The Yoke of Nebuchadnezzar

2Thus said the Lord; Make to thyself bonds and yokes, and put them about thy neck, 3and thou shalt send them to the king of Idumea, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the children of Ammon, and to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon, by the hands of their messengers that come to meet them at Jerusalem to Sedekias king of Juda. 4And thou shalt commission them to say to their lords, Thus said the Lord God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to your lords; 5I have made the earth by my great power, and with my high arm, and I will give it to whomsoever it shall seem good in mine eyes. 6I gave the earth to Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon to serve him, and the wild beasts of the field to labour for him.

8And the nation and kingdom, all that shall not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, with sword and famine will I visit them, saith the Lord, until they are consumed by his hand. 9And hearken ye not to your false prophets, nor to them that divine to you, nor to them that foretell events by dreams to you, nor to your auguries, nor your sorcerers, that say, Ye shall by no means work for the king of Babylon: 10for they prophesy lies to you, to remove you far from your land. 11But the nation which shall put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, I will even leave it upon its land, and it shall serve him, and dwell in it.

12I spoke also to Sedekias king of Juda according to all these words, saying, Put your neck into the yoke, and serve the king of Babylon. 14For they prophesy unrighteous words to you, 15for I sent them not, saith the Lord; and they prophesy in my name unjustly, that I might destroy you, and ye should perish, and your prophets, who unrighteously prophesy lies to you.

16I spoke to you, and to all this people, and to the priests, saying, Thus said the Lord; Hearken not to the words of the prophets that prophesy to you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the Lord's house shall return from Babylon: for they prophesy to you unrighteous words. 17I sent them not. 18If they are prophets, and if the word of the Lord is in them, let them meet me, for thus has the Lord said. 19And as for the remaining vessels, 20which the king of Babylon took not, when he carried Jechonias prisoner out of Jerusalem, 22they shall go into Babylon, saith the Lord.