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،

Jeremiah the prophet wrote this letter and sent it from Jerusalem to the elders who were left among the exiles, to the priests, the prophets, and everyone else who had been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.

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

This was after King Jehoiachin, the queen mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metals-workers had been exiled from Jerusalem.

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

Elasah, son of Shaphan, and Gemariah, son of Hilkiah, took the letter with them when Zedekiah king of Judah sent them to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. In the letter Jeremiah wrote:

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

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were taken from Jerusalem to Babylon:

٥ 5 اِبْنُوا بُيُوتًا وَٱسْكُنُوا، وَٱغْرِسُوا جَنَّاتٍ وَكُلُوا ثَمَرَهَا.

Build yourselves houses there to live in. Plant gardens and grow food to eat.

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. Arrange for your children to get married so they can have children too. Increase in number, don't decrease.

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

Help make the city where I've exiled you more prosperous. Pray to the Lord for it, since as it prospers, so will you.

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 Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Don't be fooled by your prophets and fortune-tellers, and don't listen to any dreams they interpret for you.

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

They are prophesying lies to you in my name; I have not sent them, declares the Lord.

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

This is what the Lord says: When the seventy years exile in Babylon are over, I will see to you and keep my promise to bring you back to Jerusalem.

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

I know what I intend to do for you, declares the Lord. I plan good things for you and not bad. I'm going to give you a future and a hope.

١٢ 12 فَتَدْعُونَنِي وَتَذْهَبُونَ وَتُصَلُّونَ إِلَيَّ فَأَسْمَعُ لَكُمْ.

Then you will call for my help, you will come and pray to me, and I will answer you.

١٣ 13 وَتَطْلُبُونَنِي فَتَجِدُونَنِي إِذْ تَطْلُبُونَنِي بِكُلِّ قَلْبِكُمْ.

You will look for me and you will find me when you're completely committed to looking for me.

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 let you find me, declares the Lord. I will end your captivity, gathering you from all the nations and places where I scattered you, declares the Lord. I will bring you back home to the place from where I sent you into exile.

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

But if you argue, “The Lord has provided prophets for us 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:

this is what the Lord says about the king who sits on David's throne and everyone who's left in Jerusalem, your fellow citizens who weren't taken with you into exile.

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

This is what the Lord Almighty says: I'm going send war and famine and disease against them. I'll make them like rotten figs, so bad that they can't be eaten.

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

I will chase them down with war and famine and disease. I will make all the kingdoms of the earth horrified by them. They will become a curse word, totally ruined, people to be mocked and criticized among all the nations where I scatter them.

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

I'm going to do this because they haven't obeyed to my words, declares the Lord, which I sent to them time and again through my servants the prophets. You exiles haven't obeyed me either, declares the Lord.

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

So listen to the word of the Lord, all you exiles I sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.

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 Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you in my name. I'm going to hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them right before your eyes.

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 happens to them, all the exiles of Judah in Babylon will curse others like this: “May the Lord treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab, burned alive by the king of Babylon!”

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 did outrageous things in Israel—they committed adultery with their neighbor's wives and told lies in my name. I didn't tell them to say anything. I am the one who knows what they did, and I can witness to it, declares the Lord.

٢٤ 24 «وَكَلِّمْ شِمْعِيَا ٱلنِّحْلَامِيِّ قَائِلًا:

Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite

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:

that this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: On your own authority you sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying,

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

“Zephaniah, the Lord has chosen you as priest to replace Jehoiada, to be in charge of the Lord's Temple. In that capacity you are required to put in the stocks and neck irons any crazy person who claims to be a prophet.

٢٧ 27 وَٱلْآنَ لِمَاذَا لَمْ تَزْجُرْ إِرْمِيَا ٱلْعَنَاثُوثِيَّ ٱلْمُتَنَبِّئَ لَكُمْ.

So why haven't you not punished Jeremiah of Anathoth, who claims to be a prophet among you?

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

You should have done this because he has sent a letter to us here in Babylon, stating, ‘The exile will last a long time. So build yourselves houses there to live in. Plant gardens and grow food to eat.’”

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

However, Zephaniah the priest read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.

٣٠ 30 ثُمَّ صَارَ كَلَامُ ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَى إِرْمِيَا قَائِلًا:

Then the Lord told Jeremiah:

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 exiles: This is what the Lord says about Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Since Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I didn't send him, and has convinced you to believe in a lie,

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».

this is what the Lord says: I'm going to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He won't have any family left among this people, and he won't experience the good things that I'm going to do for my people, declares the Lord, for he has promoted rebellion against the Lord.