Jeremiah 29

1 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.

١ هَذَا هُوَ نَصُّ الرِّسَالَةِ الَّتِي بَعَثَ بِها إِرْمِيَا النَّبِيُّ مِنْ أُورُشَلِيمَ إِلَى بَقِيَّةِ شُيُوخِ الْمَسْبِيِّينَ، وَإِلَى الْكَهَنَةِ، وَالْمُتَنَبِّئِينَ الْكَذَبَةِ، وَسَائِرِ الشَّعْبِ، مِمَّنْ سَبَاهُمْ نَبُوخَذْنَصَّرُ مِنْ أُورُشَلِيمَ إِلَى بَابِلَ،

2 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.

٢ وَذَلِكَ بَعْدَ خُرُوجِ يَكُنْيَا الْمَلِكِ وَالْمَلِكَةِ وَالْخِصْيَانِ وَرُؤَسَاءِ يَهُوذَا وَالنَّجَّارِينَ وَالْحَدَّادِينَ مِنْ أُورُشَلِيمَ.

3 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:

٣ وَحَمَلَ هَذِهِ الرِّسَالَةَ أَلْعَاسَةُ بْنُ شَافَانَ وَجَمَرْيَا بْنُ حَلْقِيَا اللَّذَانِ أَرْسَلَهُمَا صِدْقِيَّا مَلِكُ يَهُوذَا إِلَى نَبُوخَذْنَصَّرَ مَلِكِ بَابِلَ، وَقَدْ وَرَدَ فِيهَا:

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

٤ هَذَا مَا يُعْلِنُهُ الرَّبُّ الْقَدِيرُ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ لِكُلِّ الْمَسْبِيِّينَ الَّذِينَ أَجْلَيْتُهُمْ مِنْ أُورُشَلِيمَ إِلَى بَابِلَ.

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

٥ ابْنُوا بُيُوتاً وَأَقِيمُوا فِيهَا. اغْرِسُوا بَسَاتِينَ وَكُلُوا مِنْ نِتَاجِهَا.

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

٦ تَزَوَّجُوا وَأَنْجِبُوا بَنِينَ وَبَنَاتٍ، وَاتَّخِذُوا نِسَاءً لأَبْنَائِكُمْ وَزَوِّجُوا بَنَاتِكُمْ، وَلْيَلِدْنَ أَبْنَاءَ وَبَنَاتٍ. وَتَكَاثَرُوا هُنَاكَ، وَلا تَتَنَاقَصُوا،

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

٧ وَالْتَمِسُوا سَلامَ الْمَدِينَةِ الَّتِي سَبَيْتُكُمْ إِلَيْهَا، وَصَلُّوا مِنْ أَجْلِهَا إِلَى الرَّبِّ لأَنَّ سَلامَكُمْ يَتَوَقَّفُ عَلَى سَلامِهَا.

8 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.

٨ لأَنَّ هَذَا مَا يُعْلِنُهُ الرَّبُّ الْقَدِيرُ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ: «لَا يَخْدَعَنَّكُمْ أَنْبِيَاؤُكُمُ الْكَذَبَةُ الْمُقِيمُونَ فِي وَسَطِكُمْ، وَالْعَرَّافُونَ. لَا تَسْتَمِعُوا إِلَى أَحْلامِهِمِ الَّتِي تُوْهِمُكُمْ بِالأَمَلِ،

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

٩ لأَنَّهُمْ يَتَنَبَّأُونَ لَكُمْ بِاسْمِي كَذِباً، وَأَنَا لَمْ أَبْعَثْهُمْ»، يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ.

10 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.

١٠ وَلَكِنْ بَعْدَ انْقِضَاءِ سَبْعِينَ سَنَةً عَلَيْكُمْ فِي بَابِلَ، أَلْتَفِتُ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَفِي لَكُمْ بِوُعُودِي الصَّالِحَةِ بِرَدِّكُمْ إِلَى هَذَا الْمَوْضِعِ.

11 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.

