Jeremiah Challenges a False Prophet
28 In that same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, in the fourth year and the fifth month, Azzur’s son Hananiah, the prophet from Gibeon, told me at the Lord’s Temple in front of the priests and all the people, 2 “This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I’ve broken the yoke of the king of Babylon, 3 and within two years I’ll bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord’s Temple that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took from this place and carried to Babylon. 4 I’ll bring back Jehoiakim’s son Jeconiah, king of Judah, and all the exiles of Judah who went to Babylon to this place,’ declares the Lord, ‘for I’ll break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”
5 The prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in front of the priests and all[a] the people who were standing in the Lord’s Temple. 6 The prophet Jeremiah said, “May the Lord truly do this thing! May the Lord fulfill the words[b] that you prophesied to bring back the vessels of the Lord’s Temple and all the exiles from Babylon to this place. 7 But please listen to what I’m saying in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. 8 The prophets who came before us[c] from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and plague against many lands and great kingdoms. 9 When a prophet prophesies peace, and what the prophet speaks comes about, he will be known as the prophet whom the Lord has truly sent.”
10 Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke[d] from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke it. 11 Hananiah, in front of all the people, said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way, within two years, I’ll break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations.’” Then Jeremiah the prophet went on his way.
12 This message from the Lord came to Jeremiah after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke[e] from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet: 13 “Go and say to Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: “You have broken wooden yokes,[f] but you have made iron yokes[g] in their place.” 14 For this is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: “I’ve put an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. They’ll serve him, and I’ve even given the wild animals to him.”’”
15 The prophet Jeremiah told the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord didn’t send you, and you are causing these people to trust in a lie. 16 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘I’m about to remove[h] you from the face of the earth. This year you will die because you have preached rebellion against the Lord.’”
17 So the prophet Hananiah died in the seventh month of that year.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 28:5 Lit. and in front of
- Jeremiah 28:6 Lit. your words
- Jeremiah 28:8 Lit. before me and before you
- Jeremiah 28:10 Lit. the bar of the yoke
- Jeremiah 28:12 Lit. the bar of the yoke
- Jeremiah 28:13 Lit. the bars of the yoke
- Jeremiah 28:13 Lit. the bars of the yoke
- Jeremiah 28:16 Lit. send you away