New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Jeremiah 27
1
A message came to me from the Lord. It was shortly after Zedekiah became king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah.
2
The Lord said, "Make a yoke out of ropes and wooden boards. Put it on your neck.
3
"Then write down a message for the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon. Give it to their messengers who have come to Jerusalem. They have come to see Zedekiah, the king of Judah.
4
Give them a message for the kings who sent them. It should say, 'The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "Here is what I want you to tell your masters.
5
I reached out my great and powerful arm. I made the earth. I made its people and animals. And I can give the earth to anyone I please.
Reference
Creation
Jeremiah 51:15
Jeremiah 32:17
Isaiah 45:12
Isaiah 42:5
Colossians 1:16
Revelation 4:11
Hebrews 1:2
Parallel theme
Daniel 4:17
Isaiah 44:24
Isaiah 48:13
6
" ' "Now I will hand all of your countries over to my servant Nebuchadnezzar. He is king of Babylonia. I will put even the wild animals under his control.
Reference
7
All of the nations will serve him and his son and grandson. After that, I will judge his land. Then many nations and great kings will make him serve them.
Reference
Kingdom
Jeremiah 52:31
8
" ' "But suppose any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. And suppose it refuses to put its neck under his yoke. Then I will punish that nation with war, hunger and plague," announces the Lord. "I will punish it until his powerful hand destroys it.
Reference
9
" ' "So do not listen to your prophets. Do not listen to those who claim to have secret knowledge. Do not listen to those who try to explain your dreams. Do not listen to those who get messages from people who have died. Do not listen to those who practice evil magic. All of them will tell you, 'You won't serve the king of Babylonia.'
Reference
10
" ' "But they prophesy lies to you. If you listen to them, you will be removed far away from your lands. I will drive you away from them. And you will die.
Reference
Parallel theme
Jeremiah 32:31
11
" ' "But suppose any nation will put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylonia. And suppose it serves him. Then I will let that nation remain in its own land. I will let its people plow the land and live there," ' " announces the Lord.
Reference
Kingdom
Jeremiah 27:8
Jeremiah 27:12
Parallel theme
Jeremiah 21:9
References Lord
Jeremiah 27:2
Jeremiah 38:2
12
I gave the same message to Zedekiah, the king of Judah. I said, "Put your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylonia. Obey him. Serve his people. Then you will live.
Reference
13
Why should you and your people die? Why should you die of war, hunger and plague? That's what the Lord said would happen to any nation that won't serve the king of Babylonia.
Reference
14
"Don't listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, 'You won't serve the king of Babylonia.' They are prophesying lies to you.
Reference
15
'I have not sent them,' announces the Lord. 'They are prophesying lies in my name. So I will drive you away from your land. And you will die. So will the prophets who prophesy to you.' "
Reference
16
Then I spoke to the priests and all of those people. I said, "The Lord says, 'Do not listen to the prophets who say, "Very soon the articles from the Lord's house will be brought back from Babylon." They are prophesying lies to you.
Reference
17
Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylonia. Then you will live. Why should this city be destroyed?
18
" 'If they are prophets and have received a message from me, let them pray to me. I am the Lord who rules over all. Those prophets should pray that what is still in Jerusalem will remain here. They should pray that the articles in my house and the king's palace will not be taken to Babylon.
Reference
Kingdom
1 Samuel 12:19
Parallel theme
Jeremiah 18:20
References Lord
1 Samuel 7:8
1 Kings 18:24
1 Samuel 12:23
19
" 'I am the Lord who rules over all. Do you know what those articles are? They include the two pillars in front of the temple. They include the huge metal bowl. They include the bronze stands that can be moved around. And they include the other articles that are left in this city.
Reference
20
Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, did not take those things away at first. That was when he took King Jehoiachin from Jerusalem to Babylon. He also took all of the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem along with him. Jehoiachin is the son of Jehoiakim.
Reference
21
" 'I am the Lord who rules over all. I am the God of Israel. Here is what will happen to the things that are left in my house, the king's palace and Jerusalem.
22
They will be taken to Babylon. They will remain there until the day I come for them,' announces the Lord. 'Then I will bring them back. I will return them to this place.' "
Reference
Parallel theme
Ezra 7:19
References Babylon
Ezra 1:11
References Lord
Jeremiah 29:10
Jeremiah 32:5
Proverbs 21:30
Summary of Jeremiah 27
Jeremiah 27 presents one of the most unusual prophetic symbols in Jeremiah's ministry: a wooden yoke placed around the prophet's neck. The yoke represents Babylon's political authority over Judah and the surrounding nations, and Jeremiah uses it to communicate a message that would have sounded deeply humiliating to people who wanted national independence—they must accept Babylon's rule because God has temporarily given Nebuchadnezzar authority over them.
