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Jeremiah 27-31
New Living Translation
Jeremiah 27-31
New Living Translation
Jeremiah Wears an Ox Yoke
27 This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord early in the reign of Zedekiah[a] son of Josiah, king of Judah.
2 This is what the Lord said to me: “Make a yoke, and fasten it on your neck with leather straps. 3 Then send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through their ambassadors who have come to see King Zedekiah in Jerusalem. 4 Give them this message for their masters: ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: 5 With my great strength and powerful arm I made the earth and all its people and every animal. I can give these things of mine to anyone I choose. 6 Now I will give your countries to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control. 7 All the nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until his time is up. Then many nations and great kings will conquer and rule over Babylon. 8 So you must submit to Babylon’s king and serve him; put your neck under Babylon’s yoke! I will punish any nation that refuses to be his slave, says the Lord. I will send war, famine, and disease upon that nation until Babylon has conquered it.
9 “‘Do not listen to your false prophets, fortune-tellers, interpreters of dreams, mediums, and sorcerers who say, “The king of Babylon will not conquer you.” 10 They are all liars, and their lies will lead to your being driven out of your land. I will drive you out and send you far away to die. 11 But the people of any nation that submits to the king of Babylon will be allowed to stay in their own country to farm the land as usual. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”
12 Then I repeated this same message to King Zedekiah of Judah. “If you want to live, submit to the yoke of the king of Babylon and his people. 13 Why do you insist on dying—you and your people? Why should you choose war, famine, and disease, which the Lord will bring against every nation that refuses to submit to Babylon’s king? 14 Do not listen to the false prophets who keep telling you, ‘The king of Babylon will not conquer you.’ They are liars. 15 This is what the Lord says: ‘I have not sent these prophets! They are telling you lies in my name, so I will drive you from this land. You will all die—you and all these prophets, too.’”
16 Then I spoke to the priests and the people and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not listen to your prophets who claim that soon the gold articles taken from my Temple will be returned from Babylon. It is all a lie! 17 Do not listen to them. Surrender to the king of Babylon, and you will live. Why should this whole city be destroyed? 18 If they really are prophets and speak the Lord’s messages, let them pray to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Let them pray that the articles remaining in the Lord’s Temple and in the king’s palace and in the palaces of Jerusalem will not be carried away to Babylon!’
19 “For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has spoken about the pillars in front of the Temple, the great bronze basin called the Sea, the water carts, and all the other ceremonial articles. 20 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon left them here when he exiled Jehoiachin[b] son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, to Babylon, along with all the other nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. 21 Yes, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says about the precious things still in the Temple, in the palace of Judah’s king, and in Jerusalem: 22 ‘They will all be carried away to Babylon and will stay there until I send for them,’ says the Lord. ‘Then I will bring them back to Jerusalem again.’”
Jeremiah Condemns Hananiah
28 One day in late summer[c] of that same year—the fourth year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah—Hananiah son of Azzur, a prophet from Gibeon, addressed me publicly in the Temple while all the priests and people listened. He said, 2 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will remove the yoke of the king of Babylon from your necks. 3 Within two years I will bring back all the Temple treasures that King Nebuchadnezzar carried off to Babylon. 4 And I will bring back Jehoiachin[d] son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the other captives that were taken to Babylon. I will surely break the yoke that the king of Babylon has put on your necks. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”
5 Jeremiah responded to Hananiah as they stood in front of all the priests and people at the Temple. 6 He said, “Amen! May your prophecies come true! I hope the Lord does everything you say. I hope he does bring back from Babylon the treasures of this Temple and all the captives. 7 But listen now to the solemn words I speak to you in the presence of all these people. 8 The ancient prophets who preceded you and me spoke against many nations, always warning of war, disaster, and disease. 9 So a prophet who predicts peace must show he is right. Only when his predictions come true can we know that he is really from the Lord.”
10 Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke off Jeremiah’s neck and broke it in pieces. 11 And Hananiah said again to the crowd that had gathered, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Just as this yoke has been broken, within two years I will break the yoke of oppression from all the nations now subject to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.’” With that, Jeremiah left the Temple area.
