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TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 27

Translation and Transliteration of 

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1At the beginning of the reign of King Yehoyakim son of Yoshiyahu of Yehuda, this word came to Yirmiyahu from Hashem:

אבְּרֵאשִׁית מַמְלֶכֶת יְהוֹיָקִם בֶּן־יֹאושִׁיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה הָיָה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֶל־יִרְמְיָה מֵאֵת יְהֹוָה לֵאמֹר׃

2Thus said Hashem to me: Make for yourself thongs and bars of a yoke, and put them on your neck.

koh a-MAR a-do-NAI ay-LAI a-SAY l'-KHA mo-say-ROT u-mo-TOT un-ta-TAM al tza-va-RE-kha

בכֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֵלַי עֲשֵׂה לְךָ מוֹסֵרוֹת וּמֹטוֹת וּנְתַתָּם עַל־צַוָּארֶךָ׃

27:2   Put them on your neck

A yoke used for oxen

In the year 593 BCE, Tzidkiyahu leads a confederation of neighboring states in planning a rebellion against Babylonia. Yirmiyahu warns them against this folly by means of a highly visual symbol. He walks through the streets wearing a yoke, normally used to harness oxen while plowing, on his neck. When onlookers ask him about his strange behavior, he answers that this was the divine message: Accept the yoke of Babylonia and submit peacefully in order to live. Had the people listened, they would have avoided the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash and exile from their land.

3And send them to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the Amonites, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon, by envoys who have come to King Tzidkiyahu of Yehuda in Yerushalayim;

גוְשִׁלַּחְתָּם אֶל־מֶלֶךְ אֱדוֹם וְאֶל־מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב וְאֶל־מֶלֶךְ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן וְאֶל־מֶלֶךְ צֹר וְאֶל־מֶלֶךְ צִידוֹן בְּיַד מַלְאָכִים הַבָּאִים יְרוּשָׁלַ ִם אֶל־צִדְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה׃

4and give them this charge to their masters: Thus said the lord of Hosts, the God of Yisrael: Say this to your masters:

דוְצִוִּיתָ אֹתָם אֶל־אֲדֹנֵיהֶם לֵאמֹר כֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כֹּה תֹאמְרוּ אֶל־אֲדֹנֵיכֶם׃

5“It is I who made the earth, and the men and beasts who are on the earth, by My great might and My outstretched arm; and I give it to whomever I deem proper.

האָנֹכִי עָשִׂיתִי אֶת־הָאָרֶץ אֶת־הָאָדָם וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָה אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי הָאָרֶץ בְּכֹחִי הַגָּדוֹל וּבִזְרוֹעִי הַנְּטוּיָה וּנְתַתִּיהָ לַאֲשֶׁר יָשַׁר בְּעֵינָי׃

6I herewith deliver all these lands to My servant, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon; I even give him the wild beasts to serve him.

ווְעַתָּה אָנֹכִי נָתַתִּי אֶת־כָּל־הָאֲרָצוֹת הָאֵלֶּה בְּיַד נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל עַבְדִּי וְגַם אֶת־חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה נָתַתִּי לוֹ לְעָבְדוֹ׃

7All nations shall serve him, his son and his grandson—until the turn of his own land comes, when many nations and great kings shall subjugate him.

זוְעָבְדוּ אֹתוֹ כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם וְאֶת־בְּנוֹ וְאֶת־בֶּן־בְּנוֹ עַד בֹּא־עֵת אַרְצוֹ גַּם־הוּא וְעָבְדוּ בוֹ גּוֹיִם רַבִּים וּמְלָכִים גְּדֹלִים׃

8The nation or kingdom that does not serve him—King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon—and does not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will visit—declares Hashem—with sword, famine, and pestilence, until I have destroyed it by his hands.

חוְהָיָה הַגּוֹי וְהַמַּמְלָכָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יַעַבְדוּ אֹתוֹ אֶת־נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יִתֵּן אֶת־צַוָּארוֹ בְּעֹל מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל בַּחֶרֶב וּבָרָעָב וּבַדֶּבֶר אֶפְקֹד עַל־הַגּוֹי הַהוּא נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה עַד־תֻּמִּי אֹתָם בְּיָדוֹ׃

9As for you, give no heed to your Neviim, augurs, dreamers, diviners, and sorcerers, who say to you, ‘Do not serve the king of Babylon.'

טוְאַתֶּם אַל־תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל־נְבִיאֵיכֶם וְאֶל־קֹסְמֵיכֶם וְאֶל חֲלֹמֹתֵיכֶם וְאֶל־עֹנְנֵיכֶם וְאֶל־כַּשָּׁפֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר־הֵם אֹמְרִים אֲלֵיכֶם לֵאמֹר לֹא תַעַבְדוּ אֶת־מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל׃

10For they prophesy falsely to you—with the result that you shall be banished from your land; I will drive you out and you shall perish.

יכִּי שֶׁקֶר הֵם נִבְּאִים לָכֶם לְמַעַן הַרְחִיק אֶתְכֶם מֵעַל אַדְמַתְכֶם וְהִדַּחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם וַאֲבַדְתֶּם׃

11But the nation that puts its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serves him, will be left by Me on its own soil—declares Hashem—to till it and dwell on it.”

יאוְהַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר יָבִיא אֶת־צַוָּארוֹ בְּעֹל מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וַעֲבָדוֹ וְהִנַּחְתִּיו עַל־אַדְמָתוֹ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה וַעֲבָדָהּ וְיָשַׁב בָּהּ׃

12I also spoke to King Tzidkiyahu of Yehuda in just the same way: “Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and live!

יבוְאֶל־צִדְקִיָּה מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה דִּבַּרְתִּי כְּכָל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה לֵאמֹר הָבִיאוּ אֶת־צַוְּארֵיכֶם בְּעֹל מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וְעִבְדוּ אֹתוֹ וְעַמּוֹ וִחְיוּ׃

13Otherwise you will die together with your people, by sword, famine, and pestilence, as Hashem has decreed against any nation that does not serve the king of Babylon.

יגלָמָּה תָמוּתוּ אַתָּה וְעַמֶּךָ בַּחֶרֶב בָּרָעָב וּבַדָּבֶר כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה אֶל־הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יַעֲבֹד אֶת־מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל׃

14Give no heed to the words of the Neviim who say to you, ‘Do not serve the king of Babylon,' for they prophesy falsely to you.

ידוְאַל־תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל־דִּבְרֵי הַנְּבִאִים הָאֹמְרִים אֲלֵיכֶם לֵאמֹר לֹא תַעַבְדוּ אֶת־מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל כִּי שֶׁקֶר הֵם נִבְּאִים לָכֶם׃

15I have not sent them—declares Hashem—and they prophesy falsely in My name, with the result that I will drive you out and you shall perish, together with the Neviim who prophesy to you.”

טוכִּי לֹא שְׁלַחְתִּים נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה וְהֵם נִבְּאִים בִּשְׁמִי לַשָּׁקֶר לְמַעַן הַדִּיחִי אֶתְכֶם וַאֲבַדְתֶּם אַתֶּם וְהַנְּבִאִים הַנִּבְּאִים לָכֶם׃

16And to the Kohanim and to all that people I said: “Thus said Hashem: Give no heed to the words of the Neviim who prophesy to you, ‘The vessels of the House of Hashem shall shortly be brought back from Babylon,' for they prophesy falsely to you.

טזוְאֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִים וְאֶל־כָּל־הָעָם הַזֶּה דִּבַּרְתִּי לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה אַל־תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל־דִּבְרֵי נְבִיאֵיכֶם הַנִּבְּאִים לָכֶם לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה כְלֵי בֵית־יְהֹוָה מוּשָׁבִים מִבָּבֶלָה עַתָּה מְהֵרָה כִּי שֶׁקֶר הֵמָּה נִבְּאִים לָכֶם׃

17Give them no heed. Serve the king of Babylon, and live! Otherwise this city shall become a ruin.

יזאַל־תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֲלֵיהֶם עִבְדוּ אֶת־מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וִחְיוּ לָמָּה תִהְיֶה הָעִיר הַזֹּאת חָרְבָּה׃

18If they are really Neviim and the word of Hashem is with them, let them intercede with the lord of Hosts not to let the vessels remaining in the House of Hashem, in the royal palace of Yehuda, and in Yerushalayim, go to Babylon!

יחוְאִם־נְבִאִים הֵם וְאִם־יֵשׁ דְּבַר־יְהֹוָה אִתָּם יִפְגְּעוּ־נָא בַּיהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת לְבִלְתִּי־בֹאוּ הַכֵּלִים הַנּוֹתָרִים בְּבֵית־יְהֹוָה וּבֵית מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וּבִירוּשָׁלַ ִם בָּבֶלָה׃

19“For thus said the lord of Hosts concerning the columns, the tank, the stands, and the rest of the vessels remaining in this city,

יטכִּי כֹה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת אֶל־הָעַמֻּדִים וְעַל־הַיָּם וְעַל־הַמְּכֹנוֹת וְעַל יֶתֶר הַכֵּלִים הַנּוֹתָרִים בָּעִיר הַזֹּאת׃

20which King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon did not take when he exiled King Yechonya son of Yehoyakim of Yehuda, from Yerushalayim to Babylon, with all the nobles of Yehuda and Yerushalayim;

כאֲשֶׁר לֹא־לְקָחָם נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל בַּגְלוֹתוֹ אֶת־יְכָונְיָה בֶן־יְהוֹיָקִים מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה מִירוּשָׁלַ ִם בָּבֶלָה וְאֵת כָּל־חֹרֵי יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִָם׃

21for thus said the lord of Hosts, the God of Yisrael, concerning the vessels remaining in the House of Hashem, in the royal palace of Yehuda, and in Yerushalayim:

כאכִּי כֹה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל־הַכֵּלִים הַנּוֹתָרִים בֵּית יְהֹוָה וּבֵית מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִָם׃

22They shall be brought to Babylon, and there they shall remain, until I take note of them—declares the lord of Hosts—and bring them up and restore them to this place.”

כבבָּבֶלָה יוּבָאוּ וְשָׁמָּה יִהְיוּ עַד יוֹם פָּקְדִי אֹתָם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה וְהַעֲלִיתִים וַהֲשִׁיבֹתִים אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה׃