The chapter takes place during the reign of Zedekiah, when representatives from several neighboring kingdoms were meeting in Jerusalem and apparently considering cooperation against Babylon. Jeremiah directly challenges these political plans by explaining that Nebuchadnezzar's power is not simply the result of military strength but has been permitted by God, who remains sovereign over nations and can give kingdoms to whoever He chooses.
The reference to Nebuchadnezzar as God's "servant" is particularly striking, because Babylon was not a righteous nation, yet God could still use its empire as an instrument for His purposes. At the same time, Babylon's authority would not last forever, and Jeremiah predicts that after a defined period the Babylonian empire itself would face judgment.
Jeremiah repeatedly warns the people not to listen to prophets, diviners, dreamers, mediums, and other religious figures who promise that Babylon will quickly be defeated, because these messages offer emotional comfort but encourage a political decision that will lead to greater suffering.
For Zedekiah, the choice is presented in unusually practical terms: accept Babylon's yoke and live, or resist and experience war, famine, and disease. This does not mean Babylon is morally right; rather, Jeremiah is announcing that Babylonian domination has become the unavoidable instrument of judgment, making resistance to it an act of resistance against God's announced purpose.
The chapter also addresses the Temple vessels that Babylon had already taken away. False prophets apparently promised that these sacred objects would soon return, creating hope that Jerusalem's situation was temporary, but Jeremiah insists that the remaining treasures will also be taken to Babylon before God eventually allows them to return.
This creates an important distinction between immediate judgment and eventual restoration: the Temple treasures will be removed, Jerusalem will suffer, and Judah will experience exile, but this does not mean that restoration is impossible, because God also promises a future return.
The central message is that Jeremiah challenges Judah and its neighboring kingdoms to recognize that Babylon's temporary dominance is part of God's judgment and that refusing to accept this reality will only increase suffering, while false prophets offer attractive promises of quick deliverance that encourage dangerous resistance; the wooden yoke therefore becomes a powerful symbol of accepting God's difficult discipline, and the chapter simultaneously reminds the people that Babylon's authority has limits, because the same God who permits Nebuchadnezzar to rule will eventually judge Babylon and restore what was taken, demonstrating that even during periods of national defeat God remains sovereign over both kingdoms and history.
The chapter takes place during the reign of Zedekiah, when representatives from several neighboring kingdoms were meeting in Jerusalem and apparently considering cooperation against Babylon. Jeremiah directly challenges these political plans by explaining that Nebuchadnezzar's power is not simply the result of military strength but has been permitted by God, who remains sovereign over nations and can give kingdoms to whoever He chooses.
The reference to Nebuchadnezzar as God's "servant" is particularly striking, because Babylon was not a righteous nation, yet God could still use its empire as an instrument for His purposes. At the same time, Babylon's authority would not last forever, and Jeremiah predicts that after a defined period the Babylonian empire itself would face judgment.
Jeremiah repeatedly warns the people not to listen to prophets, diviners, dreamers, mediums, and other religious figures who promise that Babylon will quickly be defeated, because these messages offer emotional comfort but encourage a political decision that will lead to greater suffering.
For Zedekiah, the choice is presented in unusually practical terms: accept Babylon's yoke and live, or resist and experience war, famine, and disease. This does not mean Babylon is morally right; rather, Jeremiah is announcing that Babylonian domination has become the unavoidable instrument of judgment, making resistance to it an act of resistance against God's announced purpose.
The chapter also addresses the Temple vessels that Babylon had already taken away. False prophets apparently promised that these sacred objects would soon return, creating hope that Jerusalem's situation was temporary, but Jeremiah insists that the remaining treasures will also be taken to Babylon before God eventually allows them to return.
This creates an important distinction between immediate judgment and eventual restoration: the Temple treasures will be removed, Jerusalem will suffer, and Judah will experience exile, but this does not mean that restoration is impossible, because God also promises a future return.
The central message is that Jeremiah challenges Judah and its neighboring kingdoms to recognize that Babylon's temporary dominance is part of God's judgment and that refusing to accept this reality will only increase suffering, while false prophets offer attractive promises of quick deliverance that encourage dangerous resistance; the wooden yoke therefore becomes a powerful symbol of accepting God's difficult discipline, and the chapter simultaneously reminds the people that Babylon's authority has limits, because the same God who permits Nebuchadnezzar to rule will eventually judge Babylon and restore what was taken, demonstrating that even during periods of national defeat God remains sovereign over both kingdoms and history.