12 Soon after this confrontation with Hananiah, the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah: 13 “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but you have replaced it with a yoke of iron. 14 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I have put a yoke of iron on the necks of all these nations, forcing them into slavery under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.’”
15 Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, but the people believe your lies. 16 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘You must die. Your life will end this very year because you have rebelled against the Lord.’”
17 Two months later[e] the prophet Hananiah died.
A Letter to the Exiles
29 Jeremiah wrote a letter from Jerusalem to the elders, priests, prophets, and all the people who had been exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. 2 This was after King Jehoiachin,[f] the queen mother, the court officials, the other officials of Judah, and all the craftsmen and artisans had been deported from Jerusalem. 3 He sent the letter with Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah when they went to Babylon as King Zedekiah’s ambassadors to Nebuchadnezzar. This is what Jeremiah’s letter said:
4 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: 5 “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. 6 Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! 7 And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”
8 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let your prophets and fortune-tellers who are with you in the land of Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams, 9 because they are telling you lies in my name. I have not sent them,” says the Lord.
10 This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. 14 I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”
15 You claim that the Lord has raised up prophets for you in Babylon. 16 But this is what the Lord says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all those still living here in Jerusalem—your relatives who were not exiled to Babylon. 17 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “I will send war, famine, and disease upon them and make them like bad figs, too rotten to eat. 18 Yes, I will pursue them with war, famine, and disease, and I will scatter them around the world. In every nation where I send them, I will make them an object of damnation, horror, contempt, and mockery. 19 For they refuse to listen to me, though I have spoken to them repeatedly through the prophets I sent. And you who are in exile have not listened either,” says the Lord.
20 Therefore, listen to this message from the Lord, all you captives there in Babylon. 21 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says about your prophets—Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah—who are telling you lies in my name: “I will turn them over to Nebuchadnezzar[g] for execution before your eyes. 22 Their terrible fate will become proverbial, so that the Judean exiles will curse someone by saying, ‘May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned alive!’ 23 For these men have done terrible things among my people. They have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have lied in my name, saying things I did not command. I am a witness to this. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
A Message for Shemaiah
24 The Lord sent this message to Shemaiah the Nehelamite in Babylon: 25 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: You wrote a letter on your own authority to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, and you sent copies to the other priests and people in Jerusalem. You wrote to Zephaniah,
26 “The Lord has appointed you to replace Jehoiada as the priest in charge of the house of the Lord. You are responsible to put into stocks and neck irons any crazy man who claims to be a prophet. 27 So why have you done nothing to stop Jeremiah from Anathoth, who pretends to be a prophet among you? 28 Jeremiah sent a letter here to Babylon, predicting that our captivity will be a long one. He said, ‘Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce.’”
29 But when Zephaniah the priest received Shemaiah’s letter, he took it to Jeremiah and read it to him. 30 Then the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah: 31 “Send an open letter to all the exiles in Babylon. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Since he has prophesied to you when I did not send him and has tricked you into believing his lies, 32 I will punish him and his family. None of his descendants will see the good things I will do for my people, for he has incited you to rebel against me. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”
Promises of Deliverance
30 The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Write down for the record everything I have said to you, Jeremiah. 3 For the time is coming when I will restore the fortunes of my people of Israel and Judah. I will bring them home to this land that I gave to their ancestors, and they will possess it again. I, the Lord, have spoken!”
4 This is the message the Lord gave concerning Israel and Judah. 5 This is what the Lord says:
“I hear cries of fear;
there is terror and no peace.
6 Now let me ask you a question:
Do men give birth to babies?
Then why do they stand there, ashen-faced,
hands pressed against their sides
like a woman in labor?
7 In all history there has never been such a time of terror.
It will be a time of trouble for my people Israel.[h]
Yet in the end they will be saved!
8 For in that day,”
says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
“I will break the yoke from their necks
and snap their chains.
