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.

וְאֵלֶּה דִּבְרֵי הַסֵּפֶר אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח יִרְמְיָה הַנָּבִיא מִירוּשָׁלָ͏ִם אֶל־יֶתֶר זִקְנֵי הַגּוֹלָה וְאֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִים וְאֶל־הַנְּבִיאִים וְאֶל־כׇּל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר הֶגְלָה נְבֽוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מִירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם בָּבֶֽלָה׃

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.

אַחֲרֵי צֵאת יְכׇנְיָֽה־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַגְּבִירָה וְהַסָּרִיסִים שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם וְהֶחָרָשׁ וְהַמַּסְגֵּר מִירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

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:

בְּיַד אֶלְעָשָׂה בֶן־שָׁפָן וּגְמַרְיָה בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּה אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח צִדְקִיָּה מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה אֶל־נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל בָּבֶלָה לֵאמֹֽר׃

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

כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְכׇל־הַגּוֹלָה אֲשֶׁר־הִגְלֵיתִי מִירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם בָּבֶֽלָה׃

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

בְּנוּ בָתִּים וְשֵׁבוּ וְנִטְעוּ גַנּוֹת וְאִכְלוּ אֶת־פִּרְיָֽן׃

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.

קְחוּ נָשִׁים וְהוֹלִידוּ בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת וּקְחוּ לִבְנֵיכֶם נָשִׁים וְאֶת־בְּנֽוֹתֵיכֶם תְּנוּ לַאֲנָשִׁים וְתֵלַדְנָה בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת וּרְבוּ־שָׁם וְאַל־תִּמְעָֽטוּ׃

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.

וְדִרְשׁוּ אֶת־שְׁלוֹם הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר הִגְלֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם שָׁמָּה וְהִתְפַּֽלְלוּ בַעֲדָהּ אֶל־יְהֹוָה כִּי בִשְׁלוֹמָהּ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם שָׁלֽוֹם׃

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.

כִּי כֹה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אַל־יַשִּׁיאוּ לָכֶם נְבִיאֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר־בְּקִרְבְּכֶם וְקֹסְמֵיכֶם וְאַֽל־תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל־חֲלֹמֹתֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם מַחְלְמִֽים׃

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

כִּי בְשֶׁקֶר הֵם נִבְּאִים לָכֶם בִּשְׁמִי לֹא שְׁלַחְתִּים נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃

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.

כִּֽי־כֹה אָמַר יְהֹוָה כִּי לְפִי מְלֹאת לְבָבֶל שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה אֶפְקֹד אֶתְכֶם וַהֲקִמֹתִי עֲלֵיכֶם אֶת־דְּבָרִי הַטּוֹב לְהָשִׁיב אֶתְכֶם אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּֽה׃

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.

כִּי אָנֹכִי יָדַעְתִּי אֶת־הַמַּחֲשָׁבֹת אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי חֹשֵׁב עֲלֵיכֶם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה מַחְשְׁבוֹת שָׁלוֹם וְלֹא לְרָעָה לָתֵת לָכֶם אַחֲרִית וְתִקְוָֽה׃

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

וּקְרָאתֶם אֹתִי וַֽהֲלַכְתֶּם וְהִתְפַּלַּלְתֶּם אֵלָי וְשָׁמַעְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

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

וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּם אֹתִי וּמְצָאתֶם כִּי תִדְרְשֻׁנִי בְּכׇל־לְבַבְכֶֽם׃

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.

וְנִמְצֵאתִי לָכֶם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה וְשַׁבְתִּי אֶת־[שְׁבוּתְכֶם] (שביתכם) וְקִבַּצְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מִֽכׇּל־הַגּוֹיִם וּמִכׇּל־הַמְּקוֹמוֹת אֲשֶׁר הִדַּחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם שָׁם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה וַהֲשִׁבֹתִי אֶתְכֶם אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־הִגְלֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם מִשָּֽׁם׃

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

כִּי אֲמַרְתֶּם הֵקִים לָנוּ יְהֹוָה נְבִאִים בָּבֶֽלָה׃

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.

כִּי־כֹה ׀ אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ הַיּוֹשֵׁב אֶל־כִּסֵּא דָוִד וְאֶל־כׇּל־הָעָם הַיּוֹשֵׁב בָּעִיר הַזֹּאת אֲחֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־יָצְאוּ אִתְּכֶם בַּגּוֹלָֽה׃

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.

כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת הִנְנִי מְשַׁלֵּחַ בָּם אֶת־הַחֶרֶב אֶת־הָרָעָב וְאֶת־הַדָּבֶר וְנָתַתִּי אוֹתָם כַּתְּאֵנִים הַשֹּׁעָרִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא־תֵאָכַלְנָה מֵרֹֽעַ׃

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.

