1 The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah. This happened when Zedekiah son of Josiah was king of Judah.
2 This is what the Lord said to me: “Make a yoke out of straps and poles. Put it on the back of your neck.
3 Then send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon. Send the messages through the messengers of these kings. Those messengers have come to Jerusalem to see Zedekiah king of Judah.
4 Tell them to give this message to their masters. Tell them, ‘The Lord of heaven’s armies, the God of Israel, says: “Tell your masters:
5 I made the earth and everyone on it. I made all the animals on the earth. I did this with my great power and my strong arm. I can give the earth to anyone I want.
6 Now I have given all these lands to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He is my servant. I will make even the wild animals obey him.
7 All nations will serve Nebuchadnezzar and his son and grandson. Then the time will come for Babylon to be defeated. Many nations and great kings will make Babylon their servant.
8 “‘“But now some nations or kingdoms might refuse to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. They might refuse to be under his control. If that happens, I will punish that nation with war, hunger and terrible sickness, says the Lord. I will do it until I destroy that nation. I will use Nebuchadnezzar to destroy the nation that fights against him.
9 So don’t listen to your false prophets. Don’t listen to people who use magic to tell what will happen in the future. Don’t listen to those who say they can tell what dreams mean. Don’t listen to mediums or magicians. They all tell you, ‘You will not be slaves to the king of Babylon.’
10 They are telling you lies! They will only cause you to be taken far from your homeland. I will force you to leave your homes. And you will die in another land.
11 But some nations will put themselves under the control of the king of Babylon. They will serve him. I will let those nations stay in their own country, says the Lord. The people from those nations will live in their own land and farm it.”’”
12 I gave the same message to Zedekiah king of Judah. I said, “You must put yourself under the control of the king of Babylon and serve him. If you serve him and his people, you will live.
13 Why should you and your people die like those who do not serve the king of Babylon? Why should you die because of war, hunger and sickness? The Lord said this will happen.
14 But the false prophets are saying this: ‘You will never be slaves to the king of Babylon.’ Don’t listen to them because they are prophesying lies to you!
15 ‘I did not send them,’ says the Lord. ‘They are prophesying lies. And they are saying the message is from me. So I will send Judah away. You will die! And those prophets who prophesy to you will die also.’”
16 Then I, Jeremiah, said to the priests and all the people, “This is what the Lord says: Those false prophets are saying that what the Babylonians took from the Temple of the Lord will be brought back soon. Don’t listen to them! They are prophesying lies to you.
17 Don’t listen to those prophets. But serve the king of Babylon, and you will live. There is no reason for you to cause Jerusalem to become a ruin.
18 They might be prophets and have the message from the Lord. If so, let them pray to the Lord of heaven’s armies. Let them pray about the things that are still in the Temple of the Lord. Let them pray about the things that are still in the king’s palace and in Jerusalem. Let them pray that all this will not be taken away to Babylon.
19 “This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says about those things left in Jerusalem. In the Temple there are the pillars, the large bronze bowl, which is called the Sea, the stands that can be moved and other things. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon left them in Jerusalem.
20 Nebuchadnezzar did not take these away when he took Jehoiachin king of Judah captive. Jehoiachin was the son of King Jehoiakim. Nebuchadnezzar also took other important people away from Judah and Jerusalem.
21 This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies, the God of Israel, says about the things left in the Temple of the Lord and in the king’s palace and in Jerusalem: ‘All of this will also be taken to Babylon.
22 And they will stay there until the day I go to get them,’ says the Lord. ‘Then I will bring them back and return them to this place.’”