Jeremiah 29

Message to the Exiles

1Now theseH428 are the wordsH1697 of the 1letterH5612 whichH834 JeremiahH3414 the prophetH5030 sentH7971 from JerusalemH3389 to the restH3499 of the eldersH2205 of the exileH1473, the priestsH3548, the prophetsH5030, and allH3605 the peopleH5971 whomH834 NebuchadnezzarH5019 had takenH1540 intoH1540 exileH1473 from JerusalemH3389 to BabylonH894. 2(This was afterH310 KingH4428 2JeconiahH3204 and the 3queenH1377 motherH1377, the highH5631 officialsH5631, the leadersH8269 of JudahH3063 and JerusalemH3389, the craftsmenH2796, and the metalworkersH4525 had departedH3318 from JerusalemH3389.) 3The letter was sent by the handH3027 of ElasahH501 the sonH1121 of ShaphanH8227 and GemariahH1587 the sonH1121 of 4HilkiahH2518, whomH834 ZedekiahH6667 kingH4428 of JudahH3063 sentH7971 to BabylonH894 to NebuchadnezzarH5019 kingH4428 of BabylonH894, sayingH559, 4“ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 of armiesH6635, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, saysH559 to allH3605 the exilesH1473 whomH834 I have 5sentH1540 intoH1540 exileH1540 from JerusalemH3389 to BabylonH894: 5‘6BuildH1129 housesH1004 and liveH3427 in them; and plantH5193 gardensH1593 and eatH398 their 7produceH6529. 6TakeH3947 8wivesH802 and fatherH3205 sonsH1121 and daughtersH1323, and takeH3947 wivesH802 for your sonsH1121 and giveH5414 your daughtersH1323 to husbandsH376, so that they may giveH3205 birthH3205 to sonsH1121 and daughtersH1323; and growH7235 inH7235 numbersH7235 thereH8033 and do not decreaseH4591. 79SeekH1875 the 10prosperityH7965 of the cityH5892 whereH834H8033 I have sentH1540 you intoH1540 exileH1540, and 11prayH6419 to the LordH3068 in its behalfH1157; for 12in its 13prosperityH7965 will be your 14prosperityH7965.’ 8For thisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 of armiesH6635, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478 saysH559: ‘Do not let your 15prophetsH5030 whoH834 are in your midstH7130 or your divinersH7080 16deceiveH5378 you, and do not listenH8085 to their interpretations of 17your dreamsH2472 whichH834 you dreamH2492. 9For they 18prophesyH5012 falselyH8267 to you in My nameH8034; 19I have not sentH7971 them,’ declaresH5002 the LordH3068.

10“For thisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 saysH559: ‘WhenH3588 20seventyH7657 yearsH8141 have beenH4390 completedH4390 for BabylonH894, I will visitH6485 you and fulfillH6965 My 21goodH2896 wordH1697 to you, to bringH7725 you backH7725 to thisH2088 placeH4725. 11For I knowH3045 the 22plansH4284 that I 23haveH2803 for you,’ declaresH5002 the LordH3068, ‘plansH4284 for 2425prosperityH7965 and not for disasterH7463, to giveH5414 you a futureH319 and a 26hopeH8615. 12Then you will 27callH7121 upon Me and comeH1980 and prayH6419 to Me, and I will 28listenH8085 to you. 13And you will 29seekH1245 Me and findH4672 Me whenH3588 you 30searchH1875 for Me with allH3605 your heartH3824. 14I will let Myself be 31foundH4672 by you,’ declaresH5002 the LordH3068, ‘and I will 32restoreH7725 your fortunesH7622 and 33gatherH6908 you from allH3605 the nationsH1471 and allH3605 the placesH4725 whereH834H8033 I have drivenH5080 you,’ declaresH5002 the LordH3068, ‘and I will 34bringH7725 you backH7725 to the placeH4725 from whereH834H8033 I sentH1540 you intoH1540 exileH1540.’

