17AND HE DIED HANANIAH THE PROPHET IN THE YEAR <THE> THAT IN THE MONTH <THE> SEVENTH 17And in the seventh month of that very year, the prophet Hananiah died.
1AND THESE [ARE] [THE] WORDS OF THE LETTER WHICH HE SENT JEREMIAH THE PROPHET FROM JERUSALEM TO [THE] REMAINDER OF [THE] ELDERS OF THE EXILE[S] AND TO THE PRIESTS AND TO THE PROPHETS AND TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHICH HE HAD TAKEN INTO EXILE NEBUCHADNEZZAR FROM JERUSALEM BABYLON TOWARDS Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles 1This 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.
2AFTER WENT OUT JECONIAH THE KING AND THE QUEEN-MOTHER AND THE COURT-OFFICIALS [THE] OFFICIALS OF JUDAH AND JERUSALEM AND THE CRAFTSMAN AND THE SMITH FROM JERUSALEM 2(This was after King Jeconiah,*NoteCloseJeconiah is a variant of Jehoiachin; see 2 Kings 24:12. the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had been exiled from Jerusalem.)
3BY [THE] HAND OF ELEASAH [THE] SON OF SHAPHAN AND GEMARIAH [THE] SON OF HILKIAH WHOM HE SENT ZEDEKIAH [THE] KING OF JUDAH TO NEBUCHADNEZZAR [THE] KING OF BABYLON BABYLON TOWARDS <TO> SAYING 3The 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:
4THUS HE SAYS YAHWEH OF HOSTS [THE] GOD OF ISRAEL TO ALL THE EXILE[S] WHOM I SENT INTO EXILE FROM JERUSALEM BABYLON TOWARDS 4This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5BUILD HOUSES AND DWELL AND PLANT GARDENS AND EAT <OBJ.> PRODUCE THEIR 5“Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce.
6TAKE WIVES AND FATHER SONS AND DAUGHTERS AND TAKE FOR SONS YOUR WIVES AND <OBJ.> DAUGHTERS YOUR GIVE TO HUSBANDS SO THEY MAY BEAR SONS AND DAUGHTERS AND MULTIPLY THERE AND MAY NOT YOU DIMINISH 6Take 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.
7AND SEEK <OBJ.> [THE] WELFARE OF THE CITY WHERE I HAVE SENT INTO EXILE <OBJ.> YOU THERE TOWARDS AND PRAY FOR IT TO YAHWEH FOR IN WELFARE ITS IT WILL BELONG TO <THE> YOU WELFARE 7Seek 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.”
8FOR THUS HE SAYS YAHWEH OF HOSTS [THE] GOD OF ISRAEL MAY NOT THEY DECEIVE <TO> <THE> YOU PROPHETS YOUR WHO [ARE] IN MIDST YOUR AND DIVINERS YOUR AND MAY NOT YOU LISTEN TO DREAMS YOUR WHICH YOU [ARE] DREAMING 8For 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.
9FOR WITH FALSEHOOD THEY [ARE] PROPHESYING TO <THE> YOU IN NAME MY NOT I SENT THEM [THE] UTTERANCE OF YAHWEH 9For they are falsely prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, declares the LORD.”*NoteCloseSome translators close the written portion of this letter later in the chapter.
10THAT THUS HE SAYS YAHWEH IF TO [THE] MOUTH <OF> WILL BE COMPLETED FOR BABYLON SEVENTY YEAR[S] I WILL GIVE ATTENTION TO <OBJ.> YOU AND I WILL CARRY OUT ON YOU <OBJ.> WORD MY <THE> GOOD BY BRINGING BACK <OBJ.> YOU TO THE PLACE <THE> THIS 10For 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.
11FOR I I KNOW <OBJ.> THE PLANS WHICH I [AM] PLANNING ON YOU [THE] UTTERANCE OF YAHWEH PLANS OF WELL-BEING AND NOT FOR HARM TO GIVE TO <THE> YOU A FUTURE AND A HOPE 11For 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.
12AND YOU WILL CALL ON <OBJ.> ME AND YOU WILL COME AND YOU WILL PRAY TO ME AND I WILL LISTEN TO YOU 12Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
13AND YOU WILL SEEK <OBJ.> ME AND YOU WILL FIND [ME] IF YOU WILL SEEK ME WITH ALL HEART YOUR 13You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
14AND I WILL LET MYSELF BE FOUND BY <THE> YOU [THE] UTTERANCE OF YAHWEH AND I WILL TURN BACK <OBJ.> CAPTIVITY YOUR AND I WILL GATHER <OBJ.> YOU FROM ALL THE NATIONS AND FROM ALL THE PLACES WHERE I BANISHED <OBJ.> YOU THERE [THE] UTTERANCE OF YAHWEH AND I WILL BRING BACK <OBJ.> YOU TO THE PLACE WHERE I SENT INTO EXILE <OBJ.> YOU FROM THERE 14I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore you from captivity*NoteCloseOr restore your fortunes 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.”
15FOR YOU HAVE SAID HE HAS RAISED UP FOR <THE> US YAHWEH PROPHETS BABYLON <TOWARDS> 15Because you may say, “The LORD has raised up for us prophets in Babylon,”
16FOR THUS HE SAYS YAHWEH CONCERNING THE KING WHO SITS TO [THE] THRONE OF DAVID AND CONCERNING ALL THE PEOPLE WHICH DWELLS IN THE CITY <THE> THIS COUNTRYMEN YOUR WHO NOT THEY WENT OUT WITH YOU IN THE EXILE 16this 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—
17THUS HE SAYS YAHWEH OF HOSTS HERE I [AM] ABOUT TO SEND ON <THE> THEM <OBJ.> THE SWORD <OBJ.> <THE> FAMINE AND <OBJ.> <THE> PESTILENCE AND I WILL MAKE <OBJ.> THEM LIKE <THE> FIGS <THE> ROTTEN WHICH NOT THEY WILL BE EATEN FROM BADNESS 17this 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.
