Jeremiah and the Prophet Hananiah
1 That same year, in the fifth month of the fourth year that Zedekiah was king, Hananiah son of Azzur, a prophet from the town of Gibeon, spoke to me in the Temple. In the presence of the priests and of the people he told me 2 that the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, had said: “I have broken the power of the king of Babylonia. 3 Within two years I will bring back to this place all the Temple treasures that King Nebuchadnezzar took to Babylonia. 4 I will also bring back the king of Judah, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, along with all of the people of Judah who went into exile in Babylonia. Yes, I will break the power of the king of Babylonia. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
5 Then in the presence of the priests and of all the people who were standing in the Temple, I said to Hananiah, 6 “Wonderful! I hope the Lord will do this! I certainly hope he will make your prophecy come true and will bring back from Babylonia all the Temple treasures and all the people who were taken away as prisoners. 7 But listen to what I say to you and to the people. 8 The prophets who spoke long ago, before my time and yours, predicted that war, starvation, and disease would come to many nations and powerful kingdoms. 9 But a prophet who predicts peace can only be recognized as a prophet whom the Lord has truly sent when that prophet's predictions come true.”
10 Then Hananiah took the yoke off my neck, broke it in pieces, 11 and said in the presence of all the people, “The Lord has said that this is how he will break the yoke that King Nebuchadnezzar has put on the neck of all the nations; and he will do this within two years.” Then I left.
12 Some time after this the Lord told me 13 to go and tell Hananiah: “The Lord has said that you may be able to break a wooden yoke, but he will replace it with an iron yoke. 14 The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, has said that he will put an iron yoke on all these nations and that they will serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia. The Lord has said that he will make even the wild animals serve Nebuchadnezzar.”
15 Then I told Hananiah this, and added, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord did not send you, and you are making these people believe a lie. 16 And so the Lord himself says that he is going to get rid of you. Before this year is over you will die because you have told the people to rebel against the Lord.”
17 And Hananiah died in the seventh month of that same year.
1 And that same yeere in the beginning of the reigne of Zedekiah King of Iudah in the fourth yeere, and in the fifth moneth Hananiah the sonne of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake to mee in the House of the Lord in the presence of the Priestes, and of all the people, and said, 2 Thus speaketh the Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, saying, I haue broken the yoke of the King of Babel. 3 Within two yeeres space I will bring into this place all the vessels of the Lords House, that Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel tooke away from this place, and caried them into Babel. 4 And I will bring againe to this place Ieconiah the sonne of Iehoiakim King of Iudah, with all them that were caried away captiue of Iudah, and went into Babel, saith the Lord: for I will breake the yoke of the King of Babel. 5 Then the Prophet Ieremiah saide vnto the Prophet Hananiah in the presence of ye Priests, and in the presence of all the people that stoode in the House of the Lord. 6 Euen the Prophet Ieremiah sayde, So bee it: the Lord so doe, the Lord confirme thy words which thou hast prophecied to restore the vessels of the Lordes House, and al that is caried captiue, from Babel, into this place. 7 But heare thou now this worde that I will speake in thine eares and in the eares of all the people. 8 The Prophets that haue beene before mee and before thee in time past, prophecied against many countreyes, and against great kingdomes, of warre, and of plagues, and of pestilence. 9 And the Prophet which prophecieth of peace, when the word of the Prophet shall come to passe, then shall the Prophet be knowen that the Lord hath truely sent him. 10 Then Hananiah the Prophet tooke the yoke from the Prophet Ieremiahs necke, and brake it. 11 And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Euen so will I breake the yoke of Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel, from the necke of al nations within the space of two yeres: and the Prophet Ieremiah went his way. 12 Then the word of the Lord came vnto Ieremiah the Prophet, (after that Hananiah the Prophet had broken the yoke from the necke of the Prophet Ieremiah) saying, 13 Go, and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus sayth the Lord, Thou hast broken the yokes of wood, but thou shalt make for them yokes of yron. 14 For thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel, I haue put a yoke of yron vpon the necke of all these nations, that they may serue Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel: for they shall serue him, and I haue giuen him the beasts of the fielde also. 15 Then sayd the Prophet Ieremiah vnto the Prophet Hananiah, Heare nowe Hananiah, the Lord hath not sent thee, but thou makest this people to trust in a lye. 16 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Beholde, I will cast thee from of the earth: this yeere thou shalt die, because thou hast spoken rebelliously against the Lord. 17 So Hananiah the Prophet died the same yeere in the seuenth moneth.