Jeremiah 27:12
New International Version
I 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.

New Living Translation
Then I repeated this same message to King Zedekiah of Judah. “If you want to live, submit to the yoke of the king of Babylon and his people.

English Standard Version
To Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke in like manner: “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people and live.

Berean Standard Bible
And to Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke the same message: “Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and live!

King James Bible
I spake also 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.

New King James Version
I also 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!

New American Standard Bible
I spoke words like all these to Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people, and live!

NASB 1995
I spoke words like all these to Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people, and live!

NASB 1977
And I spoke words like all these to Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live!

Legacy Standard Bible
I spoke words like all these to Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people, and live!

Amplified Bible
I spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah in the same way, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people, and live!

Christian Standard Bible
I spoke to King Zedekiah of Judah in the same way: “Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, serve him and his people, and live!

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah in the same way: “Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, serve him and his people, and live!

American Standard Version
And I spake 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.

Contemporary English Version
After I had spoken to the officials from the nearby kingdoms, I went to King Zedekiah and told him the same thing. Then I said: Zedekiah, if you and the people of Judah want to stay alive, you must obey Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians.

English Revised Version
And I spake 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I spoke the same message to King Zedekiah of Judah, "Surrender to the king of Babylon, serve him and his people, and you will stay alive.

Good News Translation
I said the same thing to King Zedekiah of Judah, "Submit to the king of Babylonia. Serve him and his people, and you will live.

International Standard Version
I spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah using words like these: "Bring your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon. Serve him and his people, and you will live!

Majority Standard Bible
And to Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke the same message: ?Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and live!

NET Bible
I told King Zedekiah of Judah the same thing. I said, "Submit to the yoke of servitude to the king of Babylon. Be subject to him and his people. Then you will continue to live.

New Heart English Bible
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.

Webster's Bible Translation
I spoke also 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.

World English Bible
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.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And I have spoken to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, “Cause your necks to enter into the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

Young's Literal Translation
And unto Zedekiah king of Judah I have spoken according to all these words, saying, 'Cause your necks to enter into the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

Smith's Literal Translation
And to Zedekiah king of Judah I spake according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks into the yoke of the king of Babel, and serve him and his people, and live.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I spoke to Sedecias the king of Juda according to all these words, saying: Bend down your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, and his people, and you shall live.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And I spoke to Zedekiah, the king of Judah, according to all these words, saying: “Subject your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and you will live.

New American Bible
To Zedekiah, king of Judah, I spoke the same words: Bend your necks to the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, so that you may live.

New Revised Standard Version
I spoke to King Zedekiah of Judah in the same way: Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
I spoke also 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;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I spoke to Tsedeqia, King of Judea, according to all these words, and I said: “Put your necks in the yoke of the King of Babel and work for him and his people, and live!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I spoke also to Sedekias king of Juda according to all these words, saying, Put your neck into the yoke, and serve the king of Babylon.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Yoke of Nebuchadnezzar
11But the nation that will put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave in its own land, to cultivate it and reside in it, declares the LORD.” 12And to Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke the same message: “Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and live! 13Why should you and your people die by sword and famine and plague, as the LORD has decreed against any nation that does not serve the king of Babylon?…

Cross References
Romans 13:1-2
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God. / Consequently, whoever resists authority is opposing what God has set in place, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

1 Peter 2:13-14
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to the king as the supreme authority, / or to governors as those sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.

Daniel 4:17
This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.’

Proverbs 8:15-16
By me kings reign, and rulers enact just laws; / By me princes rule, and all nobles who govern justly.

1 Timothy 2:1-2
First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone— / for kings and all those in authority—so that we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity.

Titus 3:1
Remind the believers to submit to rulers and authorities, to be obedient and ready for every good work,

Daniel 2:21
He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

Ezra 7:26
If anyone does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let a strict judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.

Acts 5:29
But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.

Matthew 22:21
“Caesar’s,” they answered. So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

1 Samuel 15:23
For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.”

2 Chronicles 36:11-13
Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. / And he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke for the LORD. / He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. But Zedekiah stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD, the God of Israel.

Nehemiah 9:26-27
But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to return to You. They committed terrible blasphemies. / So You delivered them into the hands of enemies who oppressed them, and in their time of distress they cried out to You. From heaven You heard them, and in Your great compassion You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hands of their enemies.

2 Kings 24:12
Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his servants, his commanders, and his officials all surrendered to the king of Babylon. So in the eighth year of his reign, the king of Babylon took him captive.

Ezekiel 17:12-14
“Now say to this rebellious house: ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, carried off its king and officials, and brought them back with him to Babylon. / He took a member of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. Then he carried away the leading men of the land, / so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to lift itself up, surviving only by keeping his covenant.


