TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Chapter 28
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1That year, early in the reign of King Tzidkiyahu of Yehuda, in the fifth month of the fourth year, the Navi Chananya son of Azzur, who was from Givon, spoke to me in the House of Hashem, in the presence of the Kohanim and all the people. He said:
אוַיְהִי בַּשָּׁנָה הַהִיא בְּרֵאשִׁית מַמְלֶכֶת צִדְקִיָּה מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה בשנת [בַּשָּׁנָה] הָרְבִעִית בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִׁי אָמַר אֵלַי חֲנַנְיָה בֶן־עַזּוּר הַנָּבִיא אֲשֶׁר מִגִּבְעוֹן בְּבֵית יְהֹוָה לְעֵינֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים וְכָל־הָעָם לֵאמֹר׃
2“Thus said the lord of Hosts, the God of Yisrael: I hereby break the yoke of the king of Babylon.
בכֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר שָׁבַרְתִּי אֶת־עֹל מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל׃
3In two years, I will restore to this place all the vessels of the House of Hashem which King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took from this place and brought to Babylon.
גבְּעוֹד שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים אֲנִי מֵשִׁיב אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה אֶת־כָּל־כְּלֵי בֵּית יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר לָקַח נְבוּכַדנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל מִן־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וַיְבִיאֵם בָּבֶל׃
4And I will bring back to this place King Yechonya son of Yehoyakim of Yehuda, and all the Judean exiles who went to Babylon—declares Hashem. Yes, I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”
דוְאֶת־יְכָנְיָה בֶן־יְהוֹיָקִים מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה וְאֶת־כָּל־גָּלוּת יְהוּדָה הַבָּאִים בָּבֶלָה אֲנִי מֵשִׁיב אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה כִּי אֶשְׁבֹּר אֶת־עֹל מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל׃
5Then the Navi Yirmiyahu answered the Navi Chananya in the presence of the Kohanim and of all the people who were standing in the House of Hashem.
הוַיֹּאמֶר יִרְמְיָה הַנָּבִיא אֶל־חֲנַנְיָה הַנָּבִיא לְעֵינֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים וּלְעֵינֵי כָל־הָעָם הָעֹמְדִים בְּבֵית יְהֹוָה׃
6The Navi Yirmiyahu said: “Amen! May Hashem do so! May Hashem fulfill what you have prophesied and bring back from Babylon to this place the vessels of the House of Hashem and all the exiles!
ווַיֹּאמֶר יִרְמְיָה הַנָּבִיא אָמֵן כֵּן יַעֲשֶׂה יְהֹוָה יָקֵם יְהֹוָה אֶת־דְּבָרֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר נִבֵּאתָ לְהָשִׁיב כְּלֵי בֵית־יְהֹוָה וְכָל־הַגּוֹלָה מִבָּבֶל אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה׃
7But just listen to this word which I address to you and to all the people:
זאַךְ־שְׁמַע־נָא הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי דֹּבֵר בְּאָזְנֶיךָ וּבְאָזְנֵי כָּל־הָעָם׃
8The Neviim who lived before you and me from ancient times prophesied war, disaster, and pestilence against many lands and great kingdoms.
ha-n'-vee-EEM a-SHER ha-YU l'-fa-NAI ul-fa-NE-kha min ha-o-LAM va-yi-na-v'-U el a-ra-TZOT ra-BOT v'-al mam-la-KHOT g'-do-LOT l'-mil-kha-MAH ul-ra-AH ul-DA-ver
חהַנְּבִיאִים אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ לְפָנַי וּלְפָנֶיךָ מִן־הָעוֹלָם וַיִּנָּבְאוּ אֶל־אֲרָצוֹת רַבּוֹת וְעַל־מַמְלָכוֹת גְּדֹלוֹת לְמִלְחָמָה וּלְרָעָה וּלְדָבֶר׃
28:8 Prophesied war, disaster, and pestilence against many lands
Chananya dramatically breaks Yirmiyahu’s symbolic yoke, claiming that the Babylonian empire will be overthrown in two years. Yirmiyahu argues that while this is a more reassuring message, it is false. It is easy to ingratiate oneself with the masses by telling them what they want to hear, but telling them the truth requires courage and the willingness to speak out and become unpopular. The great prophets of Israel uttered their prophecies fearlessly, conveying the divine message without hesitation or fear. Everyone is a messenger of God in this world. One must never hesitate to stand up for God, His people and His land, Eretz Yisrael, even when it seems like an unpopular message.
