The ambassadors were further instructed to declare to their rulers that if they refused to serve the Babylonian king they should be punished "with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence" till they were consumed. Especially were they to turn from the teaching of false prophets who might counsel otherwise. "Hearken not ye to your prophets," the Lord declared, "nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should 444 drive you out, and ye should perish. But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the Lord; and they shall till it, and dwell therein." Verses 8-11. The lightest punishment that a merciful God could inflict upon so rebellious a people was submission to the rule of Babylon, but if they warred against this decree of servitude they were to feel the full vigor of His chastisement.

Udsendingene skulle endvidere sige til deres regenter, at hvis de nægtede at tjene Babylons konge, ville de blive straffet "med sværd, hunger og pest", til de var tilintetgjort. De skulle særlig være på vagt over for falske profeter, som rådede dem til at bære sig anderledes ad. Herren sagde: "I skal ikke høre på eders profeter og spåmænd, eders drømmere, sandsigere og troldmænd, som siger til eder: "I skal ikke komme til at trælle for Babels konge;" thi det er løgn, de profeterer for eder, for at få eder bort fra eders jord, idet jeg da driver eder bort og I går til grunde. Men det folk, der bøjer hals under Babels konges åg og træller for ham, vil jeg lade blive på sin jord, lyder det fra Herren, så det kan dyrke den og bo der." 8-11. vers. En nådig Gud kunne ikke give et så oprørsk folk en mildere straf end at lade dem være trælle under det babyloniske styre, men hvis de ikke ville underkaste sig denne beslutning, skulle de få hans strenghed at føle i fuldt mål.