Treasury of Scripture

I spoke also 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.

Zedekiah.

Jeremiah 27:3
And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah;

Jeremiah 28:1
And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,

Jeremiah 38:17
Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:

bring.

Jeremiah 27:2,8
Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck, …

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Babylon Bow Cause Enter Judah Live Manner Neck Necks Servants Serve Words Yoke Zedekiah Zedeki'ah
Jeremiah 27
1. By the type of bonds and yokes he prophesies the subduing of the neighbor kings
8. He exhorts them to yield, and not to believe the false prophets.
12. The like he does to Zedekiah.
19. He foretells the remnant of the vessels shall be carried to Babylon,














To Zedekiah king of Judah
This phrase identifies the recipient of Jeremiah's message, Zedekiah, the last king of Judah before the Babylonian exile. Zedekiah's reign was marked by political turmoil and spiritual decline. Historically, Zedekiah was placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, as a vassal. His name, meaning "Yahweh is my righteousness," stands in stark contrast to his actions, as he often wavered in his allegiance to God. This highlights the tension between divine sovereignty and human authority, a recurring theme in the prophetic books.

I spoke all these words
Jeremiah, as a prophet, was a mouthpiece for God, delivering messages that were often unpopular and challenging. The phrase underscores the prophet's role in communicating divine truth, regardless of personal cost. The Hebrew root for "spoke" (דָּבַר, dabar) implies not just verbal communication but the conveyance of God's authoritative word. This emphasizes the weight and seriousness of the prophetic message, which was not merely human opinion but divine revelation.

Bring your necks under the yoke
The imagery of a yoke is powerful, symbolizing submission and servitude. In an agrarian society, a yoke was a wooden beam used to harness animals for work, representing control and direction. Here, it metaphorically calls for submission to Babylonian rule as ordained by God. The Hebrew word for "yoke" (עֹל, ol) often signifies oppression but also divine discipline. This phrase challenges the audience to see beyond immediate hardship to God's larger redemptive plan, encouraging trust in His sovereignty.

of the king of Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, was a dominant figure in the ancient Near East, known for his military conquests and the expansion of the Babylonian Empire. Historically, Babylon was a symbol of human pride and rebellion against God, yet paradoxically, God used this pagan king to accomplish His purposes. This phrase reminds us of God's ability to use even those outside the covenant community to fulfill His divine will, a testament to His ultimate control over history.

Serve him and his people, and live!
This command to serve the Babylonian king was counterintuitive to the nationalistic and religious sentiments of Judah. The Hebrew word for "serve" (עָבַד, avad) implies work and worship, suggesting a call to humble obedience. The promise of life ("and live!") contrasts with the destruction that would come from rebellion. This phrase encapsulates a profound theological truth: true life and freedom are found in submission to God's will, even when it involves unexpected or difficult paths.

(12) I spake also to Zedekiah . . .--There was, as we see in Jeremiah 28:13, a party of resistance in Judah also, and they, too, were trusting in delusive prophecies of the overthrow of the Chaldaean monarchy. Sadly and earnestly the prophet pleads with them in the question, "Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword . . .?

Verses 12-15. - But the warnings of Jeremiah were not confined, far from it, to the neighboring kings. Zedekiah had received a precisely similar message. Bring your necks. The plural is used, for Zedekiah was but an individual among a number of much more vigorous personalities (comp. on Jeremiah 22:2).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And to
וְאֶל־ (wə·’el-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Zedekiah
צִדְקִיָּ֤ה (ṣiḏ·qî·yāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6667: Zedekiah -- 'Yah is righteousness', six Israelites

king
מֶֽלֶךְ־ (me·leḵ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Judah
יְהוּדָה֙ (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

I spoke
דִּבַּ֔רְתִּי (dib·bar·tî)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

the same
כְּכָל־ (kə·ḵāl-)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

message:
הַדְּבָרִ֥ים (had·də·ḇā·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

“Put
הָבִ֨יאוּ (hā·ḇî·’ū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

your necks
צַוְּארֵיכֶ֜ם (ṣaw·wə·rê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 6677: The back of the neck

under the yoke
בְּעֹ֣ל (bə·‘ōl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5923: A yoke

of the king
מֶֽלֶךְ־ (me·leḵ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Babylon;
בָּבֶ֗ל (bā·ḇel)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 894: Babylon -- an eastern Mediterranean empire and its capital city

serve
וְעִבְד֥וּ (wə·‘iḇ·ḏū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave

him and his people,
וְעַמּ֖וֹ (wə·‘am·mōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

and live!
וִֽחְיֽוּ׃ (wiḥ·yū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 2421: To live, to revive


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 27:12 I spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah (Jer.)
Jeremiah 27:11
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