١١ لأَنِّي عَرَفْتُ مَا رَسَمْتُهُ لَكُمْ. إِنَّهَا خُطَطُ سَلامٍ لَا شَرٍّ لأَمْنَحَكُمْ مُسْتَقْبَلاً وَرَجَاءً.

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

١٢ فَتَدْعُونَنِي وَتُقْبِلُونَ، وَتُصَلُّونَ إِلَيَّ فَأَسْتَجِيبُ لَكُمْ،

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

١٣ وَتَلْتَمِسُونَنِي فَتَجِدُونَنِي إِذْ تَطْلُبُونَنِي بِكُلِّ قُلُوبِكُمْ.

14 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.

١٤ وَحِينَ تَجِدُونَنِي أَرُدُّ سَبْيَكُمْ، وَأَجْمَعُكُمْ مِنْ بَيْنِ جَمِيعِ الأُمَمِ وَمِنْ جَمِيعِ الأَمَاكِنِ الَّتِي شَتَّتُّكُمْ إِلَيْهَا.

15 But if you argue, “The Lord has provided prophets for us in Babylon,”

١٥ وَلأَنَّكُمْ قُلْتُمْ: «قَدْ بَعَثَ الرَّبُّ فِينَا أَنْبِيَاءَ فِي بَابِلَ».

16 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.

١٦ يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ عَنِ الْمَلِكِ الْجَالِسِ عَلَى عَرْشِ دَاوُدَ، وَعَنْ سَائِرِ الشَّعْبِ الْمُقِيمِ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ مِنْ أَقْرِبَائِكُمُ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَذْهَبُوا إِلَى السَّبْيِ:

17 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.

١٧ «هَا أَنَا أَقْضِي عَلَيْهِمْ بِالسَّيْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَالْوَبَاءِ، وَأَجْعَلُهُمْ كَتِينٍ رَدِيءٍ تَعَافُ النَّفْسُ أَكْلَهُ لِفَرْطِ رَدَاءَتِهِ.

18 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.

١٨ وَأَتَعَقَّبُهُمْ بِالسَّيْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَالْوَبَاءِ، وَأُعَرِّضُهُمْ لِلرُّعْبِ فِي كُلِّ مَمَالِكِ الأَرْضِ، فَيُصْبِحُونَ لَعْنَةً وَمَثَارَ دَهْشَةٍ وَصَفِيرٍ وَعَارٍ فِي جَمِيعِ الأُمَمِ الَّتِي شَتَّتُّهُمْ إِلَيْهَا،

19 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.

١٩ لأَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يُطِيعُوا كَلامِي الَّذِي أَنْذَرْتُهُمْ بِهِ مُنْذُ الْبَدْءِ عَلَى لِسَانِ عَبِيدِي الأَنْبِيَاءِ وَلَمْ يَسْمَعُوا».

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

٢٠ أَمَّا أَنْتُمْ فَاسْمَعُوا كَلِمَةَ الرَّبِّ يَا جَمِيعَ الْمَسْبِيِّينَ الَّذِينَ أَجْلَيْتُهُمْ عَنْ أُورُشَلِيمَ إِلَى بَابِلَ.

21 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.

٢١ يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ الْقَدِيرُ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ عَنْ آخْابَ بْنِ قُولايَا وَعَنْ صِدْقِيَّا بْنِ مَعْسِيَّا اللَّذَيْنِ يَتَنَبَّآنِ لَكُمْ بِاسْمِي زُوراً: «هَا أَنَا أُسَلِّمُهُمَا لِيَدِ نَبُوخَذْنَصَّرَ مَلِكِ بَابِلَ فَيَقْتُلُهُمَا عَلَى مَرْأَى مِنْكُمْ،

22 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!”

٢٢ فَيُصْبِحَانِ مَثَلَ لَعْنَةٍ بَيْنَ جَمِيعِ الْمَسْبِيِّينَ مِنْ يَهُوذَا فِي بَابِلَ، فَيُقَالُ: لِيَجْعَلْكَ اللهُ نَظِيرَ صِدْقِيَّا وَأَخَآبَ اللَّذَيْنِ قَلاهُمَا مَلِكُ بَابِلَ بِالنَّارِ،

23 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.

