וַיְהִי בַּשָּׁנָה הַהִיא בְּרֵאשִׁית מַמְלֶכֶת צִדְקִיָּה מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה בַּשָּׁנָה הָרְבִעִית בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִׁי אָמַר אֵלַי חֲנַנְיָה בֶן־עַזּוּר הַנָּבִיא אֲשֶׁר מִגִּבְעוֹן בְּבֵית ה' לְעֵינֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים וְכָל־הָעָם לֵאמֹר

Jeremiah continues to relate the events that transpired in the wake of the aforementioned prophecy. It was during that year when Jeremiah placed a yoke on his neck and called upon the people to accept the yoke of Babylon willingly, at the beginning of the reign of Tzidkiya king of Judah, during the fourth yearof his reign, in the fifth month, later called the month of Av, that Hananya son of Azur, the prophet who was from Givon, stated to me in the House of the Lord before the eyes of the priests and all the people, saying:

כֹּה־אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר שָׁבַרְתִּי אֶת־עֹל מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל

So stated the Lord of hosts, God of Israel, saying: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

בְּעוֹד שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים אֲנִי מֵשִׁיב אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה אֶת־כָּל־כְּלֵי בֵּית ה' אֲשֶׁר לָקַח נְבוּכַדנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל מִן־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וַיְבִיאֵם בָּבֶל

In two years, I will restore to this place, the Temple, all the vessels of the House of the Lord that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took from this place and brought to Babylon.

ואֶת־יְכָנְיָה בֶן־יְהוֹיָקִים מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה וְאֶת־כָּל־גָּלוּת יְהוּדָה הַבָּאִים בָּבֶלָה אֲנִי מֵשִׁיב אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה נְאֻם־ה' כִּי אֶשְׁבֹּר אֶת־עֹל מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל

And furthermore, Yekhonya son of Yehoyakim, king of Judah, and the entire exile of Judah that has come to Babylon, I am restoring to this place – the utterance of the Lord – as I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. The might of Babylon will be broken, and the exiles will return home.

וַיֹּאמֶר יִרְמְיָה הַנָּבִיא אֶל־חֲנַנְיָה הַנָּבִיא לְעֵינֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים וּלְעֵינֵי כָל־הָעָם הָעֹמְדִים בְּבֵית ה'

Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananya the prophet before the eyes of the priests and before the eyes of all the people who were standing in the House of the Lord.

וַיֹּאמֶר יִרְמְיָה הַנָּבִיא אָמֵן כֵּן יַעֲשֶׂה ה' יָקֵם ה' אֶת־דְּבָרֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר נִבֵּאתָ לְהָשִׁיב כְּלֵי בֵית־ה' וְכָל־ הַגּוֹלָה מִבָּבֶל אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה

Jeremiah the prophet said: Amen, may the Lord do so. May the Lord fulfill your words that you prophesied to restore the vessels of the House of the Lord and all of the exile from Babylon to this place. I certainly have no objection to the fulfillment of your prophecy. On the contrary, I would be elated if it were to transpire.

אַךְ שְׁמַע־נָא הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי דֹּבֵר בְּאָזְנֶיךָ וּבְאָזְנֵי כָּל־הָעָם

However, please hear this matter that I am speaking in your ears and in the ears of all the people:

הַנְּבִיאִים אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ לְפָנַי וּלְפָנֶיךָ מִן־הָעוֹלָם וַיִּנָּבְאוּ אֶל־אֲרָצוֹת רַבּוֹת וְעַל־מַמְלָכוֹת גְּדֹלוֹת לְמִלְחָמָה וּלְרָעָה וּלְדָבֶר

The prophets, who were before me and before you from ancient times, prophesied about many lands and about great kingdoms: of war, and of evil, and of pestilence. Prophecies like mine, of impending disaster, are common among the prophets. They serve as a warning and as a threat. Therefore, it is appropriate that prophecies of that sort would be repealed or postponed if the people mend their ways upon hearing the dire prophecy.

