Jeremiah 28:1-9 ▼

1 One day in late summer of that same year—the fourth year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah—Hananiah son of Azzur, a prophet from Gibeon, addressed me publicly in the Temple while all the priests and people listened. He said,

2 “This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will remove the yoke of the king of Babylon from your necks.

3 Within two years I will bring back all the Temple treasures that King Nebuchadnezzar carried off to Babylon.

4 And I will bring back Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the other captives that were taken to Babylon. I will surely break the yoke that the king of Babylon has put on your necks. I, the LORD, have spoken!’”

5 Jeremiah responded to Hananiah as they stood in front of all the priests and people at the Temple.

6 He said, “Amen! May your prophecies come true! I hope the LORD does everything you say. I hope he does bring back from Babylon the treasures of this Temple and all the captives.

7 But listen now to the solemn words I speak to you in the presence of all these people.

8 The ancient prophets who preceded you and me spoke against many nations, always warning of war, disaster, and disease.

9 So a prophet who predicts peace must show he is right. Only when his predictions come true can we know that he is really from the LORD.”