1. It was the fifth month of King Zedekiah’s fourth year as king of Judah. This was at the beginning of the king’s rule. At that time Hananiah the prophet spoke to me. He was the son of Azzur. And he was from the town of Gibeon. He was in the Temple of the Lord when he spoke to me. In front of the priests and all the people, Hananiah said:
2. “The Lord of heaven’s armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will break the yoke the king of Babylon has put on Judah.
3. Before two years are over, I will bring back everything that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took from the Lord’s Temple.
4. I will also bring Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah back here. And I will bring back all the other people of Judah as captives to Babylon,’ says the Lord. ‘So I will break the yoke the king of Babylon put on Judah.’”
5. Then the prophet Jeremiah answered the prophet Hananiah. They were standing in the Temple of the Lord. The priests and all the people there could hear Jeremiah’s answer.
6. He said, “Amen! Let the Lord really do that! May the Lord make the message you prophesy come true. May the Lord bring everything from the Lord’s Temple back from Babylon. And may he bring back to their homes all the people who were taken as captives.
7. “But listen to what I must say to you and all the people.
8. There were prophets long before we became prophets, Hananiah. They prophesied that war, hunger and terrible sicknesses would come. They would come to many countries and great kingdoms.
9. But a prophet might prophesy that we will have peace. The message of that prophet might come true. If it does, only then can he be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord!”