Jeremias 27

¹ In the beginning of the reign ofConcerning the disposition of these prophecies, they who gathered them into a book, did not altogether observe the order of times, but saw some before, which should be after, and contrary wise which if the reader mark well it will avoid many doubts and make the reading much easier.Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

² Thus saith the LORD to me; Make for theeBy such signs the prophets used sometimes to confirm their prophecies which they could not do of themselves but in as much as they had a revelation for the same, (Isa_20:2) and therefore the false prophets to get more credit, used also such visible signs but they had no revelation, (1Ki_22:12).bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,

³ And 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,

⁴ And commande them to saye vnto their masters, Thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel, Thus shall ye say vnto your masters,

⁵ I 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.

⁶ And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, myRead (Jer_25:9).servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.

⁷ And all nations shall serve him, and hisMeaning, Evilmerodach and his son Belshazzar.son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land shall come: and then many nations and great kings shallThey will bring him and his kingdom in subjection as in (Jer_25:14).bring him into subjection.

⁸ And 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.

⁹ Therefore 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.

¹⁰ For 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.

¹¹ But 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.

¹² I 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.

¹³ Why 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?

¹⁴ Therefore 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.

¹⁵ For 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.

¹⁶ Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy to you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD'S house shall now shortly beWhich were taken when Jeconiah was led captive into Babel.brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie to you.

¹⁷ Heare them not, but serue the King of Babel, that ye may liue: wherefore shoulde this citie be desolate?

¹⁸ But if they are prophets, and if the word of the LORD is with them, let them nowFor it was not only the prophet's office to show the word of God, but also to pray for the sins of the people, (Gen_20:7) which these could not do because they had no express word: for God had pronounced the contrary.make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, and [in] the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.

¹⁹ For 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,

²⁰ Which 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.

²¹ For 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,

²² They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visitThat is, for the space of seventy years till I have caused the Medes and Persians to overcome the Chaldeans.them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.