إِرْمِيَا 29

١ 1 هَذَا كَلَامُ ٱلرِّسَالَةِ ٱلَّتِي أَرْسَلَهَا إِرْمِيَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ مِنْ أُورُشَلِيمَ إِلَى بَقِيَّةِ شُيُوخِ ٱلسَّبْيِ، وَإِلَى ٱلْكَهَنَةِ وَٱلْأَنْبِيَاءِ، وَإِلَى كُلِّ ٱلشَّعْبِ ٱلَّذِينَ سَبَاهُمْ نَبُوخَذْنَاصَّرُ مِنْ أُورُشَلِيمَ إِلَى بَابِلَ،

After King Jehoiachin, his mother, his palace officials, other officials in Judah, and all the various kinds of craftsmen [DOU] had been exiled to Babylon, I wrote a letter to the elders, the priests, the prophets and all the other people who had been taken from Jerusalem to Babylon by [soldiers of] Nebuchadnezzar.

٢ 2 بَعْدَ خُرُوجِ يَكُنْيَا ٱلْمَلِكِ وَٱلْمَلِكَةِ وَٱلْخِصْيَانِ وَرُؤَسَاءِ يَهُوذَا وَأُورُشَلِيمَ وَٱلنَّجَّارِينَ وَٱلْحَدَّادِينَ مِنْ أُورُشَلِيمَ،

٣ 3 بِيَدِ أَلْعَاسَةَ بْنِ شَافَانَ، وَجَمَرْيَا بْنِ حِلْقِيَّا، ٱللَّذَيْنِ أَرْسَلَهُمَا صِدْقِيَّا مَلِكُ يَهُوذَا إِلَى نَبُوخَذْنَاصَّرَ مَلِكِ بَابِلَ إِلَى بَابِلَ قَائِلًا:

[I gave] the letter to Elasah the son of Shaphan, and to Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, when they were about to go to Babylon to be ambassadors from King Zedekiah to King Nebuchadnezzar. This is what I wrote in the letter:

٤ 4 «هَكَذَا قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ لِكُلِّ ٱلسَّبْيِ ٱلَّذِي سَبَيْتُهُ مِنْ أُورُشَلِيمَ إِلَى بَابِلَ:

This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says to all you people who were captured [here] in Jerusalem and taken [there] to Babylon:

٥ 5 اِبْنُوا بُيُوتًا وَٱسْكُنُوا، وَٱغْرِسُوا جَنَّاتٍ وَكُلُوا ثَمَرَهَا.

“Build houses [there], and plan to stay there [because you will be there for many years]. Plant gardens, and eat the food that is produced in the gardens.

٦ 6 خُذُوا نِسَاءً وَلِدُوا بَنِينَ وَبَنَاتٍ وَخُذُوا لِبَنِيكُمْ نِسَاءً وَأَعْطُوا بَنَاتِكُمْ لِرِجَالٍ فَيَلِدْنَ بَنِينَ وَبَنَاتٍ، وَٱكْثُرُوا هُنَاكَ وَلَا تَقِلُّوا.

Get married and have children. Then [when they grow up], choose wives for your sons, and husbands for your daughters, in order that they [also] may have children. [In that way], the number of you people will increase, not decrease.

٧ 7 وَٱطْلُبُوا سَلَامَ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ ٱلَّتِي سَبَيْتُكُمْ إِلَيْهَا، وَصَلُّوا لِأَجْلِهَا إِلَى ٱلرَّبِّ، لِأَنَّهُ بِسَلَامِهَا يَكُونُ لَكُمْ سَلَامٌ.

Also, do things that will cause things to go well [for the other people there] in the city where I sent you. Pray that things will go well for [the people in] that city, because if things go well for them, things will go well for you, [also].”

٨ 8 لِأَنَّهُ هَكَذَا قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ: لَا تَغُشَّكُمْ أَنْبِيَاؤُكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ فِي وَسَطِكُمْ وَعَرَّافُوكُمْ، وَلَا تَسْمَعُوا لِأَحْلَامِكُمُ ٱلَّتِي تَتَحَلَّمُونَهَا.

