Jeremiah 29
New American Standard Bible
Message to the Exiles
29 Now these are the words of the (A)letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exile, the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 (This was after King (B)Jeconiah and the (C)queen mother, the high officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalworkers had departed from Jerusalem.) 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of (D)Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying, 4 “This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles whom I have (E)sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 ‘(F)Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their [a]produce. 6 Take (G)wives and father sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may give birth to sons and daughters; and grow in numbers there and do not decrease. 7 (H)Seek the [b]prosperity of the city where I have sent you into exile, and (I)pray to the Lord in its behalf; for [c]in its [d]prosperity will be your [e]prosperity.’ 8 For this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Do not let your (J)prophets who are in your midst or your diviners (K)deceive you, and do not listen to their interpretations of (L)your dreams which you dream. 9 For they (M)prophesy falsely to you in My name; (N)I have not sent them,’ declares the Lord.
10 “For this is what the Lord says: ‘When (O)seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My (P)good word to you, to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the (Q)plans that I [f]have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for [g](R)prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a (S)hope. 12 Then you will (T)call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will (U)listen to you. 13 And you will (V)seek Me and find Me when you (W)search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will let Myself be (X)found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will (Y)restore your fortunes and (Z)gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will (AA)bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’
15 “Because you have said, ‘The Lord has raised up (AB)prophets for us in Babylon’— 16 for this is what the Lord says concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who live in this city, your brothers who did (AC)not go with you into exile— 17 this is what the Lord of armies says: ‘Behold, I am sending upon them the (AD)sword, famine, and plague; and I will make them like (AE)rotten figs that cannot be eaten due to rottenness. 18 I will pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with plague; and I will (AF)make them an object of terror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a (AG)curse and an object of horror and [h](AH)hissing, and a disgrace among all the nations where I have driven them, 19 because they have (AI)not listened to My words,’ declares the Lord, ‘which I sent to them again and again by (AJ)My servants the prophets; but you did not listen,’ declares the Lord. 20 ‘You, therefore, hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles, whom I have (AK)sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.
21 ‘This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who are (AL)prophesying to you falsely in My name: “Behold, I am going to hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them before your eyes. 22 Because of them a (AM)curse will be [i]used by all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon, saying, ‘May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon (AN)roasted in the fire,’ 23 because they (AO)acted [j]foolishly in Israel, and (AP)committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and falsely (AQ)spoke words in My name which I did not command them. I am He who (AR)knows, and a witness,” declares the Lord.’”
24 Now you shall speak to (AS)Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying, 25 “This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Because you have sent (AT)letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to (AU)the priest Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying, 26 “The Lord has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to be the [k](AV)overseer of the house of the Lord for every (AW)insane person who (AX)prophesies, to (AY)put him in the stocks and in the iron collar. 27 So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of (AZ)Anathoth who prophesies to you, 28 seeing that he has (BA)sent word to us in Babylon, saying, ‘[l]The exile will be (BB)long; (BC)build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their [m]produce’?”’”
29 Now (BD)Zephaniah the priest read this letter [n]to Jeremiah the prophet. 30 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, 31 “Send word to (BE)all the exiles, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says concerning (BF)Shemaiah the Nehelamite: “Because Shemaiah has (BG)prophesied to you, although I did not send him, and he has (BH)made you trust in a lie,” 32 therefore this is what the Lord says: “Behold, I am going to (BI)punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his [o]descendants; he will (BJ)not have anyone living among this people, (BK)and he will not see the good that I am going to do for My people,” declares the Lord, “because he has (BL)spoken falsely against the Lord.”’”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 29:5 Lit fruit
- Jeremiah 29:7 Or peace
- Jeremiah 29:7 Or your prosperity will depend on its
- Jeremiah 29:7 Or peace
- Jeremiah 29:7 Or peace
- Jeremiah 29:11 Lit am planning
- Jeremiah 29:11 Or salvation
- Jeremiah 29:18 Or whistling
- Jeremiah 29:22 Lit taken
- Jeremiah 29:23 Or sacrilegiously
- Jeremiah 29:26 Lit overseers
- Jeremiah 29:28 Lit It
- Jeremiah 29:28 Lit fruit
- Jeremiah 29:29 Lit in the ears of
- Jeremiah 29:32 Lit seed
Jeremiah 29
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles in Babylon
29 These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the artisans, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.(A) 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom King Zedekiah of Judah sent to Babylon to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. It said: 4 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:(B) 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.(C) 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.(D) 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let the prophets and the diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to your dreams that you dream,(E) 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, says the Lord.(F)
10 For thus says the Lord: Only when Babylon’s seventy years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.(G) 11 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.(H) 12 Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you.(I) 13 When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart,(J) 14 I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.(K)
15 Because you have said, “The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,” 16 thus says the Lord concerning the king who sits on the throne of David and concerning all the people who live in this city, your kinsfolk who did not go out with you into exile:(L) 17 Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am going to let loose on them sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like rotten figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten.(M) 18 I will pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be an object of cursing and horror and hissing and a derision among all the nations where I have driven them,(N) 19 because they did not heed my words, says the Lord, when I persistently sent to them my servants the prophets, but you would not listen, says the Lord.(O) 20 But now, all you exiles whom I sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon, hear the word of the Lord:(P) 21 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying a lie to you in my name: I am going to deliver them into the hand of King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon, and he shall kill them before your eyes. 22 And on account of them this curse shall be used by all the exiles from Judah in Babylon: “The Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire,”(Q) 23 because they have perpetrated outrage in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have spoken in my name lying words that I did not command them; I am the one who knows and bears witness, says the Lord.(R)
The Letter of Shemaiah
24 To Shemaiah of Nehelam you shall say: 25 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: In your own name you sent letters to all the people who are in Jerusalem and to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah and to all the priests, saying,(S) 26 The Lord himself has made you priest instead of the priest Jehoiada, so that there may be officers in the house of the Lord to control any madman who plays the prophet, to put him in the stocks and the collar.(T) 27 So now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who plays the prophet for you? 28 For he has actually sent to us in Babylon, saying, “It will be a long time; build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat what they produce.”