18AND I WILL PURSUE AFTER THEM WITH THE SWORD WITH <THE> FAMINE AND WITH <THE> PESTILENCE AND I WILL MAKE THEM INTO A TERROR TO ALL [THE] KINGDOMS OF THE EARTH INTO A CURSE AND INTO A WASTE AND INTO A HISSING AND INTO A REPROACH AMONG ALL THE NATIONS WHERE I HAVE BANISHED THEM THERE 18I 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.
19BECAUSE THAT NOT THEY LISTENED TO WORDS MY [THE] UTTERANCE OF YAHWEH [THOSE] WHOM I SENT TO THEM <OBJ.> SERVANTS MY THE PROPHETS RISING EARLY AND SENDING AND NOT YOU LISTENED [THE] UTTERANCE OF YAHWEH 19I will do this because they have not listened to My words, declares the LORD, which I sent to them again and again*NoteCloseLiterally I sent to them, rising up early and sending (to them) through My servants the prophets. And neither have you exiles listened, declares the LORD.”
20AND YOU HEAR [THE] WORD OF YAHWEH O ALL THE EXILE[S] WHOM I SENT FROM JERUSALEM BABYLON TOWARDS 20So hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.
21THUS HE SAYS YAHWEH OF HOSTS [THE] GOD OF ISRAEL CONCERNING AHAB [THE] SON OF KOLAIAH AND TO ZEDEKIAH [THE] SON OF MAASEIAH WHO ARE PROPHESYING TO <THE> YOU IN NAME MY FALSEHOOD HERE I [AM] ABOUT TO GIVE <OBJ.> THEM IN [THE] HAND OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR [THE] KING OF BABYLON AND HE WILL STRIKE DOWN THEM TO EYES YOUR 21This 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.
22AND IT WILL BE TAKEN FROM <THE> THEM A CURSE BY ALL [THE] EXILE[S] OF JUDAH WHO [ARE] IN BABYLON <TO> SAYING MAY HE MAKE YOU YAHWEH LIKE ZEDEKIAH AND LIKE AHAB WHOM HE ROASTED THEM [THE] KING OF BABYLON IN THE FIRE 22Because 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!’
23BECAUSE THAT THEY DID FOLLY IN ISRAEL AND THEY COMMITTED ADULTERY <OBJ.> [THE] WIVES OF NEIGHBORS THEIR AND THEY SPOKE A WORD IN NAME MY FALSEHOOD WHICH NOT I COMMANDED THEM AND I [AM HE] WHO KNOWS AND A WITNESS [THE] UTTERANCE OF YAHWEH 23For 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.”
24AND TO SHEMAIAH THE NEHELAMITE YOU WILL SAY <TO> SAYING The Message to Shemaiah 24You are to tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite that
25THUS HE SAYS YAHWEH OF HOSTS [THE] GOD OF ISRAEL <TO> SAYING BECAUSE THAT YOU YOU SENT IN OWN NAME YOUR LETTERS TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHICH [IS] IN JERUSALEM AND TO ZEPHANIAH [THE] SON OF MAASEIAH THE PRIEST AND TO ALL THE PRIESTS <TO> SAYING 25this 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:*NoteCloseHebrew You said; the addressee Zephaniah is added for clarity.
26YAHWEH HE HAS MADE YOU PRIEST IN PLACE OF JEHOIADA THE PRIEST TO BE OVERSEERS [THE] HOUSE OF YAHWEH TO EVERY PERSON [WHO] IS MAD AND [WHO] PROPHESIES AND YOU WILL PUT <OBJ.> HIM INTO THE STOCK[S] AND INTO THE IRON COLLAR 26‘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.
27AND THEREFORE <TO> WHY? NOT HAVE YOU REBUKED <IN> JEREMIAH THE ANATHOTHITE WHO IS PROPHESYING TO <THE> YOU 27So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you?
28FOR SINCE <THUS> HE HAS SENT TO US BABYLON <TO> SAYING [WILL BE] A LONG [TIME] IT BUILD HOUSES AND DWELL AND PLANT GARDENS AND EAT <OBJ.> PRODUCE THEIR 28For 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.’”
29AND HE READ ALOUD ZEPHANIAH THE PRIEST <OBJ.> THE LETTER <THE> THIS IN [THE] EARS OF JEREMIAH THE PROPHET 29(Zephaniah the priest however, had read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.)
30AND IT CAME [THE] WORD OF YAHWEH TO JEREMIAH <TO> SAYING 30Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:
31SEND TO ALL THE EXILE[S] <TO> SAYING THUS HE SAYS YAHWEH CONCERNING SHEMAIAH THE NEHELAMITE BECAUSE THAT HE HAS PROPHESIED TO <THE> YOU SHEMAIAH AND I NOT I SENT HIM AND HE HAS MADE RELY <OBJ.> YOU ON FALSEHOOD 31“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<TO> THEREFORE THUS HE SAYS YAHWEH HERE I [AM] ABOUT TO VISIT [JUDGMENT] ON SHEMAIAH THE NEHELAMITE AND ON OFFSPRING HIS NOT HE WILL BELONG TO <THE> HIM ANYONE DWELLING IN AMONG THE PEOPLE <THE> THIS AND NOT HE WILL LOOK ON THE GOOD WHICH I [WILL BE] DOING FOR PEOPLE MY [THE] UTTERANCE OF YAHWEH FOR REBELLION HE HAS SPOKEN ON YAHWEH 32this 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.’”