בְּרֵאשִׁית מַמְלֶכֶת יְהוֹיָקִם בֶּן־יֹאושִׁיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה הָיָה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֶל־יִרְמְיָה מֵאֵת ה' לֵאמֹר

At the beginning of the reign of Yehoyakim son of Yoshiyahu king of Judah, this matter was to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying:

כֹּה־אָמַר ה' אֵלַי עֲשֵׂה לְךָ מוֹסֵרוֹת וּמֹטוֹת וּנְתַתָּם עַל־צַוָּארֶךָ

So said the Lord to me: Make for you restraints and bars of a yoke, and place them on your neck. Position the bar of a yoke with its straps upon your neck, as it is placed on the neck of an animal at work.

וְשִׁלַּחְתָּם אֶל־מֶלֶךְ אֱדוֹם וְאֶל־מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב וְאֶל־מֶלֶךְ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן וְאֶל־מֶלֶךְ צֹר וְאֶל־מֶלֶךְ צִידוֹן בְּיַד מַלְאָכִים הַבָּאִים ירוּשָׁלִַם אֶל־צִדְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה

Then take other straps and bars (see 28:10), and send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moav, and to the king of the children of Amon, and to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon, in the hand of the messengers who come from these kingdoms to Jerusalem to Tzidkiyahu king of Judah.Apparently, this was performed at a later stage, during the reign of King Tzidkiyahu, despite the fact that Jeremiah received the prophecy at the beginning of the reign of Yehoyakim. Perhaps the straps and bars remained in Jeremiah’s possession, or even on his neck, for a lengthy period after which he sent them to these kings. Others explain that Tzidkiyahu had the status of a king to a certain extent even during the reign of Yehoyakim, or that he reigned for a short time before Yehoyakim was crowned.

וְצִוִּיתָ אֹתָם אֶל־אֲדֹנֵיהֶם לֵאמֹר כֹּה־אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כֹּה תֹאמְרוּ אֶל־אֲדֹנֵיכֶם

Command them to give a message to their masters, saying: So said the Lord of hosts, God of Israel: So you shall say to your masters:

אָנֹכִי עָשִׂיתִי אֶת־הָאָרֶץ אֶת־הָאָדָם וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָה אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי הָאָרֶץ בְּכֹחִי הַגָּדוֹל וּבִזְרוֹעִי הַנְּטוּיָה וּנְתַתִּיהָ לַאֲשֶׁר יָשַׁר בְּעֵינָי

I made the earth, humans, and the animals that are on the face of the earth, with My great might and with My outstretched arm. I am the Creator and Ruler of the world, and I gave it to whom it was proper in My eyes, to those I chose.

וְעַתָּה אָנֹכִי נָתַתִּי אֶת־כָּל־הָאֲרָצוֹת הָאֵלֶּה בְּיַד נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל עַבְדִּי וְגַם אֶת־חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה נָתַתִּי לוֹ לְעָבְדוֹ

And now, I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant. All are given to his rule. And also, the beast of the field I have given him to serve him. Some suggest that this is referring to Nebuchadnezzar’s use of elephants and other wild animals that were trained as beasts of war.

וְעָבְדוּ אֹתוֹ כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם וְאֶת־בְּנוֹ וְאֶת־בֶּן־בְּנוֹ עַד בֹּא־עֵת אַרְצוֹ גַּם־הוּא וְעָבְדוּ בוֹ גּוֹיִם רַבִּים וּמְלָכִים גְּדֹלִים

All the nations will serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the coming of the time of the destruction of his own land too, and then many nations and great kings will enslave him. Jeremiah prophesies that Babylon will enjoy greatness and dominion for three generations, but its kingdom too will subsequently fall.

וְהָיָה הַגּוֹי וְהַמַּמְלָכָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יַעַבְדוּ אֹתוֹ — אֶת־נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יִתֵּן אֶת־צַוָּארוֹ בְּעֹל מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל — בַּחֶרֶב וּבָרָעָב וּבַדֶּבֶר אֶפְקֹד עַל־הַגּוֹי הַהוּא נְאֻם־ה' עַד־תֻּמִּי אֹתָם בְּיָדוֹ

It will be with regard to the nation and the kingdom that will not serve him, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and that will not place its neck into the yoke of the king of Babylon, with the sword and with famine and with pestilence I will reckon with that nation – the utterance of the Lord – until My annihilation of them at his hand. Nebuchadnezzar receives from God his power, his authority, and his ability to subjugate the nations.

וְאַתֶּם אַל־תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל־נְבִיאֵיכֶם וְאֶל־קֹסְמֵיכֶם וְאֶל חֲלֹמֹתֵיכֶם וְאֶל־עֹנְנֵיכֶם וְאֶל־כַּשָּׁפֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר־הֵם אֹמְרִים אֲלֵיכֶם לֵאמֹר לֹא תַעַבְדוּ אֶת־מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל

But you, do not heed your prophets, as the gentile nations also had prophets of some kind; your diviners; your masters of dreams, foreseers of the future; your soothsayers, who would predict which seasons are favorable for certain activities; and your sorcerers, who perform tricks to determine possible successes or failures; as they all state to you, saying: You shall not serve the king of Babylon.

כִּי שֶׁקֶר הֵם נִבְּאִים לָכֶם לְמַעַן הַרְחִיק אֶתְכֶם מֵעַל אַדְמַתְכֶם וְהִדַּחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם וַאֲבַדְתֶּם

Do not heed them, as falsehood they prophesy to you, which will only serve to distance you from upon your land, and I will banish you and you will perish. The consequences of the sorcerers’ actions do not correspond to their conscious intent. They are merely tools through which God implements His designs, as it is His intent that whoever listens to them should perish.

וְהַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר יָבִיא אֶת־צַוָּארוֹ בְּעֹל מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וַעֲבָדוֹ — וְהִנַּחְתִּיו עַל־אַדְמָתוֹ נְאֻם־ה' וַעֲבָדָהּ וְיָשַׁב בָּהּ

But the nation that will bring its neck into the yoke of the king of Babylon and will serve him, I will leave it on its land – the utterance of the Lord – and it will work it and dwell in it.

וְאֶל־צִדְקִיָּה מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה דִּבַּרְתִּי כְּכָל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה לֵאמֹר הָבִיאוּ אֶת־צַוְּארֵיכֶם בְּעֹל מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל וְעִבְדוּ אֹתוֹ וְעַמּוֹ וחְיוּ

And to Tzidkiyahu king of Judah I spoke according to all these matters, saying: Bring your necks into the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and then you may live.

לָמָּה תָמוּתוּ אַתָּה וְעַמֶּךָ בַּחֶרֶב בָּרָעָב וּבַדָּבֶר כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' אֶל הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יַעֲבֹד אֶת־מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל!

Why should you die, you and your people, by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, as the Lord has spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

וְאַל־תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל־דִּבְרֵי הַנְּבִאִים הָאֹמְרִים אֲלֵיכֶם לֵאמֹר לֹא תַעַבְדוּ אֶת־מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל כִּי שֶׁקֶר הֵם נִבְּאִים לָכֶם

And do not heed the words of the prophets who say to you, saying: You shall not serve the king of Babylon, as falsehood they prophesy to you.

כִּי לֹא שְׁלַחְתִּים נְאֻם־ה' וְהֵם נִבְּאִים בִּשְׁמִי לַשָּׁקֶר לְמַעַן הַדִּיחִי אֶתְכֶם וַאֲבַדְתֶּם אַתֶּם וְהַנְּבִאִים הַנִּבְּאִים לָכֶם

For I did not send them – the utterance of the Lord – and they prophesy in My name falsely so that I will banish you, and you will perish, you and the prophets who prophesy to you.

וְאֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִים וְאֶל־כָּל־הָעָם הַזֶּה דִּבַּרְתִּי לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר ה' אַל־תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל־דִּבְרֵי נְבִיאֵיכֶם הַנִּבְּאִים לָכֶם לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה כְלֵי בֵית־ה' מוּשָׁבִים מִבָּבֶלָה עַתָּה מְהֵרָה כִּי שֶׁקֶר הֵמָּה נִבְּאִים לָכֶם

At the beginning of Tzidkiyahu’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah, exiled part of the populace, and took with him some of the Temple vessels. The false prophets predicted that the vessels would soon be returned. And to the priests and to this entire people I spoke, saying: So said the Lord: Do not heed the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying: Behold, the vessels of the House of the Lord will be returned from Babylon now, soon, as they are prophesying falsehood to you.

אַל־תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֲלֵיהֶם עִבְדוּ אֶת־מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל וִחְיוּ — לָמָּה תִהְיֶה הָעִיר הַזֹּאת חָרְבָּה!

Do not heed them. Serve the king of Babylon and live; why should this city be a ruin?

וְאִם נְבִאִים הֵם וְאִם־יֵשׁ דְּבַר־ה' אִתָּם — יִפְגְּעוּ נָא בַּה' צְבָאוֹת לְבִלְתִּי־בֹאוּ הַכֵּלִים הַנּוֹתָרִים בְּבֵית־ה' וּבֵית מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וּבִירוּשָׁלִַם בָּבֶלָה

And moreover, if they are true prophets, and if the word of the Lord is with them, please, let them plead with the Lord of hosts that the vessels that remain in the House of the Lord and in the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem will not come to Babylon. A prophet has a unique relationship with God. It is therefore appropriate for him to beseech God that the vessels remaining in the Temple should not be taken as well.

כִּי כֹה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֶל־הָעַמֻּדִים וְעַל־הַיָּם וְעַל־הַמְּכֹנוֹת וְעַל יֶתֶר הַכֵּלִים הַנּוֹתָרִים בָּעִיר הַזֹּאת

For so said the Lord of hosts concerning the vast copper pillars that were in the Temple; and concerning the copper sea, the water receptacle fashioned by King Solomon; and concerning the bronze bases, upon which the basins rested; and concerning the rest of the vessels that remain in this city,

אֲשֶׁר לֹא־לְקָחָם נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל בַּגְלוֹתוֹ אֶת־יְכָנְיָה בֶן־יְהוֹיָקִים מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה מִירוּשָׁלִַם בָּבֶלָה וְאֵת כָּל־חֹרֵי יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִָם

those vessels that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he exiled Yekhonya son of Yehoyakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. When Nebuchadnezzar exiled Yekhonya, he also exiled a large proportion of the nobility of Jerusalem, as well as taking the golden service vessels of the Temple. The objects that remained in the Temple were made of bronze. Although they too were valuable, Nebuchadnezzar did not feel the need to plunder them at that stage.

כִּי כֹה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל הַכֵּלִים הַנּוֹתָרִים בֵּית ה' וּבֵית מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִָם׃

For so said the Lord of hosts, God of Israel, concerning those vessels that remain in the House of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem:

בָּבֶלָה יוּבָאוּ וְשָׁמָּה יִהְיוּ עַד יוֹם פָּקְדִי אֹתָם נְאֻם־ה' וְהַעֲלִיתִים וַהֲשִׁיבֹתִים אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה

To Babylon they too will be brought, and there they will be until the day that I remember them – the utterance of the Lord – and I will bring them up, and I will restore them to this place. Not only will the vessels that have already been taken to Babylon not be returned in the near future, but those that were left in Jerusalem will be transported there as well.