Foreigners will no longer be their masters.
9 For my people will serve the Lord their God
and their king descended from David—
the king I will raise up for them.
10 “So do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant;
do not be dismayed, Israel,”
says the Lord.
“For I will bring you home again from distant lands,
and your children will return from their exile.
Israel will return to a life of peace and quiet,
and no one will terrorize them.
11 For I am with you and will save you,”
says the Lord.
“I will completely destroy the nations where I have scattered you,
but I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you, but with justice;
I cannot let you go unpunished.”
12 This is what the Lord says:
“Your injury is incurable—
a terrible wound.
13 There is no one to help you
or to bind up your injury.
No medicine can heal you.
14 All your lovers—your allies—have left you
and do not care about you anymore.
I have wounded you cruelly,
as though I were your enemy.
For your sins are many,
and your guilt is great.
15 Why do you protest your punishment—
this wound that has no cure?
I have had to punish you
because your sins are many
and your guilt is great.
16 “But all who devour you will be devoured,
and all your enemies will be sent into exile.
All who plunder you will be plundered,
and all who attack you will be attacked.
17 I will give you back your health
and heal your wounds,” says the Lord.
“For you are called an outcast—
‘Jerusalem[i] for whom no one cares.’”
18 This is what the Lord says:
“When I bring Israel home again from captivity
and restore their fortunes,
Jerusalem will be rebuilt on its ruins,
and the palace reconstructed as before.
19 There will be joy and songs of thanksgiving,
and I will multiply my people, not diminish them;
I will honor them, not despise them.
20 Their children will prosper as they did long ago.
I will establish them as a nation before me,
and I will punish anyone who hurts them.
21 They will have their own ruler again,
and he will come from their own people.
I will invite him to approach me,” says the Lord,
“for who would dare to come unless invited?
22 You will be my people,
and I will be your God.”
23 Look! The Lord’s anger bursts out like a storm,
a driving wind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger of the Lord will not diminish
until it has finished all he has planned.
In the days to come
you will understand all this.
Hope for Restoration
31 “In that day,” says the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people. 2 This is what the Lord says:
“Those who survive the coming destruction
will find blessings even in the barren land,
for I will give rest to the people of Israel.”
3 Long ago the Lord said to Israel:
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
4 I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel.
You will again be happy
and dance merrily with your tambourines.
5 Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria
and eat from your own gardens there.
6 The day will come when watchmen will shout
from the hill country of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Jerusalem[j]
to worship the Lord our God.’”
7 Now this is what the Lord says:
“Sing with joy for Israel.[k]
Shout for the greatest of nations!
Shout out with praise and joy:
‘Save your people, O Lord,
the remnant of Israel!’
8 For I will bring them from the north
and from the distant corners of the earth.
I will not forget the blind and lame,
the expectant mothers and women in labor.
A great company will return!
9 Tears of joy will stream down their faces,
and I will lead them home with great care.
They will walk beside quiet streams
and on smooth paths where they will not stumble.
For I am Israel’s father,
and Ephraim is my oldest child.
10 “Listen to this message from the Lord,
you nations of the world;
proclaim it in distant coastlands:
The Lord, who scattered his people,
will gather them and watch over them
as a shepherd does his flock.
11 For the Lord has redeemed Israel
from those too strong for them.
12 They will come home and sing songs of joy on the heights of Jerusalem.
They will be radiant because of the Lord’s good gifts—
the abundant crops of grain, new wine, and olive oil,
and the healthy flocks and herds.
Their life will be like a watered garden,
and all their sorrows will be gone.
13 The young women will dance for joy,
and the men—old and young—will join in the celebration.
I will turn their mourning into joy.
I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing.
14 The priests will enjoy abundance,
and my people will feast on my good gifts.
I, the Lord, have spoken!”
Rachel’s Sadness Turns to Joy
15 This is what the Lord says:
“A cry is heard in Ramah—
deep anguish and bitter weeping.
Rachel weeps for her children,
refusing to be comforted—
for her children are gone.”
