Jeremiah 27

King James Version

Full text for Jeremiah Chapter 27

1¶ In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

2Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,

3And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah;

4And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters;

5I have made the earth, the man and the beast that [are] upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.

6And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.

7And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.

8And it shall come to pass, [that] the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.

9Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:

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

11But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.

12¶ I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

13Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

14Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.

15For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.

16Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD'S house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.

17Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste?

18But if they [be] prophets, and if the word of the LORD be with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, and [in] the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.

19For thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city,

20Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;

21Yea, thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain [in] the house of the LORD, and [in] the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem;

22They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jeremiah is commanded by the LORD to make yokes, symbolizing submission, and send them to various kings, including Judah's Zedekiah. The LORD declares He has given all nations into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, His servant, and warns that those who resist Babylon will face divine punishment. He urges Judah and other nations to submit to Babylon to avoid destruction, cautioning against false prophets who counsel otherwise.

Medium Summary

In the beginning of Jehoiakim's reign, the prophet Jeremiah receives a divine message to create bonds and yokes, which he is to send to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, Zidon, and Zedekiah of Judah. The LORD, as the sovereign Creator, proclaims that He has appointed Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon as His servant and has given all these lands into his dominion. All nations are commanded to serve Babylon for three generations, with a stern warning that resistance will result in severe punishment by sword, famine, and pestilence. Jeremiah specifically admonishes Zedekiah and the people of Judah to submit, lest they perish. He strongly warns against listening to false prophets, diviners, and sorcerers who promise liberation from Babylonian rule, as their words are lies intended to lead to destruction. Furthermore, Jeremiah confronts the priests and people regarding the temple vessels, refuting false prophecies that they would soon return, and instead declares that the remaining vessels will also be carried to Babylon, to be restored only at the LORD's appointed time.

Long Summary

The chapter opens with a divine word to Jeremiah in the beginning of Jehoiakim's reign, instructing him to fashion bonds and yokes. These symbolic yokes were to be sent to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Zidon, as well as to Zedekiah, king of Judah, via their messengers present in Jerusalem. The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, asserts His absolute sovereignty as the Creator of the earth and all its inhabitants, declaring His prerogative to bestow dominion as He sees fit. He reveals that He has now given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, whom He explicitly calls "my servant." This servitude is decreed for all nations, extending through Nebuchadnezzar's son and grandson, until Babylon's own appointed time. The LORD issues a severe warning: any nation or kingdom refusing to submit to Nebuchadnezzar and bear his yoke will be punished with sword, famine, and pestilence until consumed. Consequently, the people are strictly commanded not to heed their own prophets, diviners, dreamers, enchanters, or sorcerers who prophesy against serving Babylon, as these are lies designed to lead to their removal from their land and ultimate destruction. Conversely, nations that willingly submit to the Babylonian yoke will be permitted to remain in their lands, to till and dwell therein. Jeremiah then directly addresses King Zedekiah of Judah, reiterating the divine command to submit to Babylon to preserve their lives and avoid the prophesied calamities. He again warns Zedekiah against false prophets who promise deliverance, emphasizing that their prophecies are lies not sent by the LORD, leading only to the perishing of both the people and the false prophets themselves. Finally, Jeremiah speaks to the priests and the general populace, specifically refuting claims that the vessels taken from the LORD's house would soon return from Babylon, urging them to serve Babylon to prevent Jerusalem's desolation. He challenges any true prophets among them to intercede with the LORD to prevent the remaining vessels in the temple and king's house from being carried away. However, the LORD declares that these remaining vessels—including the pillars, the sea, and the bases—which Nebuchadnezzar spared during Jeconiah's captivity, will indeed be transported to Babylon, where they will remain until the LORD's appointed day of visitation and restoration.

Core Concepts

  • Divine SovereigntyThe LORD asserts His absolute power as Creator of the earth and all life, stating His right to give dominion to whomever He chooses. This underpins His decree to place nations under Nebuchadnezzar's rule.
  • Babylonian Servitude as Divine WillNebuchadnezzar is explicitly called the LORD's "servant," and the subjugation of Judah and surrounding nations to Babylon is presented as a direct divine mandate, not merely a political event.
  • The Yoke of SubmissionJeremiah uses the physical symbol of bonds and yokes to represent the required submission to Babylonian authority. Accepting this "yoke" is presented as the path to survival, while rejecting it leads to destruction.
  • Warning Against False ProphetsA significant theme is the condemnation of prophets, diviners, and sorcerers who contradict the LORD's command to serve Babylon. Their prophecies are labeled as lies that will lead people to ruin.
  • Consequences of DisobedienceNations refusing to submit to Babylon are promised severe divine judgment, including punishment by sword, famine, and pestilence, leading to their utter consumption.
  • Fate of Temple VesselsThe chapter addresses the temple artifacts, refuting false hopes of their immediate return. It prophesies that the remaining sacred vessels will also be taken to Babylon, to be restored only at a future time appointed by the LORD.
  • Preservation Through ObedienceThe LORD offers a path to preservation: those nations and people who willingly bring their necks under the Babylonian yoke will be allowed to remain in their own land and live.