Die Propheten
Warning to King Zedekiah and the priests about listening to false prophets
Jeremiah speaks directly to King Zedekiah and warns him against listening to prophets who promise that the temple vessels will soon return from Babylon. He points out that these prophets speak lies, and states that the vessels must remain in Babylon until God himself decides to bring them back, while the people must serve Babylon in order to live.
Jeremia 27,12-22
12To Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke in the same way: Bend your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and you will live.
וְאֶל־צִדְקִיָּ֤ה מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה֙ דִּבַּ֔רְתִּי כְּכָל־הַדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה לֵאמֹ֑ר הָבִ֨יאוּ אֶת־צַוְּארֵיכֶ֜ם בְּעֹ֣ל מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֗ל וְעִבְד֥וּ אֹת֛וֹ וְעַמּ֖וֹ וִֽחְיֽוּ׃
13Why should you and your people die by sword, famine, and plague, as the LORD has declared against any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
לָ֤מָּה תָמ֙וּתוּ֙ אַתָּ֣ה וְעַמֶּ֔ךָ בַּחֶ֖רֶב בָּרָעָ֣ב וּבַדָּ֑בֶר כַּֽאֲשֶׁר֙ דִּבֶּ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־הַגּ֕וֹי אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יַעֲבֹ֖ד אֶת־מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶֽל׃
14Do not listen to the words of the prophets who tell you, "You will not serve the king of Babylon," for they are prophesying lies to you.
וְאַֽל־תִּשְׁמְע֞וּ אֶל־דִּבְרֵ֣י הַנְּבִאִ֗ים הָאֹמְרִ֤ים אֲלֵיכֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֥א תַעַבְד֖וּ אֶת־מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֑ל כִּ֣י שֶׁ֔קֶר הֵ֖ם נִבְּאִ֥ים לָכֶֽם׃
15I have not sent them, declares the LORD. They are prophesying falsely in my name, so that I will drive you out and you will perish—you and the prophets who prophesy to you.
כִּ֣י לֹ֤א שְׁלַחְתִּים֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וְהֵ֛ם נִבְּאִ֥ים בִּשְׁמִ֖י לַשָּׁ֑קֶר לְמַ֨עַן הַדִּיחִ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ וַאֲבַדְתֶּ֔ם אַתֶּ֕ם וְהַנְּבִאִ֖ים הֽ͏ַנִּבְּאִ֥ים לָכֶֽם׃
16Then I said to the priests and to all this people: This is what the LORD says: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who tell you, "Look, the vessels of the LORD's house will soon be brought back from Babylon." They are prophesying lies to you.
וְאֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִים֩ וְאֶל־כָּל־הָעָ֨ם הַזֶּ֜ה דִּבַּ֣רְתִּי לֵאמֹ֗ר כֹּה֮ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָה֒ אַֽל־תִּשְׁמְע֞וּ אֶל־דִּבְרֵ֣י נְבִֽיאֵיכֶ֗ם הַֽנִבְּאִ֤ים לָכֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הִנֵּ֨ה כְלֵ֧י בֵית־יְהוָ֛ה מוּשָׁבִ֥ים מִבָּבֶ֖לָה עַתָּ֣ה מְהֵרָ֑ה כִּ֣י שֶׁ֔קֶר הֵ֖מָּה נִבְּאִ֥ים לָכֶֽם׃
17Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and you will live. Why should this city become a ruin?
אַל־תִּשְׁמְע֣וּ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם עִבְד֥וּ אֶת־מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל וִֽחְי֑וּ לָ֧מָּה תִֽהְיֶ֛ה הָעִ֥יר הַזֹּ֖את חָרְבָּֽה׃
18If they are prophets and the word of the LORD is with them, let them plead with the LORD of hosts that the vessels still left in the house of the LORD, in the palace of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem not be carried off to Babylon.
וְאִם־נְבִאִ֣ים הֵ֔ם וְאִם־יֵ֥שׁ דְּבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אִתָּ֑ם יִפְגְּעוּ־נָא֙ בַּֽיהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת לְבִלְתִּי־בֹ֜אוּ הַכֵּלִ֣ים ׀ הַנּוֹתָרִ֣ים בְּבֵית־יְהוָ֗ה וּבֵ֨ית מֶ֧לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֛ה וּבִירוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם בָּבֶֽלָה׃ פ
19For this is what the LORD of hosts says about the pillars, the bronze Sea, the stands, and the rest of the vessels still left in this city—
כִּ֣י כֹ֤ה אָמַר֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת אֶל־הָֽעַמֻּדִ֔ים וְעַל־הַיָּ֖ם וְעַל־הַמְּכֹנ֑וֹת וְעַל֙ יֶ֣תֶר הַכֵּלִ֔ים הַנּוֹתָרִ֖ים בָּעִ֥יר הַזֹּֽאת׃
20those that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he carried Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־לְקָחָ֗ם נְבֽוּכַדְנֶאצַּר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֔ל בַּ֠גְלוֹתוֹ אֶת־יְכָונְיָ֨ה בֶן־יְהוֹיָקִ֧ים מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֛ה מִירֽוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם בָּבֶ֑לָה וְאֵ֛ת כָּל־חֹרֵ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה וִירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ ס
21Yes, this is what the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says about the vessels still left in the house of the LORD, in the palace of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem:
כִּ֣י כֹ֥ה אָמַ֛ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל עַל־הַכֵּלִ֗ים הַנּֽוֹתָרִים֙ בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה וּבֵ֥ית מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֖ה וִירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃
22They will be taken to Babylon and remain there until the day I attend to them, declares the LORD. Then I will bring them up and restore them to this place.
בָּבֶ֥לָה יוּבָ֖אוּ וְשָׁ֣מָּה יִֽהְי֑וּ עַ֠ד י֣וֹם פָּקְדִ֤י אֹתָם֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וְהַֽעֲלִיתִים֙ וַהֲשִׁ֣יבֹתִ֔ים אֶל־הַמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ פ