I am also going to bringbackto thisplaceJeconiahthe sonof Jehoiakim,kingof Judah,and allthe exilesof Judahwho wentto Babylon,'declaresthe LORD,'for I will breakthe yokeof the kingof Babylon.'"
"By your swordyou shall live,And your brotheryou shall serve;But it shall comeabout whenyou becomerestless,That you will breakhis yokefrom your neck."
Then he ledawayinto exileallJerusalemand allthe captainsand allthe mightymenof valor,tenthousandcaptives,and allthe craftsmenand the smiths.Noneremainedexceptthe poorestpeopleof the land.
For You shall breakthe yokeof their burdenand the staffon their shoulders,The rodof their oppressor,as at the battleof Midian.
The citiesof the Negevhave been lockedup, And thereis nooneto open[them]; AllJudahhas been carriedinto exile,Whollycarriedinto exile.
"For longagoI brokeyour yoke[And] toreoffyour bonds;But you said,'I will not serve!'For on everyhighhillAnd undereverygreentreeYou have laindownas a harlot.
Do not weepfor the deador mournfor him, [But] weepcontinuallyfor the one who goesaway; For he will neverreturnOr seehis nativeland.
"As I live,"declaresthe LORD,"eventhoughConiahthe sonof Jehoiakimkingof Judahwere a signet[ring] on My righthand,yetI would pullyou off;
AfterNebuchadnezzarkingof Babylonhad carriedawaycaptiveJeconiahthe sonof Jehoiakim,kingof Judah,and the officialsof Judahwith the craftsmenand smithsfrom Jerusalemand had broughtthem to Babylon,the LORDshowedme: behold,twobasketsof figssetbeforethe templeof the LORD!
"Thussaysthe LORDGodof Israel,'Like thesegoodfigs,soI will regardas goodthe captivesof Judah,whomI have sentout of thisplace[into] the landof the Chaldeans.
"It will be, [that] the nationor the kingdomwhichwill not servehim, Nebuchadnezzarkingof Babylon,and whichwill not putits neckunder the yokeof the kingof Babylon,I will punishthat nationwith the sword,with famineand with pestilence,"declaresthe LORD,"untilI have destroyedit by his hand.
Then Hananiahthe prophettookthe yokefrom the neckof Jeremiahthe prophetand brokeit.
"Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,the Godof Israel,'I have brokenthe yokeof the kingof Babylon.
Now theseare the wordsof the letterwhichJeremiahthe prophetsentfrom Jerusalemto the restof the eldersof the exile,the priests,the prophetsand allthe peoplewhomNebuchadnezzarhad takeninto exilefrom Jerusalemto Babylon.
(This was afterKingJeconiahand the queenmother,the courtofficials,the princesof Judahand Jerusalem,the craftsmenand the smithshad departedfrom Jerusalem.)
It shall comeabout on that day,'declaresthe LORDof hosts,that I will breakhis yokefrom offtheir neckand will tearofftheir bonds;and strangerswill nolongermakethem their slaves.
I am the LORDyour God,whobroughtyou out of the landof Egyptsothat [you] would not be their slaves,and I brokethe barsof your yokeand made you walkerect.
"So now,I will breakhis yokebarfrom upon you, And I will tearoffyour shackles."
