8. “But it will be that the nation or kingdom that will not serve him, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put his neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, and with the famine, and with the plague,” declares Yahweh, “until I have destroyed it with my hand.
9. And you, you must not listen to your prophets, and to your diviners, and to your dreamers, and to your interpreters of signs, and to your sorcerers who are saying, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’
10. For they are prophesying to you a lie, so that you will be removed from your land, and I will drive you away, and you will perish.
11. But the nation that will bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and will serve him, yet will I leave it on its land,” declares Yahweh, “and they will till it, and they will live in it.” ’ ”
12. And I spoke words like these to Zedekiah, the king of Judah, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.
13. Why should you die—you and your people—by the sword, by the famine, and by the plague, as Yahweh has spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
14. And you must not listen to the words of the prophets who are speaking to you, saying, ‘You must not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying a lie to you.
15. For I have not sent them,” declares Yahweh, “but they are prophesying in my name falsely, so that I will drive them away. And you will perish—you and the prophets who are prophesying to you.”
16. Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘You must not listen to the words of your prophets who are prophesying to you, saying, “Look, the vessels of the house of Yahweh are about to be quickly brought back from Babylon”, for they are prophesying a lie to you.
17. And you must not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city become a site of ruins?
18. But if they are prophets, and if there is with them the word of Yahweh, let them please plead with Yahweh of hosts, that the vessels that are left over in the temple of Yahweh, and the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem, must not go to Babylon.’