16 But now this is what the Lord says:
“Do not weep any longer,
for I will reward you,” says the Lord.
“Your children will come back to you
from the distant land of the enemy.
17 There is hope for your future,” says the Lord.
“Your children will come again to their own land.
18 I have heard Israel[l] saying,
‘You disciplined me severely,
like a calf that needs training for the yoke.
Turn me again to you and restore me,
for you alone are the Lord my God.
19 I turned away from God,
but then I was sorry.
I kicked myself for my stupidity!
I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days.’
20 “Is not Israel still my son,
my darling child?” says the Lord.
“I often have to punish him,
but I still love him.
That’s why I long for him
and surely will have mercy on him.
21 Set up road signs;
put up guideposts.
Mark well the path
by which you came.
Come back again, my virgin Israel;
return to your towns here.
22 How long will you wander,
my wayward daughter?
For the Lord will cause something new to happen—
Israel will embrace her God.[m]”
23 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity, the people of Judah and its towns will again say, ‘The Lord bless you, O righteous home, O holy mountain!’ 24 Townspeople and farmers and shepherds alike will live together in peace and happiness. 25 For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing.”
26 At this, I woke up and looked around. My sleep had been very sweet.
27 “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will greatly increase the human population and the number of animals here in Israel and Judah. 28 In the past I deliberately uprooted and tore down this nation. I overthrew it, destroyed it, and brought disaster upon it. But in the future I will just as deliberately plant it and build it up. I, the Lord, have spoken!
29 “The people will no longer quote this proverb:
‘The parents have eaten sour grapes,
but their children’s mouths pucker at the taste.’
30 All people will die for their own sins—those who eat the sour grapes will be the ones whose mouths will pucker.
31 “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord.
33 “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”
35 It is the Lord who provides the sun to light the day
and the moon and stars to light the night,
and who stirs the sea into roaring waves.
His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
and this is what he says:
36 “I am as likely to reject my people Israel
as I am to abolish the laws of nature!”
37 This is what the Lord says:
“Just as the heavens cannot be measured
and the foundations of the earth cannot be explored,
so I will not consider casting them away
for the evil they have done.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
38 “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when all Jerusalem will be rebuilt for me, from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 A measuring line will be stretched out over the hill of Gareb and across to Goah. 40 And the entire area—including the graveyard and ash dump in the valley, and all the fields out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the Horse Gate—will be holy to the Lord. The city will never again be captured or destroyed.”
Footnotes
- 27:1 As in some Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac version (see also 27:3, 12); most Hebrew manuscripts read Jehoiakim.
- 27:20 Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant spelling of Jehoiachin.
- 28:1 Hebrew In the fifth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. The fifth month in the fourth year of Zedekiah’s reign occurred within the months of August and September 593 B.c. Also see note on 1:3.
- 28:4 Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant spelling of Jehoiachin.
- 28:17 Hebrew In the seventh month of that same year. See 28:1 and the note there.
- 29:2 Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant spelling of Jehoiachin.
- 29:21 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, a variant spelling of Nebuchadnezzar.
- 30:7 Hebrew Jacob; also in 30:10b, 18. See note on 5:20.
- 30:17 Hebrew Zion.
- 31:6 Hebrew Zion; also in 31:12.
- 31:7 Hebrew Jacob; also in 31:11. See note on 5:20.
- 31:18 Hebrew Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of Israel; also in 31:20.
- 31:22 Hebrew a woman will surround a man.
Jeremiah 27-31
New International Version
Jeremiah 27-31
New International Version
Judah to Serve Nebuchadnezzar
27 Early in the reign of Zedekiah[a](A) son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 This is what the Lord said to me: “Make a yoke(B) out of straps and crossbars and put it on your neck. 3 Then send(C) word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon,(D) Tyre and Sidon(E) through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4 Give them a message for their masters and say, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Tell this to your masters: 5 With my great power and outstretched arm(F) I made(G) the earth and its people and the animals(H) that are on it, and I give(I) it to anyone I please. 6 Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant(J) Nebuchadnezzar(K) king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him.(L) 7 All nations will serve(M) him and his son and his grandson until the time(N) for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate(O) him.
