Profeetat

Jeremiah's message about the yoke of Babylon to the surrounding kings

God commands Jeremiah to make a yoke and send it to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon with the message that they must serve Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, to avoid punishment. The prophet also warns against false prophets who promise quick deliverance, emphasizing that submission is the only path to survival.

Jeremia 27,1-11

1At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD:[fn]
בְּרֵאשִׁ֗ית מַמְלֶ֛כֶת יְהוֹיָקִ֥ם בֶּן־יֹאושִׁיָּ֖הוּ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה הָיָ֞ה הַדָּבָ֤ר הַזֶּה֙ אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֔ה מֵאֵ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃ ‬
2This is what the LORD said to me: Make yourself straps and crossbars for a yoke, and put them on your neck.
כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י עֲשֵׂ֣ה לְךָ֔ מוֹסֵר֖וֹת וּמֹט֑וֹת וּנְתַתָּ֖ם עַל־צַוָּארֶֽךָ׃ ‬
3Then send them to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the Ammonites, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon, by the hand of the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah.
וְשִׁלַּחְתָּם֩ אֶל־מֶ֨לֶךְ אֱד֜וֹם וְאֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ מוֹאָ֗ב וְאֶל־מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן וְאֶל־מֶ֥לֶךְ צֹ֖ר וְאֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ צִיד֑וֹן בְּיַ֤ד מַלְאָכִים֙ הַבָּאִ֣ים יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם אֶל־צִדְקִיָּ֖הוּ מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה׃ ‬
4Give them this charge for their masters: This is what the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says—tell your masters this:
וְצִוִּיתָ֣ אֹתָ֔ם אֶל־אֲדֹֽנֵיהֶ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כֹּ֥ה תֹֽאמְר֖וּ אֶל־אֲדֹֽנֵיכֶֽם׃ ‬
5By my great power and my outstretched arm I made the earth, along with the people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to whomever I please.
אָנֹכִ֞י עָשִׂ֣יתִי אֶת־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֶת־הָאָדָ֤ם וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ בְּכֹחִי֙ הַגָּד֔וֹל וּבִזְרוֹעִ֖י הַנְּטוּיָ֑ה וּנְתַתִּ֕יהָ לַאֲשֶׁ֖ר יָשַׁ֥ר בְּעֵינָֽי׃ ‬
6Now I have handed all these lands over to my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; even the wild animals I have given him to serve him.
וְעַתָּ֗ה אָֽנֹכִי֙ נָתַ֙תִּי֙ אֶת־כָּל־הָאֲרָצ֣וֹת הָאֵ֔לֶּה בְּיַ֛ד נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּ֥ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל עַבְדִּ֑י וְגַם֙ אֶת־חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה נָתַ֥תִּי ל֖וֹ לְעָבְדֽוֹ׃ ‬
7All nations will serve him and his son and his grandson, until the time comes for his own land as well; then many nations and great kings will make him their servant.
וְעָבְד֤וּ אֹתוֹ֙ כָּל־הַגּוֹיִ֔ם וְאֶת־בְּנ֖וֹ וְאֶֽת־בֶּן־בְּנ֑וֹ עַ֣ד בֹּא־עֵ֤ת אַרְצוֹ֙ גַּם־ה֔וּא וְעָ֤בְדוּ בוֹ֙ גּוֹיִ֣ם רַבִּ֔ים וּמְלָכִ֖ים גְּדֹלִֽים׃ ‬
8But any nation or kingdom that will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and will not bend its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon—that nation I will punish with sword, famine, and plague, declares the LORD, until I have destroyed it by his hand.
וְהָיָ֨ה הַגּ֜וֹי וְהַמַּמְלָכָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־יַעַבְד֤וּ אֹתוֹ֙ אֶת־נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּ֣ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֔ל וְאֵ֨ת אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־יִתֵּן֙ אֶת־צַוָּאר֔וֹ בְּעֹ֖ל מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֑ל בַּחֶרֶב֩ וּבָרָעָ֨ב וּבַדֶּ֜בֶר אֶפְקֹ֨ד עַל־הַגּ֤וֹי הַהוּא֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה עַד־תֻּמִּ֥י אֹתָ֖ם בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ ‬
9So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreams, your fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers, who tell you, "You will not serve the king of Babylon."
וְ֠אַתֶּם אַל־תִּשְׁמְע֨וּ אֶל־נְבִיאֵיכֶ֜ם וְאֶל־קֹֽסְמֵיכֶ֗ם וְאֶל֙ חֲלֹמֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם וְאֶל־עֹֽנְנֵיכֶ֖ם וְאֶל־כַּשָּׁפֵיכֶ֑ם אֲשֶׁר־הֵ֞ם אֹמְרִ֤ים אֲלֵיכֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֥א תַעַבְד֖וּ אֶת־מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶֽל׃ ‬
10They are prophesying lies to you, and the result will be that you are carried far from your land; I will drive you out, and you will perish.
כִּ֣י שֶׁ֔קֶר הֵ֖ם נִבְּאִ֣ים לָכֶ֑ם לְמַ֨עַן הַרְחִ֤יק אֶתְכֶם֙ מֵעַ֣ל אַדְמַתְכֶ֔ם וְהִדַּחְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם וַאֲבַדְתֶּֽם׃ ‬
11But the nation that bends its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serves him—that nation I will leave on its own soil, declares the LORD, to work it and live there.
וְהַגּ֗וֹי אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָבִ֧יא אֶת־צַוָּאר֛וֹ בְּעֹ֥ל מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל וַֽעֲבָד֑וֹ‪[t]‬ וְהִנַּחְתִּ֤י‪[t]‬ו עַל־‪[t]‬ אַדְמָתוֹ֙‪[t]‬ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וַֽעֲבָדָ֖הּ וְיָ֥שַׁב בָּֽהּ׃ ‬