Jeremiah 27:14 kjv
Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.
Jeremiah 27:14 nkjv
Therefore do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, 'You shall not serve the king of Babylon,' for they prophesy a lie to you;
Jeremiah 27:14 niv
Do not listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, 'You will not serve the king of Babylon,' for they are prophesying lies to you.
Jeremiah 27:14 esv
Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are saying to you, 'You shall not serve the king of Babylon,' for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you.
Jeremiah 27:14 nlt
Do not listen to the false prophets who keep telling you, 'The king of Babylon will not conquer you.' They are liars.
Jeremiah 27 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 27:12 | "I also spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying..." | Parallel statement |
| Jeremiah 27:9 | "So you must not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers..." | Warning against false prophets |
| Jeremiah 27:16 | "And to the priests and all this people I spoke, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: Do not listen..." | Wider application of warning |
| Jeremiah 28:11 | "And Jeremiah took the iron bar and broke it from the neck of Hananiah the prophet..." | Demonstration of the Word |
| Jeremiah 28:15 | "Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah the prophet, 'Hear now, Hananiah..." | Jeremiah's prophetic retort |
| Jeremiah 28:16 | "Therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I will remove you from the earth..." | Judgment on false prophet |
| 2 Kings 24:14 | "And he took captive all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all ten thousand cubits..." | Historical context (Babylonian Exile) |
| 2 Kings 25:6 | "And when Jerusalem was broken into, and all the people of the land, then..." | Fulfillment of judgment |
| Ezekiel 13:6 | "They see false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the LORD,’ but it is not I..." | Parallel indictment of false prophets |
| Ezekiel 13:10 | "Because, indeed, because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace..." | False reassurance condemned |
| Matthew 7:15 | "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." | New Testament parallel |
| 1 John 4:1 | "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God..." | Discernment of prophecy |
| Proverbs 3:5 | "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding;" | Reliance on God's way |
| Deuteronomy 18:22 | "When the prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or prove true, that is the word that the LORD has not spoken..." | Test for true prophecy |
| Romans 13:1 | "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God..." | Submission to authority |
| Daniel 2:21 | "He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise..." | God's sovereignty over nations |
| Isaiah 14:27 | "For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?" | God's unchangeable purpose |
| Genesis 50:20 | "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive..." | God's sovereign plan through hardship |
| Acts 5:38 | "So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man..." | Wise counsel on potential opposition |
| Jeremiah 28:3 | "...Jeremiah the prophet said, 'Amen, may the LORD do so; may the LORD make the words you have prophesied fulfill..." | Acknowledgment of divine sovereignty |
| Revelation 18:7 | "To the degree that she magnified herself and lived luxuriously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning..." | Judgment on the pride of nations |
Jeremiah 27 verses
Jeremiah 27 14 Meaning
Jeremiah 27:14 declares that the people should not listen to the prophets who tell them not to serve Babylon. This means submitting to Babylonian rule is the divinely ordained path. Disobedience to these pronouncements leads to ruin. It underscores the prophetic authority to interpret God's will in times of crisis.
Jeremiah 27 14 Context
This verse is found within a larger prophetic discourse delivered by Jeremiah to King Zedekiah and the people of Judah in Jerusalem. It is part of a significant oracle (Jeremiah 27-29) that deals with the imminent threat of Babylonian conquest and the subsequent exile. At this time, false prophets were proclaiming that the exile would be short-lived and that the Babylonian yoke would soon be broken. Jeremiah, however, was sent by God to counter this message of false hope, urging submission to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He presented symbols like the wooden yoke to illustrate the need for surrender and obedience to the established, albeit hostile, political power, which God had appointed to judge Judah for its sins.
Jeremiah 27 14 Word Analysis
And (וְ - ve): Conjunction, connecting this statement to the previous ones.
you (אתם - atem): Plural pronoun, addressing the people directly.
do (עֲשׂוּ - asu): Imperative verb, commanding action.
not (לֹא - lo): Negation.
listen (שְׁמֹעַ - shamo'a): Imperative verb, to hear and obey.
to (אֶל - el): Preposition, indicating the recipient of the action.
your (נְבִיאֵיכֶם - nevieichem): Possessive pronoun, referring to their prophets.
prophets (נְבִיאִים - nevi'im): Plural noun, meaning spokesmen, especially those who convey divine messages.
you (אַתֶּם - atem): Pronoun, emphasizing the individuals.
sent (שְׁלַחְתִּים - shilachtim): Verb, third person plural perfect, indicating God as the ultimate sender.
saying (לֵאמֹר - le'emor): Infinitive, used to introduce direct speech or the substance of what was said.
to (אֶל - el): Preposition.
me (אֹתִי - oti): Pronoun, referring to God.
the (לֵאמֹר - le'mor): Infinitive.
LORD (יְהוָה - YHWH): The personal covenantal name of God.
says (אָמַר - amar): Verb, perfect tense, referring to God's statement.
your (נְבִיאֵיכֶם - nevieichem): Possessive pronoun.
false (כָּזָב - kazab): Adjective, meaning lying or deceptive.
in (בְּ־ - be-): Preposition.
the (לֵאמֹר - le'mor): Infinitive.
name (שֵׁם - shem): Noun, indicating identity or declaration.
of (בְּשֵׁם - be'shem): Prepositional phrase, "in the name of."
the (יְהוָה - YHWH): Name of God.
our (אֱלֹהֵינוּ - eloheinu): Possessive pronoun, indicating their collective deity.
God (אֱלֹהִים - Elohim): Generic term for God.
you (אַתֶּם - atem): Pronoun.
do (מְמַלְּכִים - memalkim): Participle, present continuous action, meaning making them kings.
not (לֹא - lo): Negation.
serve (לַעֲבֹד - la'avod): Infinitive, to serve or work for.
Babylon (בָּבֶל - Bavel): Name of the Babylonian empire.
Jeremiah 27 14 Bonus Section
This verse starkly contrasts with the false confidence preached by prophets like Hananiah (Jeremiah 28). Hananiah had broken Jeremiah's wooden yoke, symbolically declaring the end of Babylonian dominance. Jeremiah’s response was not merely verbal but a testament to the ultimate authority of God’s word, which would eventually vindicate his prophecy. The phrase "God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20) is echoed in principle here; the painful reality of Babylonian rule was part of God's overarching plan for His people, even if it was initially perceived as "evil." True prophetic discernment, therefore, lies in aligning with God’s declared will rather than human desire or popular opinion. Submission to earthly authorities, as also seen in Romans 13:1, is linked to recognizing God's overarching sovereignty in establishing and removing nations and rulers.
Jeremiah 27 14 Commentary
Jeremiah 27:14 is a crucial command against misleading prophecies. The prophets, referred to here as speaking in God's name, are identified as liars and deceptive. Their messages, offering false assurances of immediate deliverance from Babylon, contradicted God’s stated will through Jeremiah. God emphasizes that He has not sent these prophets, thereby delegitimizing their claims. The core directive is to submit to the Babylonian authority, not to resist it with unfounded hopes. This submission is not a political endorsement but an acknowledgment of God's sovereign judgment being executed through the Babylonians. The verse warns against trusting voices that appeal to nationalistic pride or desire for independence when God has decreed otherwise for the purpose of discipline and restoration. It highlights the danger of heeding deceptive pronouncements that lead people away from God’s intended path of obedience during difficult times.