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.
先知耶利米從耶路撒冷寄信與被擄的祭司、先知，和眾民，並生存的長老，就是尼布甲尼撒從耶路撒冷擄到巴比倫去的。（
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.
這在耶哥尼雅王和太后、太監，並猶大、耶路撒冷的首領，以及工匠、鐵匠都離了耶路撒冷以後。）
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:
他藉沙番的兒子以利亞薩和希勒家的兒子基瑪利的手寄去。他們二人是猶大王西底家打發往巴比倫去見尼布甲尼撒王的。
4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were taken from Jerusalem to Babylon:
信上說：「萬軍之耶和華－以色列的上帝對一切被擄去的（就是我使他們從耶路撒冷被擄到巴比倫的人）如此說：
5 Build yourselves houses there to live in. Plant gardens and grow food to eat.
你們要蓋造房屋，住在其中；栽種田園，吃其中所產的；
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.
娶妻生兒女，為你們的兒子娶妻，使你們的女兒嫁人，生兒養女。在那裏生養眾多，不致減少。
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.
我所使你們被擄到的那城，你們要為那城求平安，為那城禱告耶和華；因為那城得平安，你們也隨着得平安。
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.
萬軍之耶和華－以色列的上帝如此說：不要被你們中間的先知和占卜的誘惑，也不要聽信自己所做的夢；
9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name; I have not sent them, declares the Lord.
因為他們託我的名對你們說假預言，我並沒有差遣他們。這是耶和華說的。
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.
「耶和華如此說：為巴比倫所定的七十年滿了以後，我要眷顧你們，向你們成就我的恩言，使你們仍回此地。
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.
耶和華說：我知道我向你們所懷的意念是賜平安的意念，不是降災禍的意念，要叫你們末後有指望。
12 Then you will call for my help, you will come and pray to me, and I will answer you.
你們要呼求我，禱告我，我就應允你們。
13 You will look for me and you will find me when you're completely committed to looking for me.
你們尋求我，若專心尋求我，就必尋見。
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.
耶和華說：我必被你們尋見，我也必使你們被擄的人歸回，將你們從各國中和我所趕你們到的各處招聚了來，又將你們帶回我使你們被擄掠離開的地方。這是耶和華說的。
15 But if you argue, “The Lord has provided prophets for us in Babylon,”
「你們說：『耶和華在巴比倫為我們興起先知』；
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.
所以耶和華論到坐大衛寶座的王和住在這城裏的一切百姓，就是未曾與你們一同被擄的弟兄，
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.
萬軍之耶和華如此說：『看哪，我必使刀劍、饑荒、瘟疫臨到他們，使他們像極壞的無花果，壞得不可吃。
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.
我必用刀劍、饑荒、瘟疫追趕他們，使他們在天下萬國拋來拋去，在我所趕他們到的各國中，令人咒詛、驚駭、嗤笑、羞辱。
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.
耶和華說：這是因為他們沒有聽從我的話，就是我從早起來差遣我僕人眾先知去說的，無奈他們不聽。這是耶和華說的。
20 So listen to the word of the Lord, all you exiles I sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.
所以你們一切被擄去的，就是我從耶路撒冷打發到巴比倫去的，當聽耶和華的話。』」
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.
萬軍之耶和華－以色列的上帝論到哥賴雅的兒子亞哈，並瑪西雅的兒子西底家，如此說：「他們是託我名向你們說假預言的，我必將他們交在巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒的手中；他要在你們眼前殺害他們。
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!”
住巴比倫一切被擄的猶大人必藉這二人賭咒說：『願耶和華使你像巴比倫王在火中燒的西底家和亞哈一樣。』
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.
這二人是在以色列中行了醜事，與鄰舍的妻行淫，又假託我名說我未曾吩咐他們的話。知道的是我，作見證的也是我。這是耶和華說的。」
24 Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite
「論到尼希蘭人示瑪雅，你當說，
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,
萬軍之耶和華－以色列的上帝如此說：你曾用自己的名寄信給耶路撒冷的眾民和祭司瑪西雅的兒子西番雅，並眾祭司，說：
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.
『耶和華已經立你西番雅為祭司，代替祭司耶何耶大，使耶和華殿中有官長，好將一切狂妄自稱為先知的人用枷枷住，用鎖鎖住。
27 So why haven't you not punished Jeremiah of Anathoth, who claims to be a prophet among you?
現在亞拿突人耶利米向你們自稱為先知，你們為何沒有責備他呢？
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.’”
因為他寄信給我們在巴比倫的人說：被擄的事必長久。你們要蓋造房屋，住在其中；栽種田園，吃其中所產的。』」
29 However, Zephaniah the priest read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.
祭司西番雅就把這信念給先知耶利米聽。
30 Then the Lord told Jeremiah:
於是耶和華的話臨到耶利米說：
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,
「你當寄信給一切被擄的人說：『耶和華論到尼希蘭人示瑪雅說：因為示瑪雅向你們說預言，我並沒有差遣他，他使你們倚靠謊言；
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.
所以耶和華如此說：我必刑罰尼希蘭人示瑪雅和他的後裔，他必無一人存留住在這民中，也不得見我所要賜與我百姓的福樂，因為他向耶和華說了叛逆的話。這是耶和華說的。』」