הַנָּבִיא אֲשֶׁר יִנָּבֵא לְשָׁלוֹם — בְּבֹא דְּבַר הַנָּבִיא יִוָּדַע הַנָּבִיא אֲשֶׁר־שְׁלָחוֹ ה' בֶּאֱמֶת

Conversely, with regard to the prophet who will prophesy of peace and will state a set time for the events he foresees, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as a true prophet, and all will recognize that the Lord truly sent him. If a prophecy of this kind is not fulfilled, he is immediately exposed as a false prophet, as God would not let a prophecy of good go entirely unfulfilled.

וַיִּקַּח חֲנַנְיָה הַנָּבִיא אֶת־הַמּוֹטָה מֵעַל צַוַּאר יִרְמְיָה הַנָּבִיא וַיִּשְׁבְּרֵהוּ

Jeremiah had placed the bar of a yoke on his neck, to symbolize the yoke of Babylon upon all the nations of the area, as stated above (27:2). In a contrary gesture, Hananya the prophet took the bar from upon the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, and he broke it.

וַיֹּאמֶר חֲנַנְיָה לְעֵינֵי כָל־הָעָם לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר ה' כָּכָה אֶשְׁבֹּר אֶת־עֹל נְבֻכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל בְּעוֹד שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים מֵעַל צַוַּאר כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם וַיֵּלֶךְ יִרְמְיָה הַנָּבִיא לְדַרְכּוֹ

Hananya then stated before the eyes of all the people, saying: So said the Lord: So, in this manner, I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from upon the neck of all the nations in two more years. After Hananya had continued to insist on his prophecy, despite the warning he had received, Jeremiah the prophet went on his way.

וַיְהִי דְבַר־ה' אֶל־יִרְמְיָה אַחֲרֵי שְׁבוֹר חֲנַנְיָה הַנָּבִיא אֶת־הַמּוֹטָה מֵעַל צַוַּאר יִרְמְיָה הַנָּבִיא לֵאמֹר׃

Hananya’s prophecy could be proven false two years later. However, even now, the word of the Lord was with Jeremiah, after Hananya the prophet broke the bar from upon the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

הָלוֹךְ וְאָמַרְתָּ אֶל־חֲנַנְיָה לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר ה' מוֹטֹת עֵץ שָׁבָרְתָּ — וְעָשִׂיתָ תַחְתֵּיהֶן מֹטוֹת בַּרְזֶל

Go and state to Hananya, saying: So said the Lord: Bars of wood you have broken, and you will make in their stead bars of iron. Go and fashion bars of iron, stronger and heavier than the wooden ones.

כִּי כֹה־אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עֹל בַּרְזֶל נָתַתִּי עַל־צַוַּאר כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה לַעֲבֹד אֶת־נְבֻכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וַעֲבָדֻהוּ וְגַם אֶת־חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה נָתַתִּי לוֹ

For so said the Lord of hosts, God of Israel: Not a breakable wooden yoke, but a yoke of iron I have placed on the neck of all these surrounding nations, to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will serve him; and the beasts of the field too I gave him.

וַיֹּאמֶר יִרְמְיָה הַנָּבִיא אֶל־חֲנַנְיָה הַנָּבִיא שְׁמַע־נָא חֲנַנְיָה לֹא־שְׁלָחֲךָ ה' וְאַתָּה הִבְטַחְתָּ אֶת־הָעָם הַזֶּה עַל־שָׁקֶר

This time, Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananya the prophet a far more emphatic and severe statement: Hear now, Hananya, the Lord did not send you, and you assured this people to trust on the basis of falsehood.

לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר ה' הִנְנִי מְשַׁלֵּחֲךָ מֵעַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה — הַשָּׁנָה אַתָּה מֵת כִּי־סָרָה דִבַּרְתָּ אֶל ה'

Therefore, so said the Lord: Behold, I am sending you from upon the face of the earth; during this year you will die because you spoke fabrication against the Lord. You spoke falsehoods in the name of God, for which you will be punished.

וַיָּמָת חֲנַנְיָה הַנָּבִיא בַּשָּׁנָה הַהִיא בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי

Indeed, Hananya the prophet died during that year, in the seventh month, approximately two months after he broke the yoke from upon Jeremiah’s neck.