Jeremiah 29

1 Now these, are the, words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem, —unto the residue of the elders of the captivity, and unto the priests and unto the prophets and unto all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;

And these [are] words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the remnant of the elders of the removal, and unto the priests, and unto the prophets, and unto all the people — whom Nebuchadnezzar removed from Jerusalem to Babylon,

2 after that Jeconiah the king and the queen-mother and the eunuchs the princes of Judah and Jerusalem and the craftsmen and the smiths, had gone forth from Jerusalem; —

After the going forth of Jeconiah the king, and the mistress, and the officers, heads of Judah and Jerusalem, and the artificer, and the smith, from Jerusalem —

3 by the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying: —

By the hand of Eleasah son of Shaphan, and Gemariah son of Hilkijah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon — to Babylon, saying,

4 Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, Unto all the captivity whom I have suffered to be carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon:

'Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, to all the removal that I removed from Jerusalem to Babylon,

5 Build ye houses and dwell in them, —And plant ye gardens and eat the fruit thereof;

Build ye houses, and abide; and plant ye gardens, and eat their fruit;

6 Take ye wives and beget sons and daughters, And take wives, for your sons, and, your daughters, give ye to husbands, That they may bear sons and daughters, —And so become ye many there and do not become few;

Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take for your sons wives, and your daughters give to husbands, and they bear sons and daughters; and multiply there, and ye are not few;

7 And seek the welfare of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray for her unto Yahweh, —For in her welfare, shall ye have welfare.

And seek the peace of the city whither I have removed you, and pray for it unto Jehovah, for in its peace ye have peace.

8 For Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts God of Israel, Let not your prophets that are in your midst nor your diviners beguile you, —Neither hearken ye unto your dreams which ye are dreaming;

'For thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, Let not your prophets who [are] in your midst, and your diviners, lift you up, nor hearken ye unto their dreams, that ye are causing [them] to dream;

9 For falsely, are they prophesying unto you in my name, —I have not sent them, Declareth Yahweh.

For with falsehood they are prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, an affirmation of Jehovah.

10 For, thus, saith Yahweh, —That as soon as there are fulfilled to Babylon seventy years, I will visit you, —and establish for you my good word, by causing you to return unto this place.

'For thus said Jehovah, Surely at the fulness of Babylon — seventy years — I inspect you, and have established towards you My good word, to bring you back unto this place.

11 For, I, know the plans which I am planning for you Declareth Yahweh, —Plans of welfare and not of calamity, To give you a future and a hope.

For I have known the thoughts that I am thinking towards you — an affirmation of Jehovah; thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give to you posterity and hope.

12 So shall ye call upon me, —And go and pray unto me, —And I will hearken unto you;

'And ye have called Me, and have gone, and have prayed unto Me, and I have hearkened unto you,

13 So shall ye seek me and find, For ye will enquire after me with all your heart;

And ye have sought Me, and have found, for ye seek Me with all your heart;

14 And I will be found of you, Declareth Yahweh, And will turn back your captivity, And will gather you out of all the nations and out of all the places whither I have driven you, Declareth Yahweh, And will bring you back into the place whence I had caused you to be carried away captive:

And I have been found of you — an affirmation of Jehovah; and I have turned back [to] your captivity, and have gathered you out of all the nations, and out of all the places whither I have driven you — an affirmation of Jehovah — and I have brought you back unto the place whence I removed you.

15 Because ye have said, —Yahweh hath raised us up prophets in Babylon.

'Because ye have said, Jehovah hath raised up to us prophets in Babylon,

16 For, thus, saith Yahweh Against the king who is sitting on the throne of David, and Against all the people who are remaining in this city, —your brethren who have not gone forth with you into captivity:

Surely thus said Jehovah concerning the king who is sitting on the throne of David, and concerning all the people that is dwelling in this city, your brethren who went not forth with you in the removal;

17 Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Behold me! sending upon them sword famine, and pestilence, —So will I make them like the horrid figs, that cannot be eaten for badness;

Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, Lo, I am sending among them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and I have given them up as figs that [are] vile, that are not eaten for badness.

