Jeremiah 27:4-14

4 and give them a charge to their masters, saying, Thus says the LORD of Hosts, the God of Yisra'el, Thus shall you tell your masters:

5 I have made the eretz, the men and the animals that are on the surface of the eretz, by my great power and by my outstretched arm; and I give it to whom it seems right to me.

6 Now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nevukhadnetztzar the king of Bavel, my servant; and the animals of the field also have I given him to serve him.

7 All the nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the time of his own land come: and then many nations and great kings shall make him their bondservant.

8 It shall happen, that the nation and the kingdom which will not serve the same Nevukhadnetztzar king of Bavel, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Bavel, that nation will I punish, says the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.

9 But as for you, don't you listen to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreams, nor to your soothsayers, nor to your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, You shall not serve the king of Bavel:

10 for they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land, and that I should drive you out, and you should perish.

11 But the nation that shall bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Bavel, and serve him, that [nation] will I let remain in their own land, says the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.

12 I spoke to Tzidkiyahu king of Yehudah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Bavel, and serve him and his people, and live.

13 Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD has spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Bavel?

14 Don't listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, You shall not serve the king of Bavel; for they prophesy a lie to you.

Jeremiah 27:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 27

This chapter contains a prophecy of the subjection of the king of Judah, with five neighbouring kings, to the king of Babylon; signified by bonds and yokes on the prophet's neck, which they are exhorted patiently to bear, as being most for their good; and not to give heed to false prophets, who would persuade them to the contrary. The date of the prophecy is in Jer 27:1; the order to make the yokes, and send them to the several neighbouring princes by their messengers at Jerusalem, Jer 27:2,3; what they should say to their masters from the God of Israel, who is described from his power in the creation of the earth, and the disposal of it, Jer 27:4,5; as that he had given all their lands into the hand of the king of Babylon, whom they should serve, or it would be worse for them, Jer 27:6-8; and therefore should not hearken to their prophets, who prophesied lies; if they did, it would be to their hurt; whereas, if they quietly submitted, they would dwell in their own land, Jer 27:9-11; particularly Zedekiah king of Judah is exhorted to submit; and both he, and the priests and the people, are advised not to hearken to the false prophets, Jer 27:12-15; particularly as to what they said concerning the speedy return of the vessels of the temple, which were carried away to Babylon; but might assure themselves they should remain there; and the rest also should be taken, and not returned until the end of the seventy years, Jer 27:16-22.