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
Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the residue of the elders of the captivity, and to the priests, to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive 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
(after Jeconiah the king, the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem),
3 in manu Ellasa filii Saphan et Gamaliae filii Helciae quos misit Sedecias rex Iuda ad Nabuchodonosor regem Babylonis in Babylonem dicens
by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon). It said:
4 haec dicit Dominus exercituum Deus Israhel omni transmigrationi quam transtuli de Hierusalem in Babylonem
Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives whom I have caused to be carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 aedificate domos et habitate et plantate hortos et comedite fructum eorum
“Build houses and dwell in them. Plant gardens and eat their fruit.
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 father sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there, and don’t be diminished.
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 peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to Yahweh for it; for in its peace you will have peace.”
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 Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you. Don’t listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed.
9 quia falso ipsi prophetant vobis in nomine meo et non misi eos dicit Dominus
For they prophesy falsely to you in my name. I have not sent them,” says Yahweh.
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 Yahweh says, “After seventy years are accomplished for Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return 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 thoughts that I think toward you,” says Yahweh, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.
12 et invocabitis me et ibitis et orabitis me et exaudiam vos
You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
13 quaeretis me et invenietis cum quaesieritis me in toto corde vestro
You shall 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,” says Yahweh, “and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you,” says Yahweh. “I will bring you again to the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive.”
15 quia dixistis suscitavit nobis Dominus prophetas in Babylone
Because you have said, “Yahweh has raised us up 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
Yahweh says concerning the king who sits on David’s throne, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brothers who haven’t gone with you into captivity,
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
Yahweh of Armies says: “Behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like rotten figs that can’t be eaten, they are so bad.
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 after them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth, to be an object of horror, an astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven 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
because they have not listened to my words,” says Yahweh, “with which I sent to them my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but you would not hear,” says Yahweh.
20 vos ergo audite verbum Domini omnis transmigratio quam emisi de Hierusalem in Babylonem
Hear therefore Yahweh’s word, all you captives whom 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
Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in my name: “Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he will kill them before your 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
A curse will be taken up about them by all the captives of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, ‘Yahweh make you like Zedekiah and like 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
because they have done foolish things in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken words in my name falsely, which I didn’t command them. I am he who knows, and am witness,” says Yahweh.
24 et ad Semeiam Neelamiten dices
Concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite you shall speak, saying,
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
“Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
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
“Yahweh has made you priest in the place of Jehoiada the priest, that there may be officers in Yahweh’s house, for every man who is crazy and makes himself a prophet, that you should put him in the stocks and in shackles.
27 et nunc quare non increpasti Hieremiam Anathothiten qui prophetat vobis
Now therefore, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who makes himself a prophet to you,
28 quia super hoc misit ad nos in Babylonem dicens longum est aedificate domos et habitate et plantate hortos et comedite fructum eorum
because he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, The captivity is long. Build houses, and dwell in them. Plant gardens, and eat their fruit?”’”
29 legit ergo Sophonias sacerdos librum istum in auribus Hieremiae prophetae
Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet.
30 et factum est verbum Domini ad Hieremiam dicens
Then Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah, saying,
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 to all of the captives, saying, ‘Yahweh says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: “Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, and I didn’t send him, and he has caused you to 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
therefore Yahweh says, “Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his offspring. He will not have a man to dwell among this people. He won’t see the good that I will do to my people,” says Yahweh, “because he has spoken rebellion against Yahweh.”’”