8 “‘“If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punish(P) that nation with the sword,(Q) famine(R) and plague,(S) declares the Lord, until I destroy it by his hand. 9 So do not listen to your prophets,(T) your diviners,(U) your interpreters of dreams,(V) your mediums(W) or your sorcerers(X) who tell you, ‘You will not serve(Y) the king of Babylon.’ 10 They prophesy lies(Z) to you that will only serve to remove(AA) you far from your lands; I will banish you and you will perish. 11 But if any nation will bow its neck under the yoke(AB) of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let that nation remain in its own land to till it and to live(AC) there, declares the Lord.”’”
12 I gave the same message to Zedekiah king of Judah. I said, “Bow your neck under the yoke(AD) of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and you will live.(AE) 13 Why will you and your people die(AF) by the sword, famine and plague(AG) with which the Lord has threatened any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 Do not listen(AH) to the words of the prophets(AI) who say to you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying lies(AJ) to you. 15 ‘I have not sent(AK) them,’ declares the Lord. ‘They are prophesying lies in my name.(AL) Therefore, I will banish you and you will perish,(AM) both you and the prophets who prophesy to you.’”
16 Then I said to the priests and all these people, “This is what the Lord says: Do not listen to the prophets who say, ‘Very soon now the articles(AN) from the Lord’s house will be brought back from Babylon.’ They are prophesying lies to you. 17 Do not listen(AO) to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and you will live.(AP) Why should this city become a ruin? 18 If they are prophets and have the word of the Lord, let them plead(AQ) with the Lord Almighty that the articles remaining in the house of the Lord and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem not be taken to Babylon. 19 For this is what the Lord Almighty says about the pillars, the bronze Sea,(AR) the movable stands and the other articles(AS) that are left in this city, 20 which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away when he carried(AT) Jehoiachin[b](AU) son of Jehoiakim king of Judah into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem— 21 yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about the things that are left in the house of the Lord and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem: 22 ‘They will be taken(AV) to Babylon and there they will remain until the day(AW) I come for them,’ declares the Lord. ‘Then I will bring(AX) them back and restore them to this place.’”
The False Prophet Hananiah
28 In the fifth month of that same year, the fourth year, early in the reign of Zedekiah(AY) king of Judah, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon,(AZ) said to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and all the people: 2 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will break the yoke(BA) of the king of Babylon. 3 Within two years I will bring back to this place all the articles(BB) of the Lord’s house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed from here and took to Babylon. 4 I will also bring back to this place Jehoiachin[c](BC) son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and all the other exiles from Judah who went to Babylon,’ declares the Lord, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”(BD)
5 Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah before the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord. 6 He said, “Amen! May the Lord do so! May the Lord fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the Lord’s house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon.(BE) 7 Nevertheless, listen to what I have to say in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: 8 From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plague(BF) against many countries and great kingdoms. 9 But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true.(BG)”
10 Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke(BH) off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, 11 and he said(BI) before all the people, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years.’” At this, the prophet Jeremiah went on his way.
12 After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 13 “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but in its place you will get a yoke of iron. 14 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will put an iron yoke(BJ) on the necks of all these nations to make them serve(BK) Nebuchadnezzar(BL) king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.(BM)’”
15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent(BN) you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies.(BO) 16 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth.(BP) This very year you are going to die,(BQ) because you have preached rebellion(BR) against the Lord.’”
17 In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died.(BS)
A Letter to the Exiles
29 This is the text of the letter(BT) 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.(BU) 2 (This was after King Jehoiachin[d](BV) and the queen mother,(BW) the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) 3 He 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:
4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried(BX) into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build(BY) houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry 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.(BZ) 7 Also, seek(CA) the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray(CB) to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” 8 Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets(CC) and diviners among you deceive(CD) you. Do not listen to the dreams(CE) you encourage them to have.(CF) 9 They are prophesying lies(CG) to you in my name. I have not sent(CH) them,” declares the Lord.
