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!”
10. Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off Jeremiah’s neck and broke it.
11. Hananiah said in front of all the people, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He put that yoke on all the nations of the world. But I will break it before two years are over.’” After Hananiah had said that, Jeremiah left the Temple.
12. Then the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah. This was not long after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off of the prophet Jeremiah’s neck.