ave made the earth and man and the
beasts on the face of the earth by my great power, and I give it to whom
I see fit. And now I have given all these lands into the hands of
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, to serve him. And all nations shall
serve him, till the time of his own land comes; and then many nations
and great kings shall make him their servant. And the nation and people
that will not serve him, and that does not give its own neck to the
yoke, that nation I will punish with sword, famine, and pestilence, till
I have consumed them by his hand." A similar message he sent to Zedekiah
and the princes who seemed to have influenced him. "Bring your necks
under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, and ye shall live.
Do not listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, Ye shall not
serve the king of Babylon. They prophesy a lie to you." The same message
in substance he sent to the priests and people, urging them not to
listen to the voice of the false prophets, who based their opinions on
the anticipated interference of God to save Jerusalem from destruction;
for that destruction would surely come if its people did not serve the
king of Babylonia until the appointed time should come, when Babylon
itself should fall into the hands of enemies more powerful than itself,
even the Medes and Persians.

Jeremiah, thus brought into direct opposition to the false prophets, was
exposed to their bitterest wrath. But he was undaunted, although alone,
and thus boldly addressed Hananiah, one of their leaders and himself a
priest: "Hear the words that I speak in your ears. Not I alone, but all
the prophets who have been before me, have prophesied long ago war,
captivity, and pestilence, while you prophesy peace." On this, Hananiah
snatched the ox-yoke from the neck of Jeremiah, and broke it, saying,
"Thus saith Jehovah, Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar
from the neck of all nations within two years." Jeremiah in reply said
to this false prophet that he had broken a wooden yoke only to prepare
an iron one for the people; for thus saith Jehovah: "I have put a yoke
of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they shall serve the king
of Babylon.... And further, hear this, O Hananiah! Jehovah has not sent
thee, but thou makest this people trust in a lie; therefore thou shalt
die this very year, because thou hast spoken rebellion against Jehovah."
In two months the lying prophet was dead.

Zedekiah, no