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.

וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ דִּבְרֵ֣י הַסֵּ֔פֶר אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁלַ֛ח יִרְמְיָ֥ה הַנָּבִ֖יא מִירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם אֶל־יֶ֜תֶר זִקְנֵ֣י הַגֹּולָ֗ה וְאֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִ֤ים וְאֶל־הַנְּבִיאִים֙ וְאֶל־כָּל־הָעָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶגְלָ֧ה נְבֽוּכַדְנֶאצַּ֛ר מִירוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם 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.

אַחֲרֵ֣י צֵ֣את יְכָנְיָֽה־הַ֠מֶּלֶךְ וְהַגְּבִירָ֨ה וְהַסָּרִיסִ֜ים שָׂרֵ֨י יְהוּדָ֧ה וִירוּשָׁלַ֛͏ִם וְהֶחָרָ֥שׁ וְהַמַּסְגֵּ֖ר 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:

בְּיַד֙ אֶלְעָשָׂ֣ה בֶן־שָׁפָ֔ן וּגְמַרְיָ֖ה בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר שָׁלַ֜ח צִדְקִיָּ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֗ה אֶל־נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּ֛ר מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶ֖ל בָּבֶ֥לָה לֵאמֹֽר׃ ס

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

כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֛ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֹ֖ות אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לְכָל־הַ֨גֹּולָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־הִגְלֵ֥יתִי מִירוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם בָּבֶֽלָה׃

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

בְּנ֥וּ בָתִּ֖ים וְשֵׁ֑בוּ וְנִטְע֣וּ גַנֹּ֔ות וְאִכְל֖וּ 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.

קְח֣וּ נָשִׁ֗ים וְהֹולִידוּ֮ בָּנִ֣ים וּבָנֹות֒ וּקְח֨וּ לִבְנֵיכֶ֜ם נָשִׁ֗ים וְאֶת־בְּנֹֽותֵיכֶם֙ תְּנ֣וּ לַֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים וְתֵלַ֖דְנָה בָּנִ֣ים וּבָנֹ֑ות וּרְבוּ־שָׁ֖ם 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.

וְדִרְשׁ֞וּ אֶת־שְׁלֹ֣ום הָעִ֗יר אֲשֶׁ֨ר הִגְלֵ֤יתִי אֶתְכֶם֙ שָׁ֔מָּה וְהִתְפַּֽלְל֥וּ בַעֲדָ֖הּ אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה כִּ֣י בִשְׁלֹומָ֔הּ יִהְיֶ֥ה לָכֶ֖ם שָׁלֹֽום׃ פ

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.

כִּי֩ כֹ֨ה אָמַ֜ר יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאֹות֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אַל־יַשִּׁ֧יאוּ לָכֶ֛ם נְבִֽיאֵיכֶ֥ם אֲשֶׁר־בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֖ם וְקֹֽסְמֵיכֶ֑ם וְאַֽל־תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־חֲלֹמֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתֶּ֖ם מַחְלְמִֽים׃

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

כִּ֣י בְשֶׁ֔קֶר הֵ֛ם נִבְּאִ֥ים לָכֶ֖ם בִּשְׁמִ֑י לֹ֥א שְׁלַחְתִּ֖ים נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ ס

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־כֹה֙ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֠י לְפִ֞י מְלֹ֧את לְבָבֶ֛ל שִׁבְעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה אֶפְקֹ֣ד אֶתְכֶ֑ם וַהֲקִמֹתִ֤י עֲלֵיכֶם֙ אֶת־דְּבָרִ֣י הַטֹּ֔וב לְהָשִׁ֣יב אֶתְכֶ֔ם אֶל־הַמָּקֹ֖ום 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.

כִּי֩ אָנֹכִ֨י יָדַ֜עְתִּי אֶת־הַמַּחֲשָׁבֹ֗ת אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י חֹשֵׁ֥ב עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה מַחְשְׁבֹ֤ות שָׁלֹום֙ וְלֹ֣א לְרָעָ֔ה לָתֵ֥ת לָכֶ֖ם אַחֲרִ֥ית וְתִקְוָֽה׃

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

וּקְרָאתֶ֤ם אֹתִי֙ וַֽהֲלַכְתֶּ֔ם וְהִתְפַּלַּלְתֶּ֖ם אֵלָ֑י וְשָׁמַעְתִּ֖י אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

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

וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּ֥ם אֹתִ֖י וּמְצָאתֶ֑ם כִּ֥י תִדְרְשֻׁ֖נִי בְּכָל־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.

