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29 Now these are the Devarim of the sefer that Yirmeyah HaNavi sent from Yerushalayim unto the surviving Zekenim of the Golus and to the Kohanim, and to the Nevi’im, and to kol HaAm whom Nevuchadretzar had carried away captive from Yerushalayim to Bavel—

This was after Yechanyah HaMelech, and the Gevirah (Queen Mother), and the sarisim, the sarim of Yehudah and Yerushalayim, and the carpenters, and the artisans had departed from Yerushalayim;

The sefer was sent by the yad of Elasah Ben Shaphan, and Gemaryah Ben Chilkiyah, whom Tzidkiyah Melech Yehudah sent unto Bavel to Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel—and it said,

Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel, unto all that are carried away into the Golus, whom I have caused to be carried away from Yerushalayim unto Bavel;

Build ye batim (houses), and dwell in them; and plant gannot (gardens), and eat the p’ri (fruit) of them;

Take ye nashim, and father banim and banot; and take nashim for your banim, and give your banot to anashim, that they may bear banim and banot; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.

And seek the shalom of the city where I have caused you to be carried away into the Golus, and daven unto Hashem for it; for in the shalom thereof shall ye have shalom.

For thus saith Hashem Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel: Let not your nevi’im and your kesamim that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither pay heed to your chalomot which ye cause to be dreamed.

For they prophesy b’sheker (falsely) unto you in My Name; I have not sent them, saith Hashem.

10 For thus saith Hashem, That after shiv’im shanah (seventy years) are accomplished at Bavel I will visit you, and perform My Davar Hatov toward you, in causing you to return to this makom.

11 For I know the machshavot (thoughts, plans) that I think toward you, saith Hashem, machshavot shalom, and not of ra’ah, to give you an acharit (future) and a tikvah (hope).

12 Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and v’hitpalaltem (and you [plural] will pray) unto Me, and I will pay heed unto you [plural].

13 And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me b’chol lvavchem (with all your heart).

14 And I will be found by you, saith Hashem; and I will bring you back from captivity, and I will gather you from all the Goyim, and from all the mekomot (places) where I have driven you, saith Hashem; and I will bring you back into the makom (place) from which I caused you to be carried away into the Golus.

15 Because ye have said, Hashem hath raised up nevi’im for us in Bavel;

16 Know that thus saith Hashem of HaMelech that sitteth upon the Kisse Dovid, and of kol HaAm that dwelleth in this city, and of your achim that are not gone forth with you into the Golus;

17 Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os; Hineni, I will send upon them the cherev, the ra’av, and the dever, and will make them like rotten figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so bad.

18 And I will pursue them with the cherev, with the ra’av, and with the dever, and will make them a horror to all the mamlechot ha’aretz, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and a hissing, and a cherpah, among all the Goyim where I have driven them;

19 Because they have not paid heed to My devarim, saith Hashem, which I sent unto them by My Avadim the nevi’im, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith Hashem.

20 Hear ye therefore the Devar Hashem, all ye of the Golus, whom I have sent from Yerushalayim to Bavel;

21 Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel, about Ach’av Ben Kolayah, and of Tzidkiyah Ben Ma’aseiyah, which prophesy sheker unto you in My Name; Hineni, I will deliver them into the yad Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel; and he shall slay them before your eynayim;

22 And of them shall be taken up a kelalah (curse) by all the Golus of Yehudah which are in Bavel, saying, Hashem make thee like Tzidkiyah and like Ach’av, whom Melech Bavel roasted in the eish;

23 Because they have done nevalah (a foul deed, outrage) in Yisroel, and have committed ni’uf with their neighbors’ nashim, and have spoken davar sheker in My Name, which I have not commanded them; I know, and am Ed (Witness), saith Hashem.