This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israeli people [worship], says: “There are [false] prophets and fortune-tellers among you. Do not allow them to deceive you. Do not pay attention to [them when they tell you] their dreams,

٩ 9 لِأَنَّهُمْ إِنَّمَا يَتَنَبَّأُونَ لَكُمْ بِٱسْمِي بِٱلْكَذِبِ. أَنَا لَمْ أُرْسِلْهُمْ، يَقُولُ ٱلرَّبُّ.

because they are telling you lies, saying that [MTY] [I have given them the messages that they are telling you]. But, I have not appointed them.”

١٠ 10 «لِأَنَّهُ هَكَذَا قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ: إِنِّي عِنْدَ تَمَامِ سَبْعِينَ سَنَةً لِبَابِلَ، أَتَعَهَّدُكُمْ وَأُقِيمُ لَكُمْ كَلَامِي ٱلصَّالِحَ، بِرَدِّكُمْ إِلَى هَذَا ٱلْمَوْضِعِ.

This is [also] what Yahweh says: “After you [and your children] have been in Babylon for seventy years, I will help you, and do for you the things that I promised, and I will enable you to return here [to Jerusalem].

١١ 11 لِأَنِّي عَرَفْتُ ٱلْأَفْكَارَ ٱلَّتِي أَنَا مُفْتَكِرٌ بِهَا عَنْكُمْ، يَقُولُ ٱلرَّبُّ، أَفْكَارَ سَلَامٍ لَا شَرٍّ، لِأُعْطِيَكُمْ آخِرَةً وَرَجَاءً.

I, Yahweh, know what I have planned for you. I am planning to cause things to go well for you, not to cause you to experience disasters. I am planning to give you many things that you confidently expect to receive in the future.

١٢ 12 فَتَدْعُونَنِي وَتَذْهَبُونَ وَتُصَلُّونَ إِلَيَّ فَأَسْمَعُ لَكُمْ.

At that time, when you pray, I will heed you.

١٣ 13 وَتَطْلُبُونَنِي فَتَجِدُونَنِي إِذْ تَطْلُبُونَنِي بِكُلِّ قَلْبِكُمْ.

If you earnestly desire for me [to bless you], you will experience me [blessing you].

١٤ 14 فَأُوجَدُ لَكُمْ، يَقُولُ ٱلرَّبُّ، وَأَرُدُّ سَبْيَكُمْ وَأَجْمَعُكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ ٱلْأُمَمِ وَمِنْ كُلِّ ٱلْمَوَاضِعِ ٱلَّتِي طَرَدْتُكُمْ إِلَيْهَا، يَقُولُ ٱلرَّبُّ، وَأَرُدُّكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْمَوْضِعِ ٱلَّذِي سَبَيْتُكُمْ مِنْهُ.

I will make my help available to you [IDM]. I will cause you to no longer be slaves [in Babylon]. I will gather you from all the nations to which I have exiled you, and I will bring you back [here to your own land], to the place from which you were taken.”

١٥ 15 «لِأَنَّكُمْ قُلْتُمْ: قَدْ أَقَامَ لَنَا ٱلرَّبُّ نَبِيِّينَ فِي بَابِلَ،

[Some of] you say that Yahweh has appointed prophets for you [there] in Babylon.

١٦ 16 فَهَكَذَا قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ لِلْمَلِكِ ٱلْجَالِسِ عَلَى كُرْسِيِّ دَاوُدَ، وَلِكُلِّ ٱلشَّعْبِ ٱلْجَالِسِ فِي هَذِهِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ، إِخْوَتِكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَخْرُجُوا مَعَكُمْ فِي ٱلسَّبْيِ:

But this is what Yahweh says about the king who rules [here] in Jerusalem, and about all the other people who are [still] living here—your relatives who were not taken to Babylon with you.

١٧ 17 هَكَذَا قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ: هَأَنَذَا أُرْسِلُ عَلَيْهِمِ ٱلسَّيْفَ وَٱلْجُوعَ وَٱلْوَبَأَ، وَأَجْعَلُهُمْ كَتِينٍ رَدِيءٍ لَا يُؤْكَلُ مِنَ ٱلرَّدَاءَةِ.

The Commander of the armies of angels says this: “I will cause them to experience wars and famines and diseases. I will cause them to become like [SIM] bad figs that are very rotten, with the result that no one can eat them.