18 Therefore will I pursue them with sword with famine and with pestilence, —And will make them a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth A curse and an astonishment and a hissing and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:

And I have pursued after them with sword, with famine, and with pestilence, and have given them for a trembling to all kingdoms of the earth, for a curse and for an astonishment, and for a hissing, and for a reproach among all the nations whither I have driven them,

19 Because they hearkened not unto my words Declareth Yahweh, —which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, betimes, sending them yet hearkened they not Declareth Yahweh.

Because that they have not hearkened unto My words — an affirmation of Jehovah — that I sent unto them by My servants the prophets, rising early and sending, and ye hearkened not — an affirmation of Jehovah.

20 Ye, therefore, hear ye the word of Yahweh, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:

'And ye, hear ye a word of Jehovah, all ye of the captivity that I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon,

21 Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel Concerning Ahab son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you in my name, a falsehood, Behold me! delivering them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he will smite them before your eyes:

Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, concerning Ahab son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you in My name falsehood: Lo, I am giving them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he hath smitten them before your eyes,

22 So shall there be taken up—from them—a curse, by all of the captivity of Judah who are in Babylon saying, —Yahweh make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, Whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!

And taken from them hath been a reviling by all the removed of Judah that [are] in Babylon, saying, Jehovah doth set thee as Zedekiah, and as Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted with fire;

23 Because they have committed vileness in Israel And have committed adultery with the wives of their neighbours, And have spoken as a word in my name a falsehood, which I commanded them not, —And, I, am one who knoweth—and a witness Declareth Yahweh.

Because that they have done folly in Israel, and commit adultery with the wives of their neighbours, and speak a word in My name falsely that I have not commanded them, and I [am] He who knoweth and a witness — an affirmation of Jehovah.

24 Also unto Shemaiah the Nehelamite, shalt thou speak, saying:

'And unto Shemaiah the Nehelamite thou dost speak, saying,

25 Thus, speaketh Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, saying, —Because, thou, hast sent in, thine own name, letters, unto all the people who are in Jerusalem, and unto Zephaniah son, of Maaseiah the priest, and unto all the priests saying:

Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, saying, Because that thou hast sent in thy name letters unto all the people who [are] in Jerusalem, and unto Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, and unto all the priests, saying,

26 Yahweh, hath made thee priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be deputies in the house of Yahweh, to any man who is raving and prophesying, so shalt thou put him into the stocks and into the pillory:

Jehovah hath made thee priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, for there being inspectors of the house of Jehovah, for every one mad and making himself a prophet, and thou hast put him unto the torture and unto the stocks.

27 Now, therefore, why, hast thou not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who is prophesying unto you?

And now, why hast thou not pushed against Jeremiah of Anathoth, who is making himself a prophet to you?

28 For, on this account, hath he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, —’Tis, long! Build ye houses and dwell in them, And plant gardens and eat the fruit thereof.

Because that he hath sent unto us to Babylon, saying, It [is] long, build ye houses, and abide; and plant ye gardens, and eat their fruit.'

29 And Zephaniah the priest hath read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet,

And Zephaniah the priest readeth this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.

30 Therefore hath the word of Yahweh come unto Jeremiah, saying:

And there is a word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah, saying,

31 Send thou unto all them of the captivity, saying, Thus, saith Yahweh, Concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite, —Because Shemaiah, hath prophesied to you, when, I, had not sent him, And hath caused you to trust in falsehood,

'Send unto all the removal, saying, Thus said Jehovah concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite, Because that Shemaiah prophesied to you, and I — I have not sent him, and he doth cause you to trust on falsehood,

32 Therefore Thus, saith Yahweh, —Behold me! bringing punishment upon Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and upon his seed, He shall have no man to dwell in the midst of this people, Nor shall he see the good that I am about to do for my people, Declareth Yahweh; Because revolt, hath he spoken against Yahweh.

Therefore, thus said Jehovah, Lo, I am seeing after Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and after his seed, he hath none dwelling in the midst of this people, nor doth he look on the good that I am doing to My people — an affirmation of Jehovah — for apostasy he hath spoken against Jehovah.'