The False Prophet Hananiah

28 It was in that same year, in the fifth month of Zedekiah’s fourth year as king of Judah [^C593 bc], soon after he began to rule. The prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, from the town of Gibeon, spoke to me in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord ·in front [^Lbefore the eyes] of the priests and all the people. He said: ² “The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts], the God of Israel, says: ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. ³ Before two years are over, I will ·bring back [restore] ·everything [^Lall the vessels] that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took to Babylon from the Lord’s ·Temple [^Lhouse]. ⁴ I will also ·bring back [restore] ·Jehoiachin [^LJeconiah] son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and all the other ·captives [exiles] from Judah who went to Babylon,’ says the Lord. ‘So I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”

⁵ Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah ·in front [^Lbefore the eyes] of the priests and all the people who were standing in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. ⁶ He said, “Amen! Let the Lord really do that! May the Lord ·make the message you prophesy come true [^Lconfirm your word which you prophesied]. May he ·bring back here [^Lrestore] ·everything [^Lthe vessels] the Lord’s ·Temple [^Lhouse] and all the ·people who were taken as captives [exiles] to Babylon.

⁷ “But listen to ·what I am going to say to you and [^Lthis word which I am speaking in your ears and the ears of] all the people. ⁸ There were prophets long before we became prophets, Hananiah. They prophesied that war, ·hunger [famine; or disaster; calamity], and ·terrible diseases [plague; pestilence] would come to many countries and great kingdoms. ⁹ But if a prophet prophesies that we will have peace and that message comes true, he can be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord [^Cprophets usually came announcing judgment not peace].”

¹⁰ Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off Jeremiah’s neck and ·broke [shattered] it. ¹¹ Hananiah said ·in front [^Lbefore the eyes] of all the people, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He put that yoke on all the nations of the world, but I will break it before two years are over.’” After Hananiah had said that, Jeremiah ·left the Temple [^Lwent on his way].

¹² The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off of the prophet Jeremiah’s neck. ¹³ The Lord said, “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but I will make a yoke of iron in its place! ¹⁴ The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts], the God of Israel, says: I will put a yoke of iron on the necks of all these nations to make them serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will be slaves to him. I will even give Nebuchadnezzar ·control over the wild animals [^Lthe beasts of the field].’ ”

¹⁵ Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord did not send you, and you have made the people of Judah ·trust [have confidence] in lies. ¹⁶ So this is what the Lord says: ‘Soon I will ·remove you from [^Lsend you off the face of] the earth. You will die this year, because you taught ·the people to turn [rebellion] against the Lord [Deut. 18:20].’”

¹⁷ Hananiah died in the seventh month of that same year.