9So if a Navi prophesies good fortune, then only when the word of the Navi comes true can it be known that Hashem really sent him.”
טהַנָּבִיא אֲשֶׁר יִנָּבֵא לְשָׁלוֹם בְּבֹא דְּבַר הַנָּבִיא יִוָּדַע הַנָּבִיא אֲשֶׁר־שְׁלָחוֹ יְהֹוָה בֶּאֱמֶת׃
10But the Navi Chananya removed the bar from the neck of the Navi Yirmiyahu, and broke it;
יוַיִּקַּח חֲנַנְיָה הַנָּבִיא אֶת־הַמּוֹטָה מֵעַל צַוַּאר יִרְמְיָה הַנָּבִיא וַיִּשְׁבְּרֵהוּ׃
11and Chananya said in the presence of all the people, “Thus said Hashem: So will I break the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon from off the necks of all the nations, in two years.” And the Navi Yirmiyahu went on his way.
יאוַיֹּאמֶר חֲנַנְיָה לְעֵינֵי כָל־הָעָם לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה כָּכָה אֶשְׁבֹּר אֶת־עֹל נְבֻכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל בְּעוֹד שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים מֵעַל צַוַּאר כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם וַיֵּלֶךְ יִרְמְיָה הַנָּבִיא לְדַרְכּוֹ׃
12After the Navi Chananya had broken the bar from off the neck of the Navi Yirmiyahu, the word of Hashem came to Yirmiyahu:
יבוַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהֹוָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָה אַחֲרֵי שְׁבוֹר חֲנַנְיָה הַנָּבִיא אֶת־הַמּוֹטָה מֵעַל צַוַּאר יִרְמְיָה הַנָּבִיא לֵאמֹר׃
13“Go say to Chananya: Thus said Hashem: You broke bars of wood, but you shall make bars of iron instead.
יגהָלוֹךְ וְאָמַרְתָּ אֶל־חֲנַנְיָה לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה מוֹטֹת עֵץ שָׁבָרְתָּ וְעָשִׂיתָ תַחְתֵּיהֶן מֹטוֹת בַּרְזֶל׃
14For thus said the lord of Hosts, the God of Yisrael: I have put an iron yoke upon the necks of all those nations, that they may serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon—and serve him they shall! I have even given the wild beasts to him.”
ידכִּי כֹה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עֹל בַּרְזֶל נָתַתִּי עַל־צַוַּאר כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה לַעֲבֹד אֶת־נְבֻכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וַעֲבָדֻהוּ וְגַם אֶת־חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה נָתַתִּי לוֹ׃
15And the Navi Yirmiyahu said to the Navi Chananya, “Listen, Chananya! Hashem did not send you, and you have given this people lying assurances.
טווַיֹּאמֶר יִרְמְיָה הַנָּבִיא אֶל־חֲנַנְיָה הַנָּבִיא שְׁמַע־נָא חֲנַנְיָה לֹא־שְׁלָחֲךָ יְהֹוָה וְאַתָּה הִבְטַחְתָּ אֶת־הָעָם הַזֶּה עַל־שָׁקֶר׃
16Assuredly, thus said Hashem: I am going to banish you from off the earth. This year you shall die, for you have urged disloyalty to Hashem.”
טזלָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה הִנְנִי מְשַׁלֵּחֲךָ מֵעַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה הַשָּׁנָה אַתָּה מֵת כִּי־סָרָה דִבַּרְתָּ אֶל־יְהֹוָה׃
17And the Navi Chananya died that year, in the seventh month.
יזוַיָּמָת חֲנַנְיָה הַנָּבִיא בַּשָּׁנָה הַהִיא בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי׃
