Dual Panel1That same year, at the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah in the fifth month of the first year, Hananiah son of Azzur, the prophet from Gibeon, said to Jeremiah in the house of the LORD before the priests and all the people,
2“These are the words of the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel: I shall break the yoke of the king of Babylon.
3Within two years I shall restore to this place everything which King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took from the LORD's house and carried off to Babylon.
4I shall also bring back to this place, says the LORD, Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the Judaean exiles who went to Babylon; for I shall break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”
5The prophet Jeremiah gave this reply to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priests and all the people standing there in the LORD's house:
6“May it be so! May the LORD indeed do this: may he fulfil all that you have prophesied, by bringing back the furnishings of the LORD's house together with all the exiles from Babylon to this place!
7Only hear what I have to say to you and to all the people:
8The prophets who preceded you and me from earliest times have foretold war, famine, and pestilence for many lands and for great kingdoms.
9If a prophet foretells prosperity, it will be known that the LORD has sent him only when his words come true.”
10Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it,
11announcing to all the people, “These are the words of the LORD: So shall I break the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon; I shall break it off the necks of all nations within two years.” Then the prophet Jeremiah went his way.
12After Hananiah had broken the yoke which had been on Jeremiah's neck, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:
13Go and say to Hananiah: These are the words of the LORD: You have broken bars of wood; in their place you will get bars of iron.
14For these are the words of the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel: I shall lay an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations, making them serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. They will be enslaved to him. I have given him even the creatures of the wild.
15Then Jeremiah said to Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah. The LORD never sent you, and you have led this nation to trust in false prophecies.
16Therefore these are the words of the LORD: I shall remove you from the face of the earth; within a year you will die, because you have preached rebellion against the LORD.”
17The prophet Hananiah died in the seventh month of that same year.