The False Prophet Hananiah
Jeremiah 28That same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet, who was of Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of YHWH, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying, “YHWH Almighty, the God of Israel, says, ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two full years I will bring again into this place all the vessels of the house of YHWH that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, who went to Babylon,’ says YHWH; ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”
Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people who stood in the house of YHWH, even the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May YHWH do so. May YHWH perform your words which you have prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the house of YHWH, and all those who are captives, from Babylon to this place. Nevertheless listen now to this word that I speak in your ears, and in the ears of all the people: The prophets who have been before me and before you of old prophesied against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, of evil, and of pestilence. As for prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet happens, then the prophet will be known, that YHWH has truly sent him.”
Then Hananiah the prophet took the bar from off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck and broke it. Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “YHWH says: ‘Even so I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from off the neck of all the nations within two full years.’” Then the prophet Jeremiah went his way.
Then the word of YHWH came to Jeremiah, after Hananiah the prophet had broken the bar from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “Go, and tell Hananiah, saying, ‘YHWH says, “You have broken the bars of wood, but you have made in their place bars of iron.” For YHWH Almighty, the God of Israel says, “I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they will serve him. I have also given him the animals of the field.”’”
Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! YHWH has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie. Therefore YHWH says, ‘Behold, I will send you away from off the surface of the earth. This year you will die, because you have spoken rebellion against YHWH.’”
So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.