١٨ 18 وَأُلْحِقُهُمْ بِٱلسَّيْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَٱلْوَبَإِ، وَأَجْعَلُهُمْ قَلَقًا لِكُلِّ مَمَالِكِ ٱلْأَرْضِ، حِلْفًا وَدَهَشًا وَصَفِيرًا وَعَارًا فِي جَمِيعِ ٱلْأُمَمِ ٱلَّذِينَ طَرَدْتُهُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ،

I will not stop causing them to experience wars and famines and diseases. And I will scatter them all around the world. In every country where I (force them to be taken/exile them), I will cause them to be people whom [others] curse and be horrified about and make fun of [DOU].

١٩ 19 مِنْ أَجْلِ أَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَسْمَعُوا لِكَلَامِي، يَقُولُ ٱلرَّبُّ، إِذْ أَرْسَلْتُ إِلَيْهِمْ عَبِيدِي ٱلْأَنْبِيَاءَ مُبَكِّرًا وَمُرْسِلًا وَلَمْ تَسْمَعُوا، يَقُولُ ٱلرَّبُّ.

[That will happen] because they have refused to pay attention to my messages, messages that I gave to the prophets whom I sent to them. And you [who have been exiled to Babylon] have not paid attention to them, [either].” [That is what] Yahweh says.

٢٠ 20 «وَأَنْتُمْ فَٱسْمَعُوا كَلِمَةَ ٱلرَّبِّ يَا جَمِيعَ ٱلسَّبْيِ ٱلَّذِينَ أَرْسَلْتُهُمْ مِنْ أُورُشَلِيمَ إِلَى بَابِلَ.

[Therefore], you people who have been (exiled/forced to go) from Jerusalem to Babylon, listen to this message from Yahweh.

٢١ 21 هَكَذَا قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ عَنْ أَخْآبَ بْنِ قُولَايَا، وَعَنْ صِدْقِيَّا بْنِ مَعْسِيَّا، ٱللَّذَيْنِ يَتَنَبَّآنِ لَكُمْ بِٱسْمِي بِٱلْكَذِبِ: هَأَنَذَا أَدْفَعُهُمَا لِيَدِ نَبُوخَذْرَاصَّرَ مَلِكِ بَابِلَ فَيَقْتُلُهُمَا أَمَامَ عُيُونِكُمْ.

This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says about Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and about Zedekiah, the son of Maaseiah, who are telling lies to you, saying that they are giving messages [MTY] from him: “They will be seized and taken to [MTY] King Nebuchadnezzar, who will cause them to be executed while you are watching.

٢٢ 22 وَتُؤْخَذُ مِنْهُمَا لَعْنَةٌ لِكُلِّ سَبْيِ يَهُوذَا ٱلَّذِينَ فِي بَابِلَ، فَيُقَالُ: يَجْعَلُكَ ٱلرَّبُّ مِثْلَ صِدْقِيَّا وَمِثْلَ أَخْآبَ ٱللَّذَيْنِ قَلَاهُمَا مَلِكُ بَابِلَ بِٱلنَّارِ.

Because of [what will happen to] them, all you people who have been taken from Judah to Babylon will say this when they curse someone: ‘I hope/wish that Yahweh will do to you the same thing that he did to Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the King of Babylon caused to be [killed by being] burned in a fire.’

٢٣ 23 مِنْ أَجْلِ أَنَّهُمَا عَمِلَا قَبِيحًا فِي إِسْرَائِيلَ، وَزَنَيَا بِنِسَاءِ أَصْحَابِهِمَا، وَتَكَلَّمَا بِٱسْمِي كَلَامًا كَاذِبًا لَمْ أُوصِهِمَا بِهِ، وَأَنَا ٱلْعَارِفُ وَٱلشَّاهِدُ، يَقُولُ ٱلرَّبُّ.

They have done terrible things to [my] Israeli people. They have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and they have spoken lies, saying that they were messages [MTY] from me. They have said things that I did not tell them to say, and I, Yahweh, have heard them [say those things].”

