The Yoke of Nebuchadnezzar

1In the beginning of the reigne of Iehoiakim the sonne of Iosiah King of Iudah came this worde vnto Ieremiah from the Lorde, saying, 2Thus saith the Lorde to me, Make thee bonds, and yokes, & put them vpon thy necke, 3And send them to the King of Edom, and to the King of Moab, & to the King of the Ammonites, and to the King of Tyrus, & to the king of Zidon, by the hande of the messengers which come to Ierusale vnto Zedekiah ye king of Iudah, 4And commande them to saye vnto their masters, Thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel, Thus shall ye say vnto your masters, 5I haue made the earth, the ma, and the beast that are vpon the groud, by my great power, and by my outstreched arme, and haue giuen it vnto whom it pleased me. 6But nowe I haue giuen all these landes into the hand of Nebuchad-nezzar the King of Babel my seruant, and the beastes of the fielde haue I also giuen him to serue him. 7And all nations shall serue him, and his sonne, and his sonnes sonne vntill the very time of his lande come also: then many nations and great Kinges shall serue themselues of him.

8And the nation and kingdome which will not serue the same Nebuchad-nezzar king of Babel, and that will not put their necke vnder the yoke of the King of Babel, the same nation will I visite, saith the Lord, with the sworde, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, vntill I haue wholy giuen them into his hands. 9Therefore heare not your prophets nor your southsayers, nor your dreamers, nor your inchanters, nor your sorcerers, which say vnto you thus, Ye shall not serue the King of Babel. 10For they prophecie a lie vnto you to cause you to goe farre from your lande, and that I should cast you out, and you should perish. 11But the nation that put their neckes vnder the yoke of the King of Babel, & serue him, those wil I let remaine stil in their owne land, saith the Lord, and they shall occupie it, and dwel therein.

12I spake also to Zedekiah king of Iudah according to all these wordes, saying, Put your neckes vnder the yoke of the King of Babel, and serue him and his people, that ye may liue. 13Why will ye dye, thou, and thy people by the sworde, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lorde hath spoken against the nation, that will not serue the King of Babel? 14Therefore heare not the words of the prophets, that speake vnto you, saying, Ye shall not serue the King of Babel: for they prophecie a lie vnto you. 15For I haue not sent them, saith the Lord, yet they prophecie a lie in my name, that I might cast you out, and that ye might perish, both you, and the prophets that prophecie vnto you.

16Also I spake to the Priests, and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the Lorde, Heare not the wordes of your prophets that prophecie vnto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the house of the Lord shall nowe shortly be brought againe from Babel, for they prophecie a lie vnto you. 17Heare them not, but serue the King of Babel, that ye may liue: wherefore shoulde this citie be desolate? 18But if they be Prophets, and if the word of the Lorde be with them, let them intreate the Lorde of hostes, that the vessels, which are left in the House of the Lorde, and in the house of the King of Iudah, and at Ierusalem, go not to Babel. 19For thus saith the Lord of hostes, concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remaine in this citie, 20Which Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel tooke not, when he caryed away captiue Ieconiah the sonne of Iehoiakim King of Iudah from Ierusalem to Babel, with all the nobles of Iudah and Ierusalem. 21For thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remaine in the House of the Lorde, and in the house of the King of Iudah, and at Ierusalem, 22They shalbe brought to Babel, and there they shalbe vntil the day that I visite them, saith the Lord: then will I bring them vp, and restore them vnto this place.