Lexicon :: Strong's H5923 - ʿōl

You will live by your sword,

and you will serve your brother.

But when you rebel,[fn]

you will break his yoke from your neck.

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, so that you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to live in freedom.[fn]

“This is the legal statute that the LORD has commanded: Instruct the Israelites to bring you an unblemished red cow that has no defect and has never been yoked.

“The elders of the city nearest to the victim are to get a young cow that has not been yoked or used for work.

“you will serve your enemies that the LORD will send against you, in famine, thirst, nakedness, and a lack of everything. He will place an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.

“Now then, prepare one new cart and two milk cows that have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up.

“Your father made our yoke harsh. You, therefore, lighten your father’s harsh service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

He asked them, “What message do you advise that we send back to this people who said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’? ”

and spoke to them according to the young men’s advice: “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.”

“Your father made our yoke harsh. Therefore, lighten your father’s harsh service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

He asked them, “What message do you advise we send back to this people who said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’? ”

and spoke to them according to the young men’s advice, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy,[fn] but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I, with barbed whips.”

For you have shattered their oppressive yoke

and the rod on their shoulders,

the staff of their oppressor,

just as you did on the day of Midian.

On that day

his burden will fall from your shoulders,

and his yoke from your neck.

The yoke will be broken because your neck will be too large.[fn]

I will break Assyria in my land;

I will tread him down on my mountain.

Then his yoke will be taken from them,

and his burden will be removed from their shoulders.

“I was angry with my people;

I profaned my possession,

and I handed them over to you.

You showed them no mercy;

you made your yoke very heavy on the elderly.

For long ago I[fn] broke your yoke;

I[fn] tore off your chains.

You insisted, “I will not serve! ”

On every high hill

and under every green tree

you lay down like a prostitute.

I will go to the powerful

and speak to them.

Surely they know the way of the LORD,

the justice of their God.

However, these also had broken the yoke

and torn off the chains.

“ ‘ “As for the nation or kingdom that does not serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and does not place its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will punish by sword, famine, and plague ​— ​this is the LORD’s declaration ​— ​until through him I have destroyed it.

“But as for the nation that will put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave it in its own land, and that nation will cultivate[fn] it and reside in it. This is the LORD’s declaration.” ’ ”

“This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

“And I will restore to this place Jeconiah[fn] son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon’ ​— ​this is the LORD’s declaration ​— ​‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’ ”

In the presence of all the people Hananiah proclaimed, “This is what the LORD says: ‘In this way, within two years I will break the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon from the neck of all the nations.’ ” The prophet Jeremiah then went on his way.

“For this is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I have put an iron yoke on the neck of all these nations that they might serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and they will serve him. I have even put the wild animals under him.’ ”

On that day —

this is the declaration of the LORD of Armies —

I will break his yoke from your neck

and tear off your chains,

and strangers will never again enslave him.

My transgressions have been formed into a yoke,[fn][fn]

fastened together by his hand;

they have been placed on my neck,

and the Lord has broken my strength.

He has handed me over

to those I cannot withstand.

It is good for a man to bear the yoke

while he is still young.

“The trees of the field will yield their fruit, and the land will yield its produce; my flock will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the LORD when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the power of those who enslave them.

I led them with human cords,

with ropes of love.

To them I was like one

who eases the yoke from their jaws;

I bent down to give them food.