Yirmeyah 29
Orthodox Jewish Bible
29 Now these are the Devarim of the sefer that Yirmeyah HaNavi sent from Yerushalayim unto the surviving Zekenim of the Golus and to the Kohanim, and to the Nevi’im, and to kol HaAm whom Nevuchadretzar had carried away captive from Yerushalayim to Bavel—
2 This was after Yechanyah HaMelech, and the Gevirah (Queen Mother), and the sarisim, the sarim of Yehudah and Yerushalayim, and the carpenters, and the artisans had departed from Yerushalayim;
3 The sefer was sent by the yad of Elasah Ben Shaphan, and Gemaryah Ben Chilkiyah, whom Tzidkiyah Melech Yehudah sent unto Bavel to Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel—and it said,
4 Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel, unto all that are carried away into the Golus, whom I have caused to be carried away from Yerushalayim unto Bavel;
5 Build ye batim (houses), and dwell in them; and plant gannot (gardens), and eat the p’ri (fruit) of them;
6 Take ye nashim, and father banim and banot; and take nashim for your banim, and give your banot to anashim, that they may bear banim and banot; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
7 And seek the shalom of the city where I have caused you to be carried away into the Golus, and daven unto Hashem for it; for in the shalom thereof shall ye have shalom.
8 For thus saith Hashem Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel: Let not your nevi’im and your kesamim that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither pay heed to your chalomot which ye cause to be dreamed.
9 For they prophesy b’sheker (falsely) unto you in My Name; I have not sent them, saith Hashem.
10 For thus saith Hashem, That after shiv’im shanah (seventy years) are accomplished at Bavel I will visit you, and perform My Davar Hatov toward you, in causing you to return to this makom.
11 For I know the machshavot (thoughts, plans) that I think toward you, saith Hashem, machshavot shalom, and not of ra’ah, to give you an acharit (future) and a tikvah (hope).
12 Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and v’hitpalaltem (and you [plural] will pray) unto Me, and I will pay heed unto you [plural].
13 And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me b’chol lvavchem (with all your heart).
14 And I will be found by you, saith Hashem; and I will bring you back from captivity, and I will gather you from all the Goyim, and from all the mekomot (places) where I have driven you, saith Hashem; and I will bring you back into the makom (place) from which I caused you to be carried away into the Golus.
15 Because ye have said, Hashem hath raised up nevi’im for us in Bavel;
16 Know that thus saith Hashem of HaMelech that sitteth upon the Kisse Dovid, and of kol HaAm that dwelleth in this city, and of your achim that are not gone forth with you into the Golus;
17 Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os; Hineni, I will send upon them the cherev, the ra’av, and the dever, and will make them like rotten figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so bad.
18 And I will pursue them with the cherev, with the ra’av, and with the dever, and will make them a horror to all the mamlechot ha’aretz, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and a hissing, and a cherpah, among all the Goyim where I have driven them;
19 Because they have not paid heed to My devarim, saith Hashem, which I sent unto them by My Avadim the nevi’im, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith Hashem.
20 Hear ye therefore the Devar Hashem, all ye of the Golus, whom I have sent from Yerushalayim to Bavel;
21 Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel, about Ach’av Ben Kolayah, and of Tzidkiyah Ben Ma’aseiyah, which prophesy sheker unto you in My Name; Hineni, I will deliver them into the yad Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel; and he shall slay them before your eynayim;
22 And of them shall be taken up a kelalah (curse) by all the Golus of Yehudah which are in Bavel, saying, Hashem make thee like Tzidkiyah and like Ach’av, whom Melech Bavel roasted in the eish;
23 Because they have done nevalah (a foul deed, outrage) in Yisroel, and have committed ni’uf with their neighbors’ nashim, and have spoken davar sheker in My Name, which I have not commanded them; I know, and am Ed (Witness), saith Hashem.
