Jeremiah

¹²I 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. ¹³Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lord has spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? ¹⁴Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon;’ for they prophesy a lie to you. ¹⁵For I have not sent them,” says the Lord, “but they prophesy falsely in my name; that I may drive you out, and that you may perish, you, and the prophets who prophesy to you.” ¹⁶Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, the Lord says, “Don’t listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, ‘Behold, the vessels of the Lord’s house will now shortly be brought again from Babylon;’ for they prophesy a lie to you. ¹⁷Don’t listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and live. Why should this city become a desolation? ¹⁸But if they are prophets, and if the Lord’s word is with them, let them now make intercession to the Lord of Hosts, that the vessels which are left in the Lord’s house, in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, don’t go to Babylon.