٢٤ 24 «وَكَلِّمْ شِمْعِيَا ٱلنِّحْلَامِيِّ قَائِلًا:

[Yahweh told me to] send this message to Shemaiah, a man from Nehelam [town who was living in Babylon]:

٢٥ 25 هَكَذَا تَكَلَّمَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ قَائِلًا: مِنْ أَجْلِ أَنَّكَ أَرْسَلْتَ رَسَائِلَ بِٱسْمِكَ إِلَى كُلِّ ٱلشَّعْبِ ٱلَّذِي فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ، وَإِلَى صَفَنْيَا بْنِ مَعْسِيَّا ٱلْكَاهِنِ، وَإِلَى كُلِّ ٱلْكَهَنَةِ قَائِلًا:

This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says: “You wrote a letter that no one told you to write. You sent it to Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, and [you sent copies] to the other priests and all the [other] people here in Jerusalem. [This is what] you wrote to him:

٢٦ 26 قَدْ جَعَلَكَ ٱلرَّبُّ كَاهِنًا عِوَضًا عَنْ يَهُويَادَاعَ ٱلْكَاهِنِ، لِتَكُونُوا وُكَلَاءَ فِي بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ لِكُلِّ رَجُلٍ مَجْنُونٍ وَمُتَنَبِّئٍ، فَتَدْفَعُهُ إِلَى ٱلْمِقْطَرَةِ وَٱلْقُيُودِ.

[Zephaniah], Yahweh has appointed you to be the priest instead of Jehoiada, to supervise those who work in the temple. Anyone who acts like a crazy man and who claims that he is a prophet, you should put his arms and legs and head into (stocks/a wooden frame [so that he cannot move)].

٢٧ 27 وَٱلْآنَ لِمَاذَا لَمْ تَزْجُرْ إِرْمِيَا ٱلْعَنَاثُوثِيَّ ٱلْمُتَنَبِّئَ لَكُمْ.

So why have you not done anything to stop Jeremiah, the man from Anathoth [town], who [pretends that he] is a prophet among you?

٢٨ 28 لِأَنَّهُ لِذَلِكَ أَرْسَلَ إِلَيْنَا إِلَى بَابِلَ قَائِلًا: إِنَّهَا مُسْتَطِيلَةٌ. ٱبْنُوا بُيُوتًا وَٱسْكُنُوا، وَٱغْرِسُوا جَنَّاتٍ وَكُلُوا ثَمَرَهَا».

He sent a letter to us [who are here] in Babylon, saying that [we will be here for] a long time. He said that [therefore] we should build houses and plan to stay here, and plant gardens, and eat the food that is produced in the gardens.”

٢٩ 29 فَقَرَأَ صَفَنْيَا ٱلْكَاهِنُ هَذِهِ ٱلرِّسَالَةَ فِي أُذُنَيْ إِرْمِيَا ٱلنَّبِيِّ.

[But when] Zephaniah the priest [received] the letter from you, he [brought it to me and] read it to me.

٣٠ 30 ثُمَّ صَارَ كَلَامُ ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَى إِرْمِيَا قَائِلًا:

Then Yahweh gave me this message:

٣١ 31 «أَرْسِلْ إِلَى كُلِّ ٱلسَّبْيِ قَائِلًا: هَكَذَا قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ لِشِمْعِيَا ٱلنِّحْلَامِيِّ: مِنْ أَجْلِ أَنَّ شِمْعِيَا قَدْ تَنَبَّأَ لَكُمْ وَأَنَا لَمْ أُرْسِلْهُ، وَجَعَلَكُمْ تَتَّكِلُونَ عَلَى ٱلْكَذِبِ.

“Send this message to all the people [from Judah] who are there [in Babylon]. Say that this is what Yahweh says about Shemaiah, the man from Nehelam: ‘I did not appoint him, but he has deceived you and caused you to believe the lies that he prophesied.

٣٢ 32 لِذَلِكَ هَكَذَا قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ: هَأَنَذَا أُعَاقِبُ شِمْعِيَا ٱلنِّحْلَامِيَّ وَنَسْلَهُ. لَا يَكُونُ لَهُ إِنْسَانٌ يَجْلِسُ فِي وَسْطِ هَذَا ٱلشَّعْبِ، وَلَا يَرَى ٱلْخَيْرَ ٱلَّذِي سَأَصْنَعُهُ لِشَعْبِي، يَقُولُ ٱلرَّبُّ، لِأَنَّهُ تَكَلَّمَ بِعِصْيَانٍ عَلَى ٱلرَّبِّ».

So, I will punish him and his family. He has incited you to rebel against me. Because of that, all of his descendants will soon die. I will do [many] good things for [you], my people, but he and his descendants will not see those things, [because they will be dead]. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!’”