٢٣ لأَنَّهُمَا ارْتَكَبَا الْفَوَاحِشَ فِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَزَنَيَا مَعَ نِسَاءِ أَصْحَابِهِمَا وَتَنَبَّآ بِاسْمِي نُبُوءَاتٍ كَاذِبَةً لَمْ آمُرْهُمَا بِها. فَأَنَا الْعَارِفُ وَالشَّاهِدُ» يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ.

24 Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite

٢٤ وَأَيْضاً قُلْ لِشِمْعِيَا النِّحْلامِيِّ:

25 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,

٢٥ «هَذَا مَا يُعْلِنُهُ الرَّبُّ الْقَدِيرُ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ: لَقَدْ بَعَثْتَ بِرَسَائِلَ بِاسْمِكَ إِلَى جَمِيعِ الشَّعْبِ الْمُقِيمِ فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ، وَإِلَى صَفَنْيَا بْنِ مَعْسِيَّا الْكَاهِنِ وَإِلَى سَائِرِ الْكَهَنَةِ قَائِلاً:

26 “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.

٢٦ إِنَّ الرَّبَّ قَدْ أَقَامَكَ كَاهِناً عِوَضَ يَهُويَادَاعَ الْكَاهِنِ لِتَكُونُوا جَمِيعاً وُلاةً فِي هَيْكَلِ الرَّبِّ، فَتَضَعُوا حَدّاً لِكُلِّ رَجُلٍ مَجْنُونٍ وَمُتَنَبِّئٍ فَتَزُجُّ بِهِ فِي الْمِقْطَرَةِ وَالْقُيُودِ.

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

٢٧ فَمَا بَالُكُمْ لَا تَزْجُرُونَ إِرْمِيَا الْعَنَاثُوثِيَّ الَّذِي تَنَبَّأَ لَكُمْ؟

28 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.’”

٢٨ إِنَّهُ قَدْ بَعَثَ إِلَيْنَا فِي بَابِلَ قَائِلاً: إِنَّ حِقْبَةَ السَّبْيِ طَوِيلَةٌ، فَابْنُوا لأَنْفُسِكُمْ بُيُوتاً وَأَقِيمُوا فِيهَا، وَاغْرِسُوا بَسَاتِينَ وَكُلُوا مِنْ ثِمَارِهَا».

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

٢٩ فَقَرَأَ صَفَنْيَا الْكَاهِنُ هَذِهِ الرِّسَالَةَ عَلَى مَسْمَعِ إِرْمِيَا النَّبِيِّ.

30 Then the Lord told Jeremiah:

٣٠ فَأَوْحَى الرَّبُّ إِلَى إِرْمِيَا بِهَذِهِ الْكَلِمَةِ:

31 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,

٣١ «ابْعَثْ إِلَى جَمِيعِ الْمَسْبِيِّينَ قَائِلاً: هَذَا مَا يُعْلِنُهُ الرَّبُّ عَنْ شِمْعِيَا النِّحْلامِيِّ: بِمَا أَنَّ شِمْعِيَا قَدْ تَنَبَّأَ لَكُمْ مَعَ أَنِّي لَمْ أُرْسِلْهُ وَجَعَلَكُمْ تُصَدِّقُونَ الْكَذِبَ،

32 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.

٣٢ فَلِذَلِكَ يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ: هَا أَنَا أُعَاقِبُ شِمْعِيَا وَذُرِّيَّتَهُ فَلا يَمْتَدُّ الْعُمْرُ بِأَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ بَيْنَ هَذَا الشَّعْبِ لِيَشْهَدَ الْخَيْرَ الَّذِي سَأُجْرِيهِ عَلَى شَعْبِي، لأَنَّهُ نَطَقَ بِالتَّمُرُّدِ عَلَيَّ».