Yirmeyahu (Jer) 29
29
1Following is the text of the letter Yirmeyahu the prophet sent from Yerushalayim to the leaders remaining in exile, as well as to the cohanim, the prophets and all the people N’vukhadnetzar had carried off captive from Yerushalayim to Bavel. 2This was after Y’khanyah the king, the queen mother, the officers, the leaders of Y’hudah and Yerushalayim, and the artisans and skilled workers had left Yerushalayim. 3The letter was entrusted to El‘asah the son of Shafan and G’maryah the son of Hilkiyah; Tzidkiyah king of Y’hudah sent them to Bavel, to N’vukhadnetzar king of Bavel. The letter said:
4“Here is what Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el, says to all those in exile, whom I have caused to be carried off captive from Yerushalayim to Bavel: 5‘Build yourselves houses, and live in them. Plant gardens, and eat what they produce. 6Choose women to marry, and have sons and daughters. Choose wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage to men, so that they can have sons and daughters — increase your numbers there, don’t decrease. 7Seek the welfare of the city to which I have caused you to go in exile, and pray to Adonai on its behalf; for your welfare is bound up in its welfare.’ 8For this is what Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el, says: ‘Don’t let your prophets who are living among you and your diviners deceive you, and don’t pay attention to the dreams you urge them to dream. 9For they are prophesying falsely in my name; I have not sent them,’ says Adonai.
10“For here is what Adonai says: ‘After Bavel’s seventy years are over, I will remember you and fulfill my good promise to you by bringing you back to this place. 11For I know what plans I have in mind for you,’ says Adonai,‘plans for well-being, not for bad things; so that you can have hope and a future. 12When you call to me and pray to me, I will listen to you. 13When you seek me, you will find me, provided you seek for me wholeheartedly; 14and I will let you find me,’ says Adonai. ‘Then I will reverse your exile. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have driven you,’ says Adonai, ‘and bring you back to the place from which I exiled you.’
15“You say that Adonai has raised up prophets for you in Bavel. 16But here is what Adonai says about the king occupying David’s throne and about all the people living in this city, your kinsmen who did not go into exile with you — 17thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: ‘I will attack them with sword, famine and plague; I will make them like bad figs, so bad they are inedible. 18I will pursue them with sword, famine and plague and make them an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth; and they will bring on themselves cursing, astonishment, ridicule and reproach among all the nations where I have driven them; 19because they have not paid attention to my words,’ says Adonai, ‘which I sent to them through my servants the prophets. I sent them frequently, but you refused to listen,’ says Adonai.
20“So pay attention now to the word of Adonai, all of you in exile, whom I sent away from Yerushalayim to Bavel. 21Here is what Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el, says about Ach’av the son of Kolayah and Tzidkiyahu the son of Ma‘aseiyah, who prophesy lies to you in my name: ‘I will hand them over to N’vukhadretzar king of Bavel, and he will put them to death before your eyes. 22In fact, all those exiled from Y’hudah who are in Bavel will take up this formula for cursing: “May Adonai make you like Tzidkiyahu and Ach’av, whom the king of Bavel roasted in the fire!” 23because they have done vile things in Isra’el, committing adultery with their neighbors’ wives and speaking words in my name, falsely, which I did not order them to say. For I am he who knows; I am witness to this,’ says Adonai.
24“To Sh’ma‘yah the Nechelami you are to communicate this message: 25‘This is a word from Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el, because of the letters you sent in your own name to all the people in Yerushalayim, including Tz’fanyah the son of Ma‘aseiyah the cohen and all the cohanim. 26Your letter said, “Adonai has made you cohen in place of Y’hoyada the cohen, in order to have officials in Adonai’s house who will arrest any crazy person who makes himself out to be a prophet, so that you can restrain him in stocks and collar. 27So why haven’t you rebuked Yirmeyahu of ‘Anatot, who makes himself out to be a prophet for you? 28He even sends word to us in Bavel saying that the exile will last a long time; so build houses and live in them, plant gardens and eat what they produce.” 29Tz’fanyah the cohen read this letter to Yirmeyahu the prophet, and afterwards 30the word of Adonai came to Yirmeyahu, 31instructing him to send to all those in exile this message: “Here is what Adonai says about Sh’ma‘yah the Nechelami: ‘This Sh’ma‘yah has prophesied to you, even though I did not send him, and has caused you to put your trust in a lie. 32Because of this,’ Adonai says, ‘I will punish Sh’ma‘yah the Nechelami and his offspring. He will not have a man to live among this people, and he will not see the good I am planning to do for my people,’ says Adonai, ‘because he has preached rebellion against Adonai.’”’”
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Learn More About Complete Jewish BibleJeremiah 29
29
Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles
1#Est 9:20Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the captivity, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2#Jer 22:24–28; 2Ki 24:12–16(This was after Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, and the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.) 3It was sent 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), saying:
4#Jer 24:5Thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, to all who have been carried away captive whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5#Jer 29:28Build houses and dwell in them; and plant gardens and eat their fruit. 6#Jer 16:2–4Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters; so that you may increase there and not diminish. 7#Ezr 6:10; 1Ti 2:1–2Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace. 8#Jer 5:31; 14:14For thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream. 9#Jer 27:15; 29:31For they prophesy falsely to you in My name. I have not sent them, says the Lord.
10#Jer 25:12; 27:22For thus says the Lord: When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. 11#Ps 40:5; Jer 30:18–22For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12#Jer 33:3; Ps 50:15Then you shall call upon Me, and you shall come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13#Jer 24:7; 2Ch 22:9You shall seek Me and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart. 14#Jer 30:3; Ps 32:6I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will turn away your captivity and gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back into the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive.
15Because you have said, “The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,” 16#Jer 38:2–3; 38:17–23thus says the Lord concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brothers who did not go out with you into exile, 17#Jer 24:8–10; 29:18thus says the Lord of Hosts: I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs that cannot be eaten, they are so rotten. 18#2Ch 29:8; Jer 15:4I will pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence; and will make them a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse and an astonishment, a hissing and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, 19#Jer 6:19; 26:5because they have not listened to My words, says the Lord, which I sent to them by My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them. But you would not listen, says the Lord.
20#Jer 24:5; Mic 4:10Therefore hear the word of the Lord, all you in captivity whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon. 21#Jer 14:14–15; 29:8–9Thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in My name: I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall slay them before your eyes. 22#Da 3:6; Isa 65:15And because of them a curse shall be taken up by all the captives of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, “May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire,” 23#Jer 23:14; Mal 3:5because they have committed folly in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken lying words in My name, which I have not commanded them. Indeed, I know and am a witness, says the Lord.
A Message to Shemaiah
24#Jer 29:31–32Thus you shall also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying: 25#Jer 29:29; 37:3Thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have sent letters in your name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, 26#Jer 20:1–2; 2Ki 9:11; Hos 9:7The Lord has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, that you should be officers in the house of the Lord, for every man that is mad and makes himself a prophet, that you should put him in the stocks and in prison. 27Now therefore why have you not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth who prophesies to you? 28#Jer 29:5For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, “This captivity will be long; build houses and dwell in them, and plant gardens and eat their fruit.”
29Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet. 30Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying: 31#Jer 29:9; 14:14–15Send to all the captives, saying, Thus says the Lord concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you though I did not send, and he caused you to trust in a lie, 32#Jer 28:16; 17:6therefore thus says the Lord: I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his seed. He will not have a man to dwell among this people, nor will he see the good that I will do for My people, says the Lord, because he has taught rebellion against the Lord.
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