Hananiah’s False Prophecy
וַיְהִ֣י׀ בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַהִ֗יא בְּרֵאשִׁית֙ מַמְלֶ֙כֶת֙ צִדְקִיָּ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֔ה בַּשָּׁנָה֙ הָֽרְבִעִ֔ית בַּחֹ֖דֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִׁ֑י אָמַ֣ר אֵלַ֡י חֲנַנְיָה֩ בֶן־עַזּ֨וּר הַנָּבִ֜יא אֲשֶׁ֤ר מִגִּבְעוֹן֙ בְּבֵ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה לְעֵינֵ֧י הַכֹּהֲנִ֛ים וְכָל־הָעָ֖ם לֵאמֹֽר׃
In the fifth month of that same year, the fourth year, near the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, said to me in the house of the LORD in the presence of the priests and all the people:
כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֧ה צְבָא֛וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר שָׁבַ֞רְתִּי אֶת־עֹ֖ל מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶֽל׃
“This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.
בְּע֣וֹד׀ שְׁנָתַ֣יִם יָמִ֗ים אֲנִ֤י מֵשִׁיב֙ אֶל־הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה אֶֽת־כָּל־כְּלֵ֖י בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר לָקַ֜ח נְבוּכַדנֶאצַּ֤ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶל֙ מִן־הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה וַיְבִיאֵ֖ם בָּבֶֽל׃
Within two years I will restore to this place all the articles of the house of the LORD that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed from here and carried to Babylon.
וְאֶת־יְכָנְיָ֣ה בֶן־יְהוֹיָקִ֣ים מֶֽלֶךְ־יְ֠הוּדָה וְאֶת־כָּל־גָּל֨וּת יְהוּדָ֜ה הַבָּאִ֣ים בָּבֶ֗לָה אֲנִ֥י מֵשִׁ֛יב אֶל־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַזֶּ֖ה נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה כִּ֣י אֶשְׁבֹּ֔ר אֶת־עֹ֖ל מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶֽל׃
And I will restore to this place Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ יִרְמְיָ֣ה הַנָּבִ֔יא אֶל־חֲנַנְיָ֖ה הַנָּבִ֑יא לְעֵינֵ֤י הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ וּלְעֵינֵ֣י כָל־הָעָ֔ם הָעֹמְדִ֖ים בְּבֵ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃
Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the LORD.
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ יִרְמְיָ֣ה הַנָּבִ֔יא אָמֵ֕ן כֵּ֖ן יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה יְהוָ֑ה יָקֵ֤ם יְהוָה֙ אֶת־דְּבָרֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִבֵּ֗אתָ לְהָשִׁ֞יב כְּלֵ֤י בֵית־יְהוָה֙ וְכָל־הַגּוֹלָ֔ה מִבָּבֶ֖ל אֶל־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃
“Amen!” Jeremiah said. “May the LORD do so! May the LORD fulfill the words you have prophesied, and may He restore the articles of His house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon.
אַךְ־שְׁמַֽע־נָא֙ הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י דֹּבֵ֣ר בְּאָזְנֶ֑יךָ וּבְאָזְנֵ֖י כָּל־הָעָֽם׃
Nevertheless, listen now to this message I am speaking in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people.
הַנְּבִיאִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָי֧וּ לְפָנַ֛י וּלְפָנֶ֖יךָ מִן־הָֽעוֹלָ֑ם וַיִּנָּ֨בְא֜וּ אֶל־אֲרָצ֤וֹת רַבּוֹת֙ וְעַל־מַמְלָכ֣וֹת גְּדֹל֔וֹת לְמִלְחָמָ֖ה וּלְרָעָ֥ה וּלְדָֽבֶר׃
The prophets of old who preceded you and me prophesied war, disaster, and plague against many lands and great kingdoms.
הַנָּבִ֕יא אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִנָּבֵ֖א לְשָׁל֑וֹם בְּבֹא֙ דְּבַ֣ר הַנָּבִ֗יא יִוָּדַע֙ הַנָּבִ֔יא אֲשֶׁר־שְׁלָח֥וֹ יְהוָ֖ה בֶּאֱמֶֽת׃
As for the prophet who prophesies peace, only if the word of the prophet comes true will the prophet be recognized as one the LORD has truly sent.”
