Jeremiah 29

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

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;

2 (after that Jeconiah the king, and the queen-mother, and the eunuchs, [and] the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the craftsmen, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem),

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; —

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

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: —

4 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all the captivity, whom I have caused to be carried away captive from Jerusalem unto Babylon:

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:

5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

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

6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters: and multiply ye there, and be not diminished.

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;

7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray unto Jehovah for it; for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

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.

8 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Let not your prophets that are in the midst of you, and your diviners, deceive you; neither hearken ye to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.

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;

9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith Jehovah.

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

10 For thus saith Jehovah, After seventy years are accomplished for Babylon, I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

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.

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith Jehovah, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope in your latter end.

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.

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

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

13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

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

14 And I will be found of you, saith Jehovah, and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith Jehovah; and I will bring you again unto the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

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:

15 Because ye have said, Jehovah hath raised us up prophets in Babylon;

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

16 thus saith Jehovah concerning the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and concerning all the people that dwell in this city, your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;

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:

17 thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so bad.

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;

18 And I will pursue after them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth, to be an execration, and an astonishment, and a hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them;

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:

19 because they have not hearkened to my words, saith Jehovah, wherewith I sent unto them my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith Jehovah.

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.

20 Hear ye therefore the word of Jehovah, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.

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

21 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie unto you in my name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;

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:

22 and of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captives of Judah that are in Babylon, saying, Jehovah make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;

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!

23 because they have wrought folly in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken words in my name falsely, which I commanded them not; and I am he that knoweth, and am witness, saith Jehovah.

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.

24 And concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite thou shalt speak, saying,

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

25 Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thine own name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying,

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:

26 Jehovah hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that there may be officers in the house of Jehovah, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in the stocks and in shackles.

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:

27 Now therefore, why hast thou not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who maketh himself a prophet to you,

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

28 forasmuch as he hath sent unto us in Babylon, saying, [The captivity] is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them?

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.

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

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

30 Then came the word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah, saying,

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

31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith Jehovah concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he hath caused you to trust in a lie;

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,

32 therefore thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed; he shall not have a man to dwell among this people, neither shall he behold the good that I will do unto my people, saith Jehovah, because he hath spoken rebellion against Jehovah.

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.