Jeremiah 25:1-14

New International Version

Seventy Years of Captivity

25 The word came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim^(A) son of Josiah king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar^(B) king of Babylon. ²So Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people of Judah^(C) and to all those living in Jerusalem: ³For twenty-three years—from the thirteenth year of Josiah^(D) son of Amon king of Judah until this very day—the word of the Lord has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again,^(E) but you have not listened.^(F)

⁴And though the Lord has sent all his servants the prophets^(G) to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention.^(H) ⁵They said, “Turn^(I) now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land^(J) the Lord gave to you and your ancestors for ever and ever. ⁶Do not follow other gods^(K) to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.”

⁷“But you did not listen to me,” declares the Lord, “and you have aroused^(L) my anger with what your hands have made,^(M) and you have brought harm^(N) to yourselves.”

⁸Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words, ⁹I will summon^(O) all the peoples of the north^(P) and my servant^(Q) Nebuchadnezzar^(R) king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy^[a]^(S) them and make them an object of horror and scorn,^(T) and an everlasting ruin.^(U) ¹⁰I will banish from them the sounds^(V) of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom,^(W) the sound of millstones^(X) and the light of the lamp.^(Y) ¹¹This whole country will become a desolate wasteland,^(Z) and these nations will serve^(AA) the king of Babylon seventy years.^(AB)

¹²“But when the seventy years^(AC) are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon^(AD) and his nation, the land of the Babylonians,^[b] for their guilt,” declares the Lord, “and will make it desolate^(AE) forever. ¹³I will bring on that land all the things I have spoken against it, all that are written^(AF) in this book and prophesied by Jeremiah against all the nations. ¹⁴They themselves will be enslaved^(AG) by many nations^(AH) and great kings; I will repay^(AI) them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”

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Footnotes

Jeremiah 25:9 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
Jeremiah 25:12 Or Chaldeans

Jeremiah 29:1-14

New International Version

A Letter to the Exiles

29 This is the text of the letter^(A) that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.^(B) ²(This was after King Jehoiachin^[a]^(C) and the queen mother,^(D) the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) ³He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:

⁴This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried^(E) into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ⁵“Build^(F) houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. ⁶Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.^(G) ⁷Also, seek^(H) the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray^(I) to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” ⁸Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets^(J) and diviners among you deceive^(K) you. Do not listen to the dreams^(L) you encourage them to have.^(M) ⁹They are prophesying lies^(N) to you in my name. I have not sent^(O) them,” declares the Lord.

¹⁰This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years^(P) are completed for Babylon, I will come to you^(Q) and fulfill my good promise^(R) to bring you back^(S) to this place. ¹¹For I know the plans^(T) I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper^(U) you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.^(V) ¹²Then you will call^(W) on me and come and pray^(X) to me, and I will listen^(Y) to you. ¹³You will seek^(Z) me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.^(AA) ¹⁴I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back^(AB) from captivity.^[b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”^(AC)

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Footnotes

Jeremiah 29:2 Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant of Jehoiachin
Jeremiah 29:14 Or will restore your fortunes

Daniel 9:1-19

New International Version

Daniel’s Prayer

9 In the first year of Darius^(A) son of Xerxes^[a]^(B) (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian^[b] kingdom— ²in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy^(C) years. ³So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting,^(D) and in sackcloth and ashes.^(E)

⁴I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:^(F)

“Lord, the great and awesome God,^(G) who keeps his covenant of love^(H) with those who love him and keep his commandments, ⁵we have sinned^(I) and done wrong.^(J) We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away^(K) from your commands and laws.^(L) ⁶We have not listened^(M) to your servants the prophets,^(N) who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors,^(O) and to all the people of the land.

⁷“Lord, you are righteous,^(P) but this day we are covered with shame^(Q)—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered^(R) us because of our unfaithfulness^(S) to you.^(T) ⁸We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you.^(U) ⁹The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving,^(V) even though we have rebelled against him;^(W) ¹⁰we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets.^(X) ¹¹All Israel has transgressed^(Y) your law^(Z) and turned away, refusing to obey you.

“Therefore the curses^(AA) and sworn judgments^(AB) written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned^(AC) against you. ¹²You have fulfilled^(AD) the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster.^(AE) Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like^(AF) what has been done to Jerusalem.^(AG) ¹³Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord^(AH) our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth.^(AI) ¹⁴The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster^(AJ) on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does;^(AK) yet we have not obeyed him.^(AL)

¹⁵“Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand^(AM) and who made for yourself a name^(AN) that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. ¹⁶Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts,^(AO) turn away^(AP) your anger and your wrath^(AQ) from Jerusalem,^(AR) your city, your holy hill.^(AS) Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn^(AT) to all those around us.

¹⁷“Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor^(AU) on your desolate sanctuary. ¹⁸Give ear,^(AV) our God, and hear;^(AW) open your eyes and see^(AX) the desolation of the city that bears your Name.^(AY) We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.^(AZ) ¹⁹Lord, listen! Lord, forgive!^(BA) Lord, hear and act! For your sake,^(BB) my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”