וַיִּקַּ֞ח חֲנַנְיָ֤ה הַנָּבִיא֙ אֶת־הַמּוֹטָ֔ה מֵעַ֕ל צַוַּ֖אר יִרְמְיָ֣ה הַנָּבִ֑יא וַֽיִּשְׁבְּרֵֽהוּ׃
Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke it.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר חֲנַנְיָה֩ לְעֵינֵ֨י כָל־הָעָ֜ם לֵאמֹ֗ר כֹּה֮ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָה֒ כָּ֣כָה אֶשְׁבֹּ֞ר אֶת־עֹ֣ל׀ נְבֻֽכַדְנֶאצַּ֣ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֗ל בְּעוֹד֙ שְׁנָתַ֣יִם יָמִ֔ים מֵעַ֕ל צַוַּ֖אר כָּל־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם וַיֵּ֛לֶךְ יִרְמְיָ֥ה הַנָּבִ֖יא לְדַרְכּֽוֹ׃ פ
And in the presence of all the people Hananiah proclaimed, “This is what the LORD says: ‘In this way, within two years I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations.’” At this, Jeremiah the prophet went on his way.
וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֑ה אַ֠חֲרֵי שְׁב֞וֹר חֲנַנְיָ֤ה הַנָּבִיא֙ אֶת־הַמּוֹטָ֔ה מֵעַ֗ל צַוַּ֛אר יִרְמְיָ֥ה הַנָּבִ֖יא לֵאמֹֽר׃
But shortly after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke off his neck, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:
הָלוֹךְ֩ וְאָמַרְתָּ֨ אֶל־חֲנַנְיָ֜ה לֵאמֹ֗ר כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה מוֹטֹ֥ת עֵ֖ץ שָׁבָ֑רְתָּ וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ תַחְתֵּיהֶ֖ן מֹט֥וֹת בַּרְזֶֽל׃
“Go and tell Hananiah that this is what the LORD says: ‘You have broken a yoke of wood, but in its place you have fashioned a yoke of iron.’
כִּ֣י כֹֽה־אָמַר֩ יְהוָ֨ה צְבָא֜וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל עֹ֣ל בַּרְזֶ֡ל נָתַ֜תִּי עַל־צַוַּ֣אר׀ כָּל־הַגּוֹיִ֣ם הָאֵ֗לֶּה לַעֲבֹ֛ד אֶת־נְבֻכַדְנֶאצַּ֥ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל וַעֲבָדֻ֑הוּ וְגַ֛ם אֶת־חַיַּ֥ת הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה נָתַ֥תִּי לֽוֹ׃
For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations to make them serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I have even given him control of the beasts of the field.’”
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יִרְמְיָ֧ה הַנָּבִ֛יא אֶל־חֲנַנְיָ֥ה הַנָּבִ֖יא שְׁמַֽע־נָ֣א חֲנַנְיָ֑ה לֹֽא־שְׁלָחֲךָ֣ יְהוָ֔ה וְאַתָּ֗ה הִבְטַ֛חְתָּ אֶת־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה עַל־שָֽׁקֶר׃
Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The LORD did not send you, but you have persuaded this people to trust in a lie.
לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הִנְנִי֙ מְשַֽׁלֵּֽחֲךָ֔ מֵעַ֖ל פְּנֵ֣י הָאֲדָמָ֑ה הַשָּׁנָה֙ אַתָּ֣ה מֵ֔ת כִּֽי־סָרָ֥ה דִבַּ֖רְתָּ אֶל־יְהוָֽה׃
Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. You will die this year because you have preached rebellion against the LORD.’”
וַיָּ֛מָת חֲנַנְיָ֥ה הַנָּבִ֖יא בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַהִ֑יא בַּחֹ֖דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִֽי׃ פ
And in the seventh month of that very year, the prophet Hananiah died.