使那国的人们留在本国耕种居住。这是耶和华说的。’”
12我同样对犹大王西底迦说：“你们要负巴比伦王的轭，臣服于他和他的人民，就可存活。 13你和你的人民何必死于刀剑、饥荒和瘟疫呢？耶和华要降这些灾难给不肯臣服于巴比伦王的国家。 14不要听信那些先知骗人的预言，他们说你们不会臣服于巴比伦王。 15耶和华并没有派他们，他们却奉祂的名说假预言。如果你们听信他们的话，耶和华必把你们和向你们说预言的先知赶走，使你们一同灭亡。” 16我也对祭司和全体民众说：“耶和华说，‘你们不要听信假先知骗人的预言，他们说耶和华殿里的器皿很快就要从巴比伦运回来了。 17你们不可听信他们的话。你们要臣服于巴比伦王，以便存活。何必使这城沦为废墟呢？ 18如果他们真的是先知，有耶和华给他们的信息，就让他们求万军之耶和华不要使圣殿中、犹大王宫内和耶路撒冷剩余的器皿被掳到巴比伦去。’ 19-20巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒把约雅敬的儿子犹大王耶哥尼雅，以及犹大和耶路撒冷的贵族从耶路撒冷掳到巴比伦去的时候，没有带走耶和华殿的铜柱、铜海、铜底座及其他器皿。 21关于耶和华殿中、犹大王宫内和耶路撒冷剩下的物件，以色列的上帝——万军之耶和华说： 22‘它们必被掳到巴比伦，留在那里，一直到我眷顾以色列人的日子，那时我必把它们带回原处。这是耶和华说的。’”