24 Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiyahu the Nechelami, saying,

25 Thus speaketh Hashem Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel, saying, Because thou hast sent sefarim in thy shem unto kol HaAm that are in Yerushalayim, and to Tzephanyah Ben Maaseiyah the kohen, and to all the kohanim, saying,

26 Hashem hath made thee kohen in the place of Yehoyada the kohen, that there should be pekidim (officers) in the Beis Hashem, over every ish that is meshuggah (mad, insane), and maketh himself a navi, that thou shouldest put him in the stocks, and in the neck iron.

27 Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Yirmeyah of Anatot, which maketh himself a navi to you?

28 For therefore he sent unto us in Bavel, saying, This captivity is long; build ye batim (houses), and dwell in them; and plant gannot (gardens), and eat the fruit of them.

29 And Tzephanyah the kohen read this sefer in the oznayim of Yirmeyah HaNavi.

30 Then came the Devar Hashem unto Yirmeyah, saying,

31 Send to all them of the Golus, saying, Thus saith Hashem concerning Shemaiyah the Nechelami; Because that Shemaiyah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in sheker;

32 Therefore thus saith Hashem: Hinei, I will punish Shemaiyah the Nechelami, and his zera; he shall not have an ish to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the tov that I will do for My people, saith Hashem; because he hath spoken sarah (rebellion) against Hashem.

A Letter to the Exiles

29 This is the text of the letter(A) that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.(B) (This was after King Jehoiachin[a](C) and the queen mother,(D) the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried(E) into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build(F) houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.(G) Also, seek(H) the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray(I) to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets(J) and diviners among you deceive(K) you. Do not listen to the dreams(L) you encourage them to have.(M) They are prophesying lies(N) to you in my name. I have not sent(O) them,” declares the Lord.

10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years(P) are completed for Babylon, I will come to you(Q) and fulfill my good promise(R) to bring you back(S) to this place. 11 For I know the plans(T) I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper(U) you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.(V) 12 Then you will call(W) on me and come and pray(X) to me, and I will listen(Y) to you. 13 You will seek(Z) me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.(AA) 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back(AB) from captivity.[b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”(AC)

15 You may say, “The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,” 16 but 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 fellow citizens who did not go with you into exile— 17 yes, this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will send the sword, famine and plague(AD) against them and I will make them like figs(AE) that are so bad they cannot be eaten. 18 I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrent(AF) to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse[c](AG) and an object of horror,(AH) of scorn(AI) and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them. 19 For they have not listened to my words,”(AJ) declares the Lord, “words that I sent to them again and again(AK) by my servants the prophets.(AL) And you exiles have not listened either,” declares the Lord.

20 Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles whom I have sent(AM) away from Jerusalem to Babylon. 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(AN) to you in my name: “I will deliver them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will put them to death before your very eyes. 22 Because of them, all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the Lord treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned(AO) in the fire.’ 23 For they have done outrageous things in Israel; they have committed adultery(AP) with their neighbors’ wives, and in my name they have uttered lies—which I did not authorize. I know(AQ) it and am a witness(AR) to it,” declares the Lord.

Message to Shemaiah

24 Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite, 25 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah(AS) son of Maaseiah, and to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah, 26 ‘The Lord has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada to be in charge of the house of the Lord; you should put any maniac(AT) who acts like a prophet into the stocks(AU) and neck-irons. 27 So why have you not reprimanded Jeremiah from Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you? 28 He has sent this message(AV) to us in Babylon: It will be a long time.(AW) Therefore build(AX) houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.’”

29 Zephaniah(AY) the priest, however, read the letter to Jeremiah the prophet. 30 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 31 “Send this message to all the exiles: ‘This is what the Lord says about Shemaiah(AZ) the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I did not send(BA) him, and has persuaded you to trust in lies, 32 this is what the Lord says: I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants.(BB) He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good(BC) things I will do for my people, declares the Lord, because he has preached rebellion(BD) against me.’”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 29:2 Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant of Jehoiachin
  2. Jeremiah 29:14 Or will restore your fortunes
  3. Jeremiah 29:18 That is, their names will be used in cursing (see verse 22); or, others will see that they are cursed.