10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years(CI) are completed for Babylon, I will come to you(CJ) and fulfill my good promise(CK) to bring you back(CL) to this place. 11 For I know the plans(CM) I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper(CN) you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.(CO) 12 Then you will call(CP) on me and come and pray(CQ) to me, and I will listen(CR) to you. 13 You will seek(CS) me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.(CT) 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back(CU) from captivity.[e] 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.”(CV)
15 You may say, “The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,” 16 but this is what the Lord says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all the people who remain in this city, your fellow citizens who did not go with you into exile— 17 yes, this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will send the sword, famine and plague(CW) against them and I will make them like figs(CX) that are so bad they cannot be eaten. 18 I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrent(CY) to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse[f](CZ) and an object of horror,(DA) of scorn(DB) and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them. 19 For they have not listened to my words,”(DC) declares the Lord, “words that I sent to them again and again(DD) by my servants the prophets.(DE) And you exiles have not listened either,” declares the Lord.
20 Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles whom I have sent(DF) away from Jerusalem to Babylon. 21 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies(DG) to you in my name: “I will deliver them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will put them to death before your very eyes. 22 Because of them, all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the Lord treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned(DH) in the fire.’ 23 For they have done outrageous things in Israel; they have committed adultery(DI) with their neighbors’ wives, and in my name they have uttered lies—which I did not authorize. I know(DJ) it and am a witness(DK) to it,” declares the Lord.
Message to Shemaiah
24 Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite, 25 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah(DL) son of Maaseiah, and to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah, 26 ‘The Lord has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada to be in charge of the house of the Lord; you should put any maniac(DM) who acts like a prophet into the stocks(DN) and neck-irons. 27 So why have you not reprimanded Jeremiah from Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you? 28 He has sent this message(DO) to us in Babylon: It will be a long time.(DP) Therefore build(DQ) houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.’”
29 Zephaniah(DR) the priest, however, read the letter to Jeremiah the prophet. 30 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 31 “Send this message to all the exiles: ‘This is what the Lord says about Shemaiah(DS) the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I did not send(DT) him, and has persuaded you to trust in lies, 32 this is what the Lord says: I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants.(DU) He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good(DV) things I will do for my people, declares the Lord, because he has preached rebellion(DW) against me.’”
Restoration of Israel
30 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write(DX) in a book all the words I have spoken to you. 3 The days(DY) are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will bring(DZ) my people Israel and Judah back from captivity[g] and restore(EA) them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the Lord.”
4 These are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: 5 “This is what the Lord says:
“‘Cries of fear(EB) are heard—
terror, not peace.
6 Ask and see:
Can a man bear children?
Then why do I see every strong man
with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor,(EC)
every face turned deathly pale?(ED)
7 How awful that day(EE) will be!
No other will be like it.
It will be a time of trouble(EF) for Jacob,
but he will be saved(EG) out of it.
8 “‘In that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty,
‘I will break the yoke(EH) off their necks
and will tear off their bonds;(EI)
no longer will foreigners enslave them.(EJ)
9 Instead, they will serve the Lord their God
and David(EK) their king,(EL)
whom I will raise up for them.
10 “‘So do not be afraid,(EM) Jacob my servant;(EN)
do not be dismayed, Israel,’
declares the Lord.
‘I will surely save(EO) you out of a distant place,
your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,(EP)
and no one will make him afraid.(EQ)
11 I am with you(ER) and will save you,’
declares the Lord.
‘Though I completely destroy all the nations
among which I scatter you,
I will not completely destroy(ES) you.
I will discipline(ET) you but only in due measure;
I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’(EU)
12 “This is what the Lord says:
“‘Your wound(EV) is incurable,
your injury beyond healing.(EW)
13 There is no one to plead your cause,(EX)
no remedy for your sore,
no healing(EY) for you.
14 All your allies(EZ) have forgotten you;
they care nothing for you.