וְרָֽדַפְתִּי אַֽחֲרֵיהֶם בַּחֶרֶב בָּרָעָב וּבַדָּבֶר וּנְתַתִּים (לזועה) [לְזַעֲוָה] לְכֹל ׀ מַמְלְכוֹת הָאָרֶץ לְאָלָה וּלְשַׁמָּה וְלִשְׁרֵקָה וּלְחֶרְפָּה בְּכׇל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר־הִדַּחְתִּים שָֽׁם׃

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.

תַּחַת אֲשֶֽׁר־לֹא־שָׁמְעוּ אֶל־דְּבָרַי נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַחְתִּי אֲלֵיהֶם אֶת־עֲבָדַי הַנְּבִאִים הַשְׁכֵּם וְשָׁלֹחַ וְלֹא שְׁמַעְתֶּם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃

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

וְאַתֶּם שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר־יְהֹוָה כׇּל־הַגּוֹלָה אֲשֶׁר־שִׁלַּחְתִּי מִירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם בָּבֶֽלָה׃

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.

כֹּֽה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־אַחְאָב בֶּן־קֽוֹלָיָה וְאֶל־צִדְקִיָּהוּ בֶן־מַֽעֲשֵׂיָה הַֽנִּבְּאִים לָכֶם בִּשְׁמִי שָׁקֶר הִנְנִי ׀ נֹתֵן אֹתָם בְּיַד נְבֽוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וְהִכָּם לְעֵינֵיכֶֽם׃

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!”

וְלֻקַּח מֵהֶם קְלָלָה לְכֹל גָּלוּת יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר בְּבָבֶל לֵאמֹר יְשִֽׂמְךָ יְהֹוָה כְּצִדְקִיָּהוּ וּכְאֶחָב אֲשֶׁר־קָלָם מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶל בָּאֵֽשׁ׃

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.

יַעַן אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ נְבָלָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיְנַֽאֲפוּ אֶת־נְשֵׁי רֵֽעֵיהֶם וַיְדַבְּרוּ דָבָר בִּשְׁמִי שֶׁקֶר אֲשֶׁר לוֹא צִוִּיתִם וְאָנֹכִי (הוידע) [הַיּוֹדֵעַ] וָעֵד נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃

24 Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite

וְאֶל־שְׁמַעְיָהוּ הַנֶּחֱלָמִי תֹּאמַר לֵאמֹֽר׃

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,

כֹּֽה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר יַעַן אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה שָׁלַחְתָּ בְשִׁמְכָה סְפָרִים אֶל־כׇּל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר בִּירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם וְאֶל־צְפַנְיָה בֶן־מַֽעֲשֵׂיָה הַכֹּהֵן וְאֶל כׇּל־הַכֹּהֲנִים לֵאמֹֽר׃

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.

יְהֹוָה נְתָנְךָ כֹהֵן תַּחַת יְהוֹיָדָע הַכֹּהֵן לִֽהְיוֹת פְּקִדִים בֵּית יְהֹוָה לְכׇל־אִישׁ מְשֻׁגָּע וּמִתְנַבֵּא וְנָתַתָּה אֹתוֹ אֶל־הַמַּהְפֶּכֶת וְאֶל־הַצִּינֹֽק׃

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

וְעַתָּה לָמָּה לֹא גָעַרְתָּ בְּיִרְמְיָהוּ הָֽעַנְּתֹתִי הַמִּתְנַבֵּא לָכֶֽם׃

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.’”

כִּי עַל־כֵּן שָׁלַח אֵלֵינוּ בָּבֶל לֵאמֹר אֲרֻכָּה הִיא בְּנוּ בָתִּים וְשֵׁבוּ וְנִטְעוּ גַנּוֹת וְאִכְלוּ אֶת־פְּרִיהֶֽן׃

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

וַיִּקְרָא צְפַנְיָה הַכֹּהֵן אֶת־הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה בְּאׇזְנֵי יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִֽיא׃

30 Then the Lord told Jeremiah:

וַֽיְהִי דְּבַר־יְהֹוָה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָהוּ לֵאמֹֽר׃

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,

שְׁלַח עַל־כׇּל־הַגּוֹלָה לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֶל־שְׁמַעְיָה הַנֶּחֱלָמִי יַעַן אֲשֶׁר נִבָּא לָכֶם שְׁמַעְיָה וַֽאֲנִי לֹא שְׁלַחְתִּיו וַיַּבְטַח אֶתְכֶם עַל־שָֽׁקֶר׃

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.

לָכֵן כֹּֽה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה הִנְנִי פֹקֵד עַל־שְׁמַעְיָה הַנֶּחֱלָמִי וְעַל־זַרְעוֹ לֹא־יִהְיֶה לוֹ אִישׁ ׀ יוֹשֵׁב ׀ בְּתוֹךְ־הָעָם הַזֶּה וְלֹֽא־יִרְאֶה בַטּוֹב אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִי עֹשֶֽׂה־לְעַמִּי נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה כִּֽי־סָרָה דִבֶּר עַל־יְהֹוָֽה׃