15“BecauseH3588 you have saidH559, ‘The LordH3068 has raisedH6965 upH6965 35prophetsH5030 for us in BabylonH894’-- 16for thisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 saysH559 concerningH413 the kingH4428 who sitsH3427 on the throneH3678 of DavidH1732, and concerningH413 allH3605 the peopleH5971 who liveH3427 in thisH2088 cityH5892, your brothersH251 whoH834 did 36not goH3318 with you into exileH1473-- 17thisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 of armiesH6635 saysH559: ‘BeholdH2009, I am sendingH7971 upon them the 37swordH2719, famineH7458, and plagueH1698; and I will makeH5414 them like 38rottenH8182 figsH8384 that cannotH3808 be eatenH398 dueH4480 to rottennessH7455. 18I will pursueH7291 them with the swordH2719, with famineH7458, and with plagueH1698; and I will 39makeH5414 them an objectH2113 ofH2113 terrorH2113 to allH3605 the kingdomsH4467 of the earthH776, to be a 40curseH423 and an objectH8047 ofH8047 horrorH8047 and 4142hissingH8322, and a disgraceH2781 among allH3605 the nationsH1471 whereH834H8033 I have drivenH5080 them, 19becauseH8478H834 they have 43not listenedH8085 to My wordsH1697,’ declaresH5002 the LordH3068, ‘whichH834 I sentH7971 to them againH7925 and againH7971 by 44My servantsH5650 the prophetsH5030; but you did not listenH8085,’ declaresH5002 the LordH3068. 20‘You, therefore, hearH8085 the wordH1697 of the LordH3068, allH3605 you exilesH1473, whomH834 I have 45sentH7971 awayH7971 from JerusalemH3389 to BabylonH894.

21‘ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 of armiesH6635, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478 saysH559 concerningH413 AhabH256 the sonH1121 of KolaiahH6964 and concerningH413 ZedekiahH6667 the sonH1121 of MaaseiahH4641, who are 46prophesyingH5012 to you falselyH8267 in My nameH8034: “BeholdH2009, I am going to handH5414H3027 them overH5414 to NebuchadnezzarH5019 kingH4428 of BabylonH894, and he will killH5221 them before your eyesH5869. 22BecauseH4480 of them a 47curseH7045 will be 48usedH3947 by allH3605 the exilesH1546 from JudahH3063 whoH834 are in BabylonH894, sayingH559, ‘May the LordH3068 makeH7760 you like ZedekiahH6667 and AhabH256, whomH834 the kingH4428 of BabylonH894 49roastedH7033 in the fireH784,’ 23becauseH3282H834 they 50actedH6213 51foolishlyH5039 in IsraelH3478, and 52committedH5003 adulteryH5003 with their neighbors’H7453 wivesH802, and falselyH8267 53spokeH1696 wordsH1697 in My nameH8034 whichH834 I did not commandH6680 them. I am He who 54knowsH3045, and a witnessH5707,” declaresH5002 the LordH3068.’”

24Now you shall speakH559 to 55ShemaiahH8098 the NehelamiteH5161, sayingH559, 25“ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 of armiesH6635, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478 saysH559: ‘BecauseH3282H834 you have sentH7971 56lettersH5612 in your own nameH8034 to allH3605 the peopleH5971 whoH834 are in JerusalemH3389, and to 57the priestH3548 ZephaniahH6846 the sonH1121 of MaaseiahH4641, and to allH3605 the priestsH3548, sayingH559, 26“The LordH3068 has madeH5414 you priestH3548 insteadH8478 ofH8478 JehoiadaH3077 the priestH3548, to be the 5859overseerH6496 of the houseH1004 of the LordH3068 for everyH3605 60insaneH7696 personH7696 who 61prophesiesH5012, to 62putH5414 him in the stocksH4115 and in the ironH6729 collarH6729. 27So nowH6258, whyH4100 have you not rebukedH1605 JeremiahH3414 of 63AnathothH6069 who prophesiesH5012 to you, 28seeingH3588H5921H3651 that he has 64sentH7971 word to us in BabylonH894, sayingH559, ‘65The exile will be 66longH752; 67buildH1129 housesH1004 and liveH3427 in them, and plantH5193 gardensH1593 and eatH398 their 68produceH6529’?”’”

29Now 69ZephaniahH6846 the priestH3548 readH7121 thisH2088 letterH5612 70to JeremiahH3414 the prophetH5030. 30Then the wordH1697 of the LordH3068 cameH1961 to JeremiahH3414, sayingH559, 31“SendH7971 word to 71allH3605 the exilesH1473, sayingH559, ‘ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 saysH559 concerningH413 72ShemaiahH8098 the NehelamiteH5161: “BecauseH3282H834 ShemaiahH8098 has 73prophesiedH5012 to you, although I did not sendH7971 him, and he has 74made you trustH982 in a lieH8267,” 32thereforeH3651 thisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 saysH559: “BeholdH2009, I am going to 75punishH6485 ShemaiahH8098 the NehelamiteH5161 and his 76descendantsH2233; he will 77not haveH1961 anyoneH376 livingH3427 amongH8432 thisH2088 peopleH5971, 78and he will not seeH7200 the goodH2896 that I am going to doH6213 for My peopleH5971,” declaresH5002 the LordH3068, “becauseH3588 he has 79spokenH1696 falselyH5627 againstH5921 the LordH3068.”’”