I have struck you as an enemy(FA) would
and punished you as would the cruel,(FB)
because your guilt is so great
and your sins(FC) so many.
15 Why do you cry out over your wound,
your pain that has no cure?(FD)
Because of your great guilt and many sins
I have done these things to you.(FE)
16 “‘But all who devour(FF) you will be devoured;
all your enemies will go into exile.(FG)
Those who plunder(FH) you will be plundered;
all who make spoil of you I will despoil.
17 But I will restore you to health
and heal(FI) your wounds,’
declares the Lord,
‘because you are called an outcast,(FJ)
Zion for whom no one cares.’(FK)
18 “This is what the Lord says:
“‘I will restore the fortunes(FL) of Jacob’s tents(FM)
and have compassion(FN) on his dwellings;
the city will be rebuilt(FO) on her ruins,
and the palace will stand in its proper place.
19 From them will come songs(FP) of thanksgiving(FQ)
and the sound of rejoicing.(FR)
I will add to their numbers,(FS)
and they will not be decreased;
I will bring them honor,(FT)
and they will not be disdained.
20 Their children(FU) will be as in days of old,
and their community will be established(FV) before me;
I will punish(FW) all who oppress them.
21 Their leader(FX) will be one of their own;
their ruler will arise from among them.(FY)
I will bring him near(FZ) and he will come close to me—
for who is he who will devote himself
to be close to me?’
declares the Lord.
22 “‘So you will be my people,(GA)
and I will be your God.(GB)’”
23 See, the storm(GC) of the Lord
will burst out in wrath,
a driving wind swirling down
on the heads of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger(GD) of the Lord will not turn back(GE)
until he fully accomplishes
the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
you will understand(GF) this.
31 “At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the God(GG) of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”
2 This is what the Lord says:
“The people who survive the sword
will find favor(GH) in the wilderness;
I will come to give rest(GI) to Israel.”
3 The Lord appeared to us in the past,[h] saying:
“I have loved(GJ) you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn(GK) you with unfailing kindness.
4 I will build you up again,
and you, Virgin(GL) Israel, will be rebuilt.(GM)
Again you will take up your timbrels(GN)
and go out to dance(GO) with the joyful.(GP)
5 Again you will plant(GQ) vineyards
on the hills of Samaria;(GR)
the farmers will plant them
and enjoy their fruit.(GS)
6 There will be a day when watchmen(GT) cry out
on the hills of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Zion,
to the Lord our God.’”(GU)
7 This is what the Lord says:
“Sing(GV) with joy for Jacob;
shout for the foremost(GW) of the nations.
Make your praises heard, and say,
‘Lord, save(GX) your people,
the remnant(GY) of Israel.’
8 See, I will bring them from the land of the north(GZ)
and gather(HA) them from the ends of the earth.
Among them will be the blind(HB) and the lame,(HC)
expectant mothers and women in labor;
a great throng will return.
9 They will come with weeping;(HD)
they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead(HE) them beside streams of water(HF)
on a level(HG) path where they will not stumble,
because I am Israel’s father,(HH)
and Ephraim is my firstborn son.
10 “Hear the word of the Lord, you nations;
proclaim it in distant coastlands:(HI)
‘He who scattered(HJ) Israel will gather(HK) them
and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’(HL)
11 For the Lord will deliver Jacob
and redeem(HM) them from the hand of those stronger(HN) than they.
12 They will come and shout for joy(HO) on the heights(HP) of Zion;
they will rejoice in the bounty(HQ) of the Lord—
the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,(HR)
the young of the flocks(HS) and herds.
They will be like a well-watered garden,(HT)
and they will sorrow(HU) no more.
13 Then young women will dance and be glad,
young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning(HV) into gladness;
I will give them comfort(HW) and joy(HX) instead of sorrow.
14 I will satisfy(HY) the priests(HZ) with abundance,
and my people will be filled with my bounty,(IA)”
declares the Lord.