29 The priest Zephaniah read this letter in the hearing of the prophet Jeremiah. 30 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 31 Send to all the exiles, saying, Thus says the Lord concerning Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and has led you to trust in a lie,(U) 32 therefore thus says the Lord: I am going to punish Shemaiah of Nehelam and his descendants; he shall not have anyone living among this people to see[a] the good that I am going to do to my people, says the Lord, for he has spoken rebellion against the Lord.(V)
Footnotes
- 29.32 Gk: Heb and he shall not see
Jeremiah 29
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
29 Now these are the words of the letter which Jeremias the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the residue of the ancients that were carried into captivity, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people, whom Nabuchodonosor had carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
2 After that Jechonias the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, and the princes of Juda, and of Jerusalem, and the craftsman, and the engravers were departed out of Jerusalem:
3 By the hand of Elasa the son of Saphan, and Gamarias the son of Helcias, whom Sedecias king of Juda sent to Babylon to Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon, saying:
4 Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel, to all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them: and plant orchards, and eat the fruit of them.
6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters: and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, and let them bear sons and daughters: and be ye multiplied there, and be not few in number.
7 And seek the peace of the city, to which I have caused you to be carried away captives; and pray to the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall be your peace.
8 For thus saith the Lord of hoses the God of Israel: Let not your prophets that are in the midst of you, and your diviners deceive you: and give no heed to your dreams which you dream:
9 For they prophesy falsely to you in my name: and I have not sent them, saith the Lord.
10 For thus saith the Lord: When the seventy years shall begin to be accomplished in Babylon, I will visit you: and I will perform my good word in your favour, to bring you again to this place.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of affliction, to give you an end and patience.
12 And you shall call upon me, and you shall go: and you shall pray to me, and I will hear you.
13 You shall seek me, and shall find me: when you shall seek me with all your heart.
14 And I will be found by you, saith the Lord: and I will bring back your captivity, and I will gather you out of all nations, and from all the places to which I have driven you out, saith the Lord: and I will bring you back from the place to which I caused you to be carried away captive.
15 Because you have said: The Lord hath raised us up prophets in Babylon:
16 For thus saith the Lord to the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and to all the people that dwell in this city, to your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity.
17 Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Behold I will send upon them the sword, and the famine, and the pestilence: and I will make them like bad figs that cannot be eaten, because they are very bad.
18 And I will persecute them with the sword, and with famine, and with the pestilence: and I will give them up unto affliction to all the kingdoms of the earth: to be a curse, and an astonishment, and a hissing, and a reproach to all the nations to which I have driven them out:
19 Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the Lord: which I sent to them by my servants the prophets, rising by night, and sending: and you have not heard, saith the Lord.
20 Hear ye therefore the word of the Lord, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent out from Jerusalem to Babylon.
21 Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel, to Achab the son of Colias, and to Sedecias the son of Maasias, who prophesy unto you in my name falsely: Behold I will deliver them up into the hands of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon: and he shall kill them before your eyes.
22 And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Juda, that are in Babylon, saying: The Lord make thee like Sedecias, and like Achab, whom the king of Babylon fried in the fire:
23 Because they have acted folly in Israel, and have committed adultery with the wives of their friends, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I commanded them not: I am the judge and the witness, saith the Lord.
24 And to Semeias the Nehelamite thou shalt say:
25 Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: Because thou hast sent letters in thy name to all the people that are in Jerusalem, and to Sophonias the son of Maasias the priest, and to all the priests, saying:
26 The Lord hath made thee priest instead of Joiada the priest, that thou shouldst be ruler in the house of the Lord, over every man that raveth and prophesieth, to put him in the stocks, and into prison.
27 And now why hast thou not rebuked Jeremias the Anathothite, who prophesieth to you?
28 For he hath also sent to us in Babylon, saying: It is a long time: build ye houses, and dwell in them: and plant gardens, and eat the fruits of them.
29 So Sophonias the priest read this letter, in the hearing of Jeremias the prophet.
30 And the word of the Lord came to Jeremias, saying:
31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying: Thus saith the Lord to Semeias the Nehelamite: Because Semeias hath prophesied to you, and I sent him not: and hath caused you to trust in a lie:
32 Therefore thus saith the Lord: behold I will visit upon Semeias the Nehelamite, and upon his seed: he shall not have a man to sit in the midst of this people, and he shall not see the good that I will do to my people, saith the Lord: because he hath spoken treason against the Lord.
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