24 Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiyahu the Nechelami, saying,
25 Thus speaketh Hashem Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel, saying, Because thou hast sent sefarim in thy shem unto kol HaAm that are in Yerushalayim, and to Tzephanyah Ben Maaseiyah the kohen, and to all the kohanim, saying,
26 Hashem hath made thee kohen in the place of Yehoyada the kohen, that there should be pekidim (officers) in the Beis Hashem, over every ish that is meshuggah (mad, insane), and maketh himself a navi, that thou shouldest put him in the stocks, and in the neck iron.
27 Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Yirmeyah of Anatot, which maketh himself a navi to you?
28 For therefore he sent unto us in Bavel, saying, This captivity is long; build ye batim (houses), and dwell in them; and plant gannot (gardens), and eat the fruit of them.
29 And Tzephanyah the kohen read this sefer in the oznayim of Yirmeyah HaNavi.
30 Then came the Devar Hashem unto Yirmeyah, saying,
31 Send to all them of the Golus, saying, Thus saith Hashem concerning Shemaiyah the Nechelami; Because that Shemaiyah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in sheker;
32 Therefore thus saith Hashem: Hinei, I will punish Shemaiyah the Nechelami, and his zera; he shall not have an ish to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the tov that I will do for My people, saith Hashem; because he hath spoken sarah (rebellion) against Hashem.
Jeremiah 29
English Standard Version
Jeremiah's Letter to the Exiles
29 These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to (A)the surviving elders of the exiles, and to (B)the priests, (C)the prophets, and (D)all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after (E)King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had departed from Jerusalem. 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of (F)Shaphan and Gemariah the son of (G)Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king 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: 5 (H)Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their 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. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and (I)pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: (J)Do not let your prophets and (K)your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream,[a] 9 for (L)it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; (M)I did not send them, declares the Lord.
10 “For thus says the Lord: (N)When seventy years are completed for Babylon, (O)I will visit you, (P)and I will fulfill to you my promise (Q)and bring you back to this place. 11 (R)For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[b] and not for evil, (S)to give you a future and a hope. 12 (T)Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, (U)and I will hear you. 13 (V)You will seek me and find me, when you seek me (W)with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, (X)and I will restore your fortunes and (Y)gather you from all the nations and all the places (Z)where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
15 “Because you have said, ‘The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,’ 16 thus says the Lord concerning (AA)the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your kinsmen who did not go out with you into exile: 17 ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, behold, I am sending on them (AB)sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like (AC)vile figs that are so rotten they cannot be eaten. 18 I will pursue them with (AD)sword, famine, and pestilence, (AE)and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, (AF)to be a curse, a terror, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations (AG)where I have driven them, 19 because they did not pay attention to my words, declares the Lord, (AH)that I persistently sent to you by my servants the prophets, but you would not listen, declares the Lord.’ 20 Hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles (AI)whom I sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon: 21 ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, (AJ)who are prophesying a lie to you in my name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall strike them down before your eyes. 22 (AK)Because of them (AL)this curse shall be used by all the exiles from Judah in Babylon: “The Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, (AM)whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire,” 23 because they have done an outrageous thing in Israel, (AN)they have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and (AO)they have spoken in my name lying words that I did not command them. (AP)I am the one who knows, (AQ)and I am witness, declares the Lord.’”
Shemaiah's False Prophecy
24 To (AR)Shemaiah of Nehelam you shall say: 25 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You have sent letters in your name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to (AS)Zephaniah the son of (AT)Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, 26 ‘The Lord has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to have (AU)charge in the house of the Lord (AV)over every madman who prophesies, to put him in (AW)the stocks and neck irons. 27 Now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah (AX)of Anathoth who is prophesying to you? 28 For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, “Your exile will be long; (AY)build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their produce.”’”
29 (AZ)Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. 30 (BA)Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 31 “Send to all the exiles, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord concerning (BB)Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because (BC)Shemaiah had prophesied to you (BD)when I did not send him, and has made you trust in a lie, 32 therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I will punish (BE)Shemaiah of Nehelam and his descendants. He shall not have anyone living among this people, (BF)and he shall not see the good that I will do to my people, declares the Lord, (BG)for he has spoken rebellion against the Lord.’”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 29:8 Hebrew your dreams, which you cause to dream
- Jeremiah 29:11 Or peace
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The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.