1 In1 the beginning of the reign of2 Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, aking of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
2 “Thus says the Lord to me: ‘Make for yourselves bonds and yokes, aand put them on your neck,
3 and 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 messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah.
4 And command them to say to their masters, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel—thus you shall say to your masters:
5a‘I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and bhave given it to whom it seemed proper to Me.
6aAnd now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, bMy servant; and cthe beasts of the field I have also given him to serve him.
7aSo all nations shall serve him and his son and his son’s son, buntil the time of his land comes; cand then many nations and great kings shall make him serve them.
8 And it shall be, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and which will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will punish,’ says the Lord, ‘with the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.
9 Therefore do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your1 dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, “You shall not serve the king of Babylon.”
10 For they prophesy a alie to you, to remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out, and you will perish.
11 But the nations that bring their necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let them remain in their own land,’ says the Lord, ‘and they shall till it and dwell in it.’ ” ’ ”
12 I also spoke to aZedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live!
13aWhy will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lord has spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
14 Therefore ado not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they prophesy ba lie to you;
15 for I have anot sent them,” says the Lord, “yet they prophesy a lie in My name, that I may drive you out, and that you may perish, you and the prophets who prophesy to you.”
16 Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, “Behold, athe vessels of the Lord’s house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon”; for they prophesy a lie to you.
17 Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city be laid waste?
THE FUTILITY OF RESISTING NEBUCHADNEZZAR ILLUSTRATED TO THE AMBASSADORS OF THE KING, DESIRING TO HAVE THE KING OF JUDAH CONFEDERATE WITH THEM, UNDER THE TYPE OF YOKES. JEREMIAH EXHORTS THEM AND ZEDEKIAH TO YIELD. (Jer. 27:1-22)
Jehoiakim—The prophecy that follows was according to this reading given in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, fifteen years before it was published in the reign of Zedekiah to whom it refers; it was thus long deposited in the prophet's bosom, in order that by it he might be supported under trials in his prophetic career in the interim [CALVIN]. But "Zedekiah" may be the true reading. So the Syriac and Arabic Versions. Jeremiah 27:3, Jeremiah 27:12; Jeremiah 28:1, confirm this; also, one of KENNICOTT'S manuscripts. The English Version reading may have originated from Jeremiah 26:1. "Son of Josiah" applies to Zedekiah as truly as to "Jehoiakim" or "Eliakim." The fourth year may, in a general sense here, as in Jeremiah 28:1, be called "the beginning of his reign," as it lasted eleven years (II Kings 24:18). It was not long after the fourth year of his reign that he rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 51:59; Jeremiah 52:3; II Kings 24:20), in violation of an oath before God (II Chronicles 36:13).
DISCLAIMER: Church of the Great God (CGG) provides these resources to aid the individual in studying the Bible. However, it is up to the individual to "prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21). The content of these resources does not necessarily reflect the views of CGG. They are provided for information purposes only.
Join 137,029+ readers
A Verse and a Thought, Every Morning
Consistent Bible study is hard to start.
The Berean gives you the starting point: one scripture and a focused commentary in your inbox each morning — read it in minutes, or go as deep as you like.
Free, daily, and spam-free. We never share your address. Unsubscribe anytime.
