1 Jehovah spoke his word to Jeremiah when Zedekiah, son of King Josiah of Judah, began to rule.

2 This is what Jehovah said to me: »Make leather straps and a wooden yoke, and strap the yoke on your neck.

3 »Then send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon, with messengers who have come to King Zedekiah of Judah in Jerusalem.

4 »Give them an order for their masters: This is what Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Say this to your masters,

5 »I used my great strength and my powerful arm to make the earth along with the people and the animals on it. I give it to anyone I please.

6 »Now I have handed all these countries over to my servant King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have even made wild animals serve him.

7 »All nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until Babylon is defeated. Then many nations and great kings will make him their slave.

8 »Suppose nations or kingdoms will not serve or surrender to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I will punish those nations by wars, famines, and plagues, until I have put an end to them by Nebuchadnezzar's power,« says Jehovah.

9 »Do not listen to prophets, mediums, and interpreters of dreams, fortunetellers, or sorcerers who tell you, ‘You will never serve the king of Babylon.’

10 »They prophesy lies to you. They will cause you to be taken far from your lands. I will scatter you, and you will die.

11 »If a nation surrender to the king of Babylon and serve him I will let it stay in its own land. People will farm the land and live on it,« says Jehovah.« ’«

12 I spoke the same message to King Zedekiah of Judah: »Surrender to the king of Babylon, serve him and his people, and you will stay alive.

13 »Why should you and your people die in wars, famines, and plagues? Jehovah has threatened the nations that do not serve the king of Babylon.

14 »Do not listen to the prophets who tell you, ‘You will never serve the king of Babylon.’ They prophesy lies to you.

15 »I did not send them,« declares Jehovah. »They prophesy lies in my name. So I will scatter you, and you and the prophets will die.’«

16 I also spoke this message to the priests and all the people. This is what Jehovah said to me: »Do not listen to the prophets who tell you that the utensils of Jehovah’s Temple will be brought back from Babylon soon. They prophesy lies to you.«

17 »Do not listen to them. Instead, serve the king of Babylon, and live. Why should this city be turned into rubble?

18 »If they are prophets and Jehovah is speaking to them, they should beg Jehovah of Hosts not to allow the utensils that are left in Jehovah’s Temple, in the royal palace of Judah, and in Jerusalem to be taken away to Babylon.

19 »Jehovah of Host reports concerning the pillars, concerning the sea, concerning the stands and concerning the rest of the vessels that are left in this city,

20 which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he carried into exile Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem.

21 ‘»Thus says Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the House of Jehovah and in the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem,

22 »They will be carried to Babylon and they will be there until the day I visit them,« declares Jehovah. »Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.« ’«