15 This is what the Lord says:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,(IB)
mourning and great weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,(IC)
because they are no more.”(ID)
16 This is what the Lord says:
“Restrain your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears,(IE)
for your work will be rewarded,(IF)”
declares the Lord.
“They will return(IG) from the land of the enemy.
17 So there is hope(IH) for your descendants,”
declares the Lord.
“Your children(II) will return to their own land.
18 “I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:
‘You disciplined(IJ) me like an unruly calf,(IK)
and I have been disciplined.
Restore(IL) me, and I will return,
because you are the Lord my God.
19 After I strayed,(IM)
I repented;
after I came to understand,
I beat(IN) my breast.
I was ashamed(IO) and humiliated
because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’(IP)
20 Is not Ephraim my dear son,
the child(IQ) in whom I delight?
Though I often speak against him,
I still remember(IR) him.
Therefore my heart yearns for him;
I have great compassion(IS) for him,”
declares the Lord.
21 “Set up road signs;
put up guideposts.(IT)
Take note of the highway,(IU)
the road that you take.
Return,(IV) Virgin(IW) Israel,
return to your towns.
22 How long will you wander,(IX)
unfaithful(IY) Daughter Israel?
The Lord will create a new thing(IZ) on earth—
the woman will return to[i](JA) the man.”
23 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity,[j](JB) the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: ‘The Lord bless(JC) you, you prosperous city,(JD) you sacred mountain.’(JE) 24 People will live(JF) together in Judah and all its towns—farmers and those who move about with their flocks.(JG) 25 I will refresh the weary(JH) and satisfy the faint.”(JI)
26 At this I awoke(JJ) and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.
27 “The days are coming,”(JK) declares the Lord, “when I will plant(JL) the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals. 28 Just as I watched(JM) over them to uproot(JN) and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster,(JO) so I will watch over them to build and to plant,”(JP) declares the Lord. 29 “In those days people will no longer say,
30 Instead, everyone will die for their own sin;(JS) whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.
31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will make a new covenant(JT)
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant(JU)
I made with their ancestors(JV)
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,(JW)
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband(JX) to[k] them,[l]”
declares the Lord.
33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds(JY)
and write it on their hearts.(JZ)
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.(KA)
34 No longer will they teach(KB) their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know(KC) me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive(KD) their wickedness
and will remember their sins(KE) no more.”
35 This is what the Lord says,
he who appoints(KF) the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,(KG)
who stirs up the sea(KH)
so that its waves roar(KI)—
the Lord Almighty is his name:(KJ)
36 “Only if these decrees(KK) vanish from my sight,”
declares the Lord,
“will Israel(KL) ever cease
being a nation before me.”
37 This is what the Lord says:
“Only if the heavens above can be measured(KM)
and the foundations of the earth below be searched out
will I reject(KN) all the descendants of Israel
because of all they have done,”
declares the Lord.
38 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this city will be rebuilt(KO) for me from the Tower of Hananel(KP) to the Corner Gate.(KQ) 39 The measuring line(KR) will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. 40 The whole valley(KS) where dead bodies(KT) and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley(KU) on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate,(KV) will be holy(KW) to the Lord. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 27:1 A few Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac (see also 27:3,12 and 28:1); most Hebrew manuscripts Jehoiakim (Most Septuagint manuscripts do not have this verse.)
- Jeremiah 27:20 Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant of Jehoiachin
- Jeremiah 28:4 Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant of Jehoiachin
- Jeremiah 29:2 Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant of Jehoiachin
- Jeremiah 29:14 Or will restore your fortunes
- Jeremiah 29:18 That is, their names will be used in cursing (see verse 22); or, others will see that they are cursed.
- Jeremiah 30:3 Or will restore the fortunes of my people Israel and Judah
- Jeremiah 31:3 Or Lord has appeared to us from afar
- Jeremiah 31:22 Or will protect
- Jeremiah 31:23 Or I restore their fortunes
- Jeremiah 31:32 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac / and I turned away from
- Jeremiah 31:32 Or was their master
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.