וְנִמְצֵ֣אתִי לָכֶם֮ נְאֻם־יְהוָה֒ וְשַׁבְתִּ֣י אֶת־שְׁבִיתְכֶם (שְׁבוּתְכֶ֗ם) וְקִבַּצְתִּ֣י אֶ֠תְכֶם מִֽכָּל־הַגֹּויִ֞ם וּמִכָּל־הַמְּקֹומֹ֗ות אֲשֶׁ֨ר הִדַּ֧חְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֛ם שָׁ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה וַהֲשִׁבֹתִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֔ם אֶל־הַ֨מָּקֹ֔ום אֲשֶׁר־הִגְלֵ֥יתִי אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִשָּֽׁם׃

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

כִּ֖י אֲמַרְתֶּ֑ם הֵקִ֨ים לָ֧נוּ יְהוָ֛ה נְבִאִ֖ים בָּבֶֽלָה׃ ס

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־כֹ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אֶל־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ הַיֹּושֵׁב֙ אֶל־כִּסֵּ֣א דָוִ֔ד וְאֶל־כָּל־הָעָ֔ם הַיֹּושֵׁ֖ב בָּעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֑את אֲחֵיכֶ֕ם אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹֽא־יָצְא֥וּ אִתְּכֶ֖ם בַּגֹּולָֽה׃

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.

כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֔ות הִנְנִי֙ מְשַׁלֵּ֣חַ בָּ֔ם אֶת־הַחֶ֖רֶב אֶת־הָרָעָ֣ב וְאֶת־הַדָּ֑בֶר וְנָתַתִּ֣י אֹותָ֗ם כַּתְּאֵנִים֙ הַשֹּׁ֣עָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־תֵאָכַ֖לְנָה 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.

וְרָֽדַפְתִּי֙ אַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֔ם בַּחֶ֖רֶב בָּרָעָ֣ב וּבַדָּ֑בֶר וּנְתַתִּ֨ים לִזְוָעָה (לְזַעֲוָ֜ה) לְכֹ֣ל ׀ מַמְלְכֹ֣ות הָאָ֗רֶץ לְאָלָ֤ה וּלְשַׁמָּה֙ וְלִשְׁרֵקָ֣ה וּלְחֶרְפָּ֔ה בְּכָל־הַגֹּויִ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־הִדַּחְתִּ֥ים 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.

תַּ֛חַת אֲשֶֽׁר־לֹא־שָׁמְע֥וּ אֶל־דְּבָרַ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֩ שָׁלַ֨חְתִּי אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם אֶת־עֲבָדַ֤י הַנְּבִאִים֙ הַשְׁכֵּ֣ם וְשָׁלֹ֔חַ וְלֹ֥א שְׁמַעְתֶּ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃

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

וְאַתֶּ֖ם שִׁמְע֣וּ דְבַר־יְהוָ֑ה כָּל־הַ֨גֹּולָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־שִׁלַּ֥חְתִּי מִירוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם בָּבֶֽלָה׃ ס

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־אָמַר֩ יְהוָ֨ה צְבָאֹ֜ות אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֶל־אַחְאָ֤ב בֶּן־קֹֽולָיָה֙ וְאֶל־צִדְקִיָּ֣הוּ בֶן־מַֽעֲשֵׂיָ֔ה הַֽנִּבְּאִ֥ים לָכֶ֛ם בִּשְׁמִ֖י שָׁ֑קֶר הִנְנִ֣י ׀ נֹתֵ֣ן אֹתָ֗ם בְּיַד֙ נְבֽוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֣ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֔ל וְהִכָּ֖ם 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!”

