“The prophet Jeremiah said.
‘Amen!
May Yahweh do so!
May Yahweh fulfill
The words
That you have prophesied.
May he bring back
To this place
From Babylon
The vessels
Of the house of Yahweh,
With all the exiles.
But listen now
To this word
That I speak in your hearing,
In the hearing of all the people.
The prophets
Who preceded you,
As well as me,
From ancient times
Prophesied war,
Prophesied famine,
Prophesied pestilence
Against many countries,
Against great kingdoms.
As for the prophet
Who prophesies peace,
When the word of
That prophet comes true,
Then it will be known
That Yahweh
Has truly sent this prophet.’”
Jeremiah admitted that maybe Yahweh would fulfill the words of Hananiah that the exiles and the sacred vessels would return to Jerusalem from Babylon. However, Jeremiah reminded everybody that the prophets of the past quite often prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and kingdoms. If there was a true peace, then they would all know that Yahweh had sent this prophet of peace.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 