At the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah , this word came to Jeremiah - ... from the LORD ....
This is what the LORD said to me : “ Make a yoke out of leather straps and put it on your neck.
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.
Give them a message - from the LORD of Hosts , the God of Israel , to relay to their masters - - - - - - :
By My great power and outstretched arm , I made - the earth - and the men and beasts - on the face of (it) , and I give it to whom I please ....
So now I have placed - all these lands under the authority of My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I have even - made the beasts of the field subject
All nations - will serve him and his son - and grandson ... , until the time of his own land ... ... comes ; then many nations and great kings will enslave
- As for the nation or kingdom that does not serve - - Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon - - and does not place - its neck under (his) yoke ... ... , I will punish ... that nation by sword and famine and plague , declares the LORD , until I have destroyed it by his hand.
But as for you , do not listen to your prophets , your diviners , your interpreters of dreams , your mediums , or your sorcerers who ... declare ... ... , ‘ You will not serve - the king of Babylon.’
For they prophesy a lie that will serve to remove you - from your land ; I will banish you - and you will perish.
But 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 declares the LORD. ”
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 !
Why 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 ?
Do not listen to the words of the prophets who say ... ... , ‘ You must not serve - the king of Babylon , ’ for they are prophesying a lie.
For I have not sent them , declares the LORD , and yet they are prophesying falsely in My name ; therefore I will banish you , and you will perish — you and the prophets who prophesy
Then I said to the priests and to all this people - , “ This is what the LORD says : Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy saying , ‘ Look , very soon ... now the articles from the house of the LORD will be brought back from Babylon. ’ They are prophesying a lie.
Do not listen to them. Serve - the king of Babylon and live ! Why should this city become a ruin ?
If they are indeed prophets and the word of the LORD is with them , let them now plead with the LORD of Hosts that the articles remaining in the house of the LORD , in the palace of the king of Judah , and in Jerusalem , not be taken to Babylon.
For this is what the LORD of Hosts says about the pillars , ... the sea , ... the bases , ... and the rest of the articles that remain in this city ,
which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he carried - Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah {into exile} from Jerusalem to Babylon , along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem.
Yes , this is what the LORD of Hosts , the God of Israel , says about the articles that remain in the house of the LORD , in the palace of the king of Judah , and in Jerusalem :
‘ They will be carried to Babylon and will remain there until the day I attend to them again - ,’ declares the LORD. ‘ Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place. ’”