This is the fifth month of the Hebrew calendar. It is during the dry season. It is during the last part of July and the first part of August on Western calendars. This was after Zedekiah had been king for three years. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-hebrewmonths]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal]])
Hananaiah speaks of the people being in slavery as if they were oxen on which the Babylonians had put yokes to make them do heavy work. AT: "I have made it so you are no longer slaves of the king of Babylon" or "I have set you free from slavery to the king of Babylon" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])