28 In the fifth month of the fourth year of the reign of Yehudah’s (Judah’s) King Tsidkiyah (Zedekiah),[ref] Azur’s son Hananyah who was a ‘prophet’ from Giveon, said to me in Yahweh’s temple as priests and all the people watched, saying, 2 “Yisrael’s (Israel’s) god, Commander-in-chief Yahweh says: I’ve broken the yoke of the Babylonian king. 3 Within two years, I, myself, will bring back here all the utensils from Yahweh’s residence that the Babylonian King Nevukadnetsar (Nebuchadnezzar) got from this place and took to Bavel (Babylon). 4 I, myself, will also bring Yekaneyah (the son of Yehudah’s King Yehoyakim) back to this place, and all the exiles from Yehudah that were taken to Bavel, because I’ll break the yoke of the Babylonian king. That is Yahweh’s declaration.”

5 Then the prophet Yirmiyah (Jeremiah) spoke to the prophet Hananyah, as the priests and all the people standing in Yahweh’s temple watched, 6 saying, “Let it be so—may Yahweh do all that. May Yahweh confirm your messages that you prophesied, to bring the temple utensils back to this place, along with all the exiles from Bavel. 7 However, please listen to this message that I, myself, am speaking as you and all the people listen: 8 The prophets who preceded both me and you, prophesied long ago that many nations and powerful kingdoms would experience wars, terrible suffering, and deadly diseases. 9 The prophet who prophesies about peace, that prophet will be known as ‘a truthful prophet sent by Yahweh’ only when his message comes to pass.”

10 Then the prophet Hananyah took the yoke bar off the prophet Yirmiyah’s neck, and broke it. 11 Then as all the people watched, he said, “This is what Yahweh says: Just like that, I’ll break the yoke of the Babylonian King Nevukadnetsar (Nebuchadnezzar) off the neck of all the nations within two more years.”

Then the prophet Yirmiyah left the gathering.

12 ⇔After the prophet Hananyah broke the yoke bar that had been on the prophet Yirmiyah’s neck, Yahweh’s message came to Yirmiyah saying, 13 “Go and tell Hananyah this: ‘Yahweh says that you’ve broken wooden yoke bars, but in their place, you’ll make yoke bars out of iron,’ 14 because Yisrael’s (Israel’s) god, Commander-in-chief Yahweh says, ‘I’ve put an iron yoke bar on the neck of all these nations to serve the Babylonian King Nevukadnetsar, and they will indeed serve him. I’ve also given him the animals from the countryside.’ ”

15 Then the prophet Yirmiyah told the prophet Hananyah, “Listen, please, Hananyah. Yahweh hasn’t sent you, and you yourself have made this people group put their trust in things that aren’t true. 16 Because of that, Yahweh says this: ‘Listen, I’m removing you from this world. You’ll die this very year, because you have said things that would cause the people to rebel against Yahweh.’ ”

17 The prophet Hananyah then died in the seventh month of that year.