1In the beginning of the reign of Yehoyaqim son of Yoshiyahu, the sovereign of Yehuḏah, this word came to Yirmeyah from יהוה, saying,

2“This is what יהוה said to me, ‘Make for yourselves bands and yokes. Then you shall put them on your neck,

3and shall send them to the sovereign of Eḏom, and the sovereign of Mo’aḇ, and the sovereign of the Ammonites, and the sovereign of Tsor, and the sovereign of Tsiḏon, by the hand of the messengers who come to Yerushalayim to Tsiḏqiyahu, the sovereign of Yehuḏah.

4‘And you shall command them to say to their masters, “Thus said יהוה of hosts, the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, ‘Say this to your masters,’

5‘I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the face of the earth, by My great power and by My outstretched arm. And I shall give it to whom it seemed right in My eyes.

6‘And now, I have given all these lands into the hand of Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar the sovereign of Baḇel, My servant. And the beasts of the field I have also given him to serve him.

7‘And all nations shall serve him and his son and his son’s son, until the time of his land comes. And then many nations and great sovereigns shall make him serve them.

8‘And it shall be, the nation and reign that do not serve Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar the sovereign of Baḇel, and the one that does not put its neck under the yoke of the sovereign of Baḇel, that nation I shall punish,’ declares יהוה, ‘with the sword, and the scarcity of food, and the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.

9‘So do not listen to your prophets, or to your diviners, or to your dreamers, or to your observers of clouds, or your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, “Do not serve the sovereign of Baḇel.”

10‘For they are prophesying falsehood to you, to remove you far from your land. And I shall drive you out, and you shall perish.

11‘But the nations that bring their necks under the yoke of the sovereign of Baḇel and serve him, I shall leave in their own land,’ declares יהוה, ‘and they shall till it and dwell in it.’ ”

12And I spoke to Tsiḏqiyah the sovereign of Yehuḏah according to all these words, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the sovereign of Baḇel, and serve him and his people, and live!

13“Why should you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the scarcity of food, and by the pestilence, as יהוה has spoken against the nation that does not serve the sovereign of Baḇel?

14“Do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, ‘Do not serve the sovereign of Baḇel,’ for they prophesy falsehood to you,

15for I have not sent them,” declares יהוה, “yet they prophesy falsehood in My Name, in order that I drive you out. Then you shall perish, you and the prophets who prophesy to you.”

16Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus said יהוה, ‘Do not listen to the words of your prophets who are prophesying to you, saying, “See, the vessels of the House of יהוה are brought back from Baḇel soon now,” for they prophesy falsehood to you.

17‘Do not listen to them. Serve the sovereign of Baḇel, and live! Why should this city become a ruin?

18‘But if they are prophets, and if the word of יהוה is with them, let them now make intercession to יהוה of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the House of יהוה, and in the house of the sovereign of Yehuḏah, and at Yerushalayim, shall not go to Baḇel.’

19“For thus said יהוה of hosts concerning the columns, and concerning the Sea, and concerning the stands, and concerning the remainder of the vessels which are left in this city,

20which Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar the sovereign of Baḇel did not take, when he exiled Yeḵonyah the son of Yehoyaqim, the sovereign of Yehuḏah, from Yerushalayim to Baḇel, and all the nobles of Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim –

21thus said יהוה of hosts, the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, concerning the vessels that remain in the House of יהוה, and in the house of the sovereign of Yehuḏah and of Yerushalayim:

22‘They shall be brought to Baḇel, and be there until the day that I visit them,’ declares יהוה. ‘Then I shall bring them back and restore them to this place.’ ”