Jeremiæ 29
1 et haec sunt verba libri quae misit Hieremias propheta de Hierusalem ad reliquias seniorum transmigrationis et ad sacerdotes et ad prophetas et ad omnem populum quem transduxerat Nabuchodonosor de Hierusalem in Babylonem
This is the text of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets, and all the others Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
2 postquam egressus est Iechonias rex et domina et eunuchi et principes Iuda et Hierusalem et faber et inclusor de Hierusalem
(This was after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had been exiled from Jerusalem.)
3 in manu Ellasa filii Saphan et Gamaliae filii Helciae quos misit Sedecias rex Iuda ad Nabuchodonosor regem Babylonis in Babylonem dicens
The letter was entrusted to Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It stated:
4 haec dicit Dominus exercituum Deus Israhel omni transmigrationi quam transtuli de Hierusalem in Babylonem
This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 aedificate domos et habitate et plantate hortos et comedite fructum eorum
“Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce.
6 accipite uxores et generate filios et filias date filiis vestris uxores et filias vestras date viris et pariant filios et filias et multiplicamini ibi et nolite esse pauci numero
Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease.
7 et quaerite pacem civitatis ad quam transmigrare vos feci et orate pro ea ad Dominum quia in pace illius erit pax vobis
Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
8 haec enim dicit Dominus exercituum Deus Israhel non vos inducant prophetae vestri qui sunt in medio vestrum et divini vestri et ne adtendatis ad somnia vestra quae vos somniatis
For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among you, and do not listen to the dreams you elicit from them.
9 quia falso ipsi prophetant vobis in nomine meo et non misi eos dicit Dominus
For they are falsely prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, declares the LORD.”
10 quia haec dicit Dominus cum coeperint impleri in Babylone septuaginta anni visitabo vos et suscitabo super vos verbum meum bonum ut reducam vos ad locum istum
For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place.
11 ego enim scio cogitationes quas cogito super vos ait Dominus cogitationes pacis et non adflictionis ut dem vobis finem et patientiam
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.
12 et invocabitis me et ibitis et orabitis me et exaudiam vos
Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
13 quaeretis me et invenietis cum quaesieritis me in toto corde vestro
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
14 et inveniar a vobis ait Dominus et reducam captivitatem vestram et congregabo vos de universis gentibus et de cunctis locis ad quae expuli vos dicit Dominus et reverti vos faciam de loco ad quem transmigrare vos feci
I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore you from captivity and gather you from all the nations and places to which I have banished you, declares the LORD. I will restore you to the place from which I sent you into exile.”
15 quia dixistis suscitavit nobis Dominus prophetas in Babylone
Because you may say, “The LORD has raised up for us prophets in Babylon,”
16 quia haec dicit Dominus ad regem qui sedet super solium David et ad omnem populum habitatorem urbis huius ad fratres vestros qui non sunt egressi vobiscum in transmigrationem
this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all the people who remain in this city, your brothers who did not go with you into exile—
17 haec dicit Dominus exercituum ecce mittam in eis gladium et famem et pestem et ponam eos quasi ficus malas quae comedi non possunt eo quod pessimae sint
this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will send against them sword and famine and plague, and I will make them like rotten figs, so bad they cannot be eaten.
18 et persequar eos in gladio in fame et in pestilentia et dabo eos in vexationem universis regnis terrae in maledictionem et in stuporem et in sibilum et in obprobrium cunctis gentibus ad quas ego eieci eos
I will pursue them with sword and famine and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse, a desolation, and an object of scorn and reproach among all the nations to which I banish them.
19 eo quod non audierint verba mea dicit Dominus quae misi ad eos per servos meos prophetas de nocte consurgens et mittens et non audistis dicit Dominus
I will do this because they have not listened to My words, declares the LORD, which I sent to them again and again through My servants the prophets. And neither have you exiles listened, declares the LORD.”
20 vos ergo audite verbum Domini omnis transmigratio quam emisi de Hierusalem in Babylonem
So hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.
21 haec dicit Dominus exercituum Deus Israhel ad Ahab filium Culia et ad Sedeciam filium Maasiae qui prophetant vobis in nomine meo mendaciter ecce ego tradam eos in manu Nabuchodonosor regis Babylonis et percutiet eos in oculis vestris
This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you lies in My name: “I will deliver them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes.
22 et adsumetur ex eis maledictio omni transmigrationi Iuda quae est in Babylone dicentium ponat te Dominus sicut Sedeciam et sicut Ahab quos frixit rex Babylonis in igne
Because of them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!’
23 pro eo quod fecerint stultitiam in Israhel et moechati sunt in uxores amicorum suorum et locuti sunt verbum in nomine meo mendaciter quod non mandavi eis ego sum iudex et testis dicit Dominus
For they have committed an outrage in Israel by committing adultery with the wives of their neighbors and speaking lies in My name, which I did not command them to do. I am He who knows, and I am a witness, declares the LORD.”
24 et ad Semeiam Neelamiten dices
You are to tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite that
25 haec dicit Dominus exercituum Deus Israhel pro eo quod misisti in nomine tuo libros ad omnem populum qui est in Hierusalem et ad Sophoniam filium Maasiae sacerdotem et ad universos sacerdotes dicens
this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “In your own name you have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests. You said to Zephaniah:
26 Dominus dedit te sacerdotem pro Ioiadae sacerdote ut sis dux in domo Domini super omnem virum arrepticium et prophetantem ut mittas eum in nervum et in carcerem
‘The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada, to be the chief officer in the house of the LORD, responsible for any madman who acts like a prophet—you must put him in stocks and neck irons.
27 et nunc quare non increpasti Hieremiam Anathothiten qui prophetat vobis
So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you?
28 quia super hoc misit ad nos in Babylonem dicens longum est aedificate domos et habitate et plantate hortos et comedite fructum eorum
For he has sent to us in Babylon, claiming: Since the exile will be lengthy, build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat their produce.’”
29 legit ergo Sophonias sacerdos librum istum in auribus Hieremiae prophetae
(Zephaniah the priest, however, had read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.)
30 et factum est verbum Domini ad Hieremiam dicens
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:
31 mitte ad omnem transmigrationem dicens haec dicit Dominus ad Semeiam Neelamiten pro eo quod prophetavit vobis Semeias et ego non misi eum et fecit vos confidere in mendacio
“Send a message telling all the exiles what the LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you—though I did not send him—and has made you trust in a lie,
32 idcirco haec dicit Dominus ecce ego visitabo super Semeiam Neelamiten et super semen eius non erit ei vir sedens in medio populi huius et non videbit bonum quod ego faciam populo meo ait Dominus quia praevaricationem locutus est adversum Dominum
this is what the LORD says: ‘I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good that I will bring to My people, declares the LORD, for he has preached rebellion against the LORD.’”