וְלֻקַּ֤ח מֵהֶם֙ קְלָלָ֔ה לְכֹל֙ גָּל֣וּת יְהוּדָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּבָבֶ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר יְשִֽׂמְךָ֤ יְהוָה֙ כְּצִדְקִיָּ֣הוּ וּכְאֶחָ֔ב אֲשֶׁר־קָלָ֥ם מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל 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.

יַ֡עַן אֲשֶׁר֩ עָשׂ֨וּ נְבָלָ֜ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וַיְנַֽאֲפוּ֙ אֶת־נְשֵׁ֣י רֵֽעֵיהֶ֔ם וַיְדַבְּר֨וּ דָבָ֤ר בִּשְׁמִי֙ שֶׁ֔קֶר אֲשֶׁ֖ר לֹ֣וא צִוִּיתִ֑ם וְאָנֹכִ֛י הוּיֹדֵעַ (הַיֹּודֵ֥עַ) וָעֵ֖ד נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ ס

24 Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite

וְאֶל־שְׁמַעְיָ֥הוּ הַנֶּחֱלָמִ֖י תֹּאמַ֥ר 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־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֧ה צְבָאֹ֛ות אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר יַ֡עַן אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתָּה֩ שָׁלַ֨חְתָּ בְשִׁמְכָ֜ה סְפָרִ֗ים אֶל־כָּל־הָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בִּירוּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם וְאֶל־צְפַנְיָ֤ה בֶן־מַֽעֲשֵׂיָה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְאֶ֥ל כָּל־הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים 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.

יְהוָ֞ה נְתָנְךָ֣ כֹהֵ֗ן תַּ֚חַת יְהֹויָדָ֣ע הַכֹּהֵ֔ן לִֽהְיֹ֤ות פְּקִדִים֙ בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה לְכָל־אִ֥ישׁ מְשֻׁגָּ֖ע וּמִתְנַבֵּ֑א וְנָתַתָּ֥ה אֹתֹ֛ו אֶל־הַמַּהְפֶּ֖כֶת וְאֶל־הַצִּינֹֽק׃

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

וְעַתָּ֗ה לָ֚מָּה לֹ֣א גָעַ֔רְתָּ בְּיִרְמְיָ֖הוּ הָֽעֲנְּתֹתִ֑י הַמִּתְנַבֵּ֖א 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.’”

כִּ֣י עַל־כֵּ֞ן שָׁלַ֥ח אֵלֵ֛ינוּ בָּבֶ֥ל לֵאמֹ֖ר אֲרֻכָּ֣ה הִ֑יא בְּנ֤וּ בָתִּים֙ וְשֵׁ֔בוּ וְנִטְע֣וּ גַנֹּ֔ות וְאִכְל֖וּ אֶת־פְּרִיהֶֽן׃

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

וַיִּקְרָ֛א צְפַנְיָ֥ה הַכֹּהֵ֖ן אֶת־הַסֵּ֣פֶר הַזֶּ֑ה בְּאָזְנֵ֖י יִרְמְיָ֥הוּ הַנָּבִֽיא׃ פ

30 Then the Lord told Jeremiah:

וַֽיְהִי֙ דְּבַר־יְהוָ֔ה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ 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,

שְׁלַ֤ח עַל־כָּל־הַגֹּולָה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־שְׁמַעְיָ֖ה הַנֶּחֱלָמִ֑י יַ֡עַן אֲשֶׁר֩ נִבָּ֨א לָכֶ֜ם שְׁמַעְיָ֗ה וַֽאֲנִי֙ לֹ֣א שְׁלַחְתִּ֔יו וַיַּבְטַ֥ח אֶתְכֶ֖ם 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.

לָכֵ֞ן כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה הִנְנִ֨י פֹקֵ֜ד עַל־שְׁמַעְיָ֣ה הַנֶּחֱלָמִי֮ וְעַל־זַרְעֹו֒ לֹא־יִהְיֶ֨ה לֹ֜ו אִ֣ישׁ ׀ יֹושֵׁ֣ב ׀ בְּתֹוךְ־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֗ה וְלֹֽא־יִרְאֶ֥ה בַטֹּ֛וב אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֥י עֹשֶֽׂה־לְעַמִּ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה כִּֽי־סָרָ֥ה דִבֶּ֖ר עַל־יְהוָֽה׃ ס