1The false prophet Hananiah spoke to me, Jeremiah, in the LORD’s house. Hananiah was from Gibeon. He was the son of Azzur. It was shortly after Zedekiah became king of Judah. It was in the fifth month of his fourth year. In front of the priests and all the people Hananiah spoke to me. He said,2‘The LORD who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, “I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.3Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, removed all the objects that belong to my house. He took them to Babylon. Before two years are over, I will bring them back to this place.4I will also bring King Jehoiachin back. He is the son of Jehoiakim. And I will bring back all the others who were taken from Judah to Babylon,” announces the LORD. “I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.” ’5Then Jeremiah the prophet replied to the false prophet Hananiah. Jeremiah spoke to him in front of the priests and all the people. They were standing in the LORD’s house.6Jeremiah said, ‘Amen, Hananiah! May the LORD do those things! May he make the words you have prophesied come true. May he bring back from Babylon the objects that belong to the LORD’s house. May he bring back to this place all the people who were taken away.7But listen to what I have to say. I want you and all the people to hear it.8There have been prophets long before you and I were ever born. They have prophesied against many countries and great kingdoms. They have spoken about war, trouble and plague.9But what if a prophet says peace will come? And suppose peace really does come? Only then will he be recognised as a prophet truly sent by the LORD.’10The false prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet. Then Hananiah broke the yoke.11In front of all the people he said, ‘The LORD says, “In the same way, I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. Before two years are over, I will remove it from the necks of all the nations.” ’ When Jeremiah the prophet heard this, he went on his way.12A message from the LORD came to Jeremiah. It was after the false prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off Jeremiah’s neck. The message said,13‘Go. Tell Hananiah, “The LORD says, ‘You have broken a wooden yoke. But in its place you will get an iron yoke.’14The LORD who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, ‘I will put an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations. I will make them serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. So they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.’ ” ’15Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke to the false prophet Hananiah. Jeremiah said, ‘Listen, Hananiah! The LORD hasn’t sent you. But you have tricked these people. Now they trust in lies.16So the LORD says, “I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. Before this year is over, you will die. You have taught the people to turn against me.” ’17In the seventh month of that very year, the false prophet Hananiah died.
Jeremiah 28
English Standard Version
Hananiah the False Prophet
1In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord, in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, (Jos 9:3; Jos 21:17; Jer 27:12; Eze 11:1)2“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. (Jer 27:2; Jer 27:11)3Within two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. (Jer 27:16; Jer 28:11)4I will also bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, declares the Lord, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.” (Jer 22:10; Jer 22:12; Jer 22:26; Jer 28:2)5Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord,6and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord make the words that you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles. (1Ki 1:36)7Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people.8The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. (Jer 26:18)9As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.” (De 18:22; Jer 6:14)10Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke-bars from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke them. (Jer 27:2)11And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within two years.” But Jeremiah the prophet went his way. (1Ki 22:11; Jer 27:7; Jer 28:2)12Sometime after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke-bars from off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: (Jer 28:1; Jer 28:10)13“Go, tell Hananiah, ‘Thus says the Lord: You have broken wooden bars, but you have made in their place bars of iron.14For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have put upon the neck of all these nations an iron yoke to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they shall serve him, for I have given to him even the beasts of the field.’” (De 28:48; Jer 25:11; Jer 27:6)15And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. (De 18:20; Jer 5:31; Jer 29:31; Eze 13:22)16Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have uttered rebellion against the Lord.’” (De 13:5; Jer 29:32)17In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hananiah died.