Third Millennium Bible TMB
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders who were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon
1
The prophet Jeremiah sent a letter from Jerusalem to the rest of the leaders among the captives. He also sent it to the priests, the prophets, and all the people that Nebuchadnezzar took away as captives from Jerusalem to Babylon.
2 (after Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem),
2
(This was after King Jehoiakin and his mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and metal workers left Jerusalem.)
3 by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying:
3
He sent the letter with Shaphan's son Elasah and Hilkiah's son Gemariah, whom King Zedekiah of Judah had sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. The letter said:
4 "Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all who are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon:
4
This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all those who were taken captive from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 Build ye houses and dwell in them, and plant gardens and eat the fruit of them.
5
Build houses, and live in them. Plant gardens, and eat what they produce.
6 Take ye wives and beget sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters, that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
6
Get married, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons, and let your daughters get married so that they can have sons and daughters. Grow in number there; don't decrease.
7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it; for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
7
Work for the good of the city where I've taken you as captives, and pray to the LORD for that city. When it prospers, you will also prosper.
8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Let not your prophets and your diviners who are in the midst of you deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
8
This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Don't let the prophets or the mediums who are among you trick you. Don't even listen to your own dreams.
9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in My name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.
9
These people are prophesying lies to you in my name. I didn't send them, declares the LORD.
10 "For thus saith the LORD: That after seventy years are accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, causing you to return to this place.
10
This is what the LORD says: When Babylon's 70 years are over, I will come to you. I will keep my promise to you and bring you back to this place.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
11
I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.
12 Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me and I will hearken unto you.
12
Then you will call to me. You will come and pray to me, and I will hear you.
13 And ye shall seek Me and find Me when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.
13
When you look for me, you will find me. When you wholeheartedly seek me,
14 And I will be found by you, saith the LORD, and I will return you from captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you back into the place from whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
14
I will let you find me, declares the LORD. I will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I've scattered you, declares the LORD. I will bring you back from the place where you are being held captive.
15 "Because ye have said, `The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon'--
15
You've said that the LORD has given you prophets in Babylon.
16 know that thus saith the LORD of the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, and of your brethren who have not gone forth with you into captivity--
16
But this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David's throne and about all the people who live in this city, the people who are your relatives and who weren't taken away as captives:
17 thus saith the LORD of hosts: Behold, 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 evil.
17
The LORD of Armies says: I'm going to send them wars, famines, and plagues. These people are like rotten figs to me, figs that are so bad that they can't be eaten.
18 And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse and an astonishment and a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations whither I have driven them,
18
I will chase them with wars, famines, and plagues. I will make them a horrifying sight to all the kingdoms on the earth. They will become something cursed, ridiculed, and hissed at, and they will be a disgrace among all the nations where I scatter them.
19 because they have not hearkened to My words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.
19
They didn't listen to me, declares the LORD. I sent them my servants the prophets again and again, but they refused to listen, declares the LORD.
20 "Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.
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So listen to the word of the LORD, all you captives who were sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.
21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie unto you in My name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes.
21
This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says about Kolaiah's son Ahab and about Maaseiah's son Zedekiah, who prophesy lies to you in my name: I'm going to hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I will kill them as you watch.
22 And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, `The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire,'
22
Because of them, all the captives from Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: May the LORD curse you as he cursed Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned to death.
23 because they have committed villainy 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, saith the LORD."
23
They have done shameful things in Israel. They committed adultery with their neighbors' wives and spoke lies in my name. I didn't command them to do this. I know what they have done. I'm a witness, declares the LORD.
24 Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,
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[The LORD says,] "Say to Shemaiah from Nehelam,
25 "Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people who are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
25
'This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests. These letters said:
26 `The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD for every man that is mad and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks.
26
The LORD made you priest instead of Jehoiada so that there would be officials for the LORD's temple. You should put any lunatic who acts like a prophet in prison and in shackles.
27 Now therefore, why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, who maketh himself a prophet to you?
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Now, why haven't you arrested Jeremiah from Anathoth? After all, he acts like a prophet among you.
28 For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying: This captivity is long; build ye houses and dwell in them, and plant gardens and eat the fruit of them.'"
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That's why Jeremiah sent this message to us in Babylon: You will be captives a long time. Build houses, and live in them. Plant gardens, and eat what they produce.'"
29 And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
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The priest Zephaniah read this letter to the prophet Jeremiah.
30 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,
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Then the LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah. He said,
31 "Send to all those of the captivity, saying, `Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not and he caused you to trust in a lie,
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"Send this message to all the captives: 'This is what the LORD says about Shemaiah from Nehelam: Shemaiah prophesied to you, but I didn't send him. He has made you believe a lie.
32 therefore thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people, neither shall he behold the good that I will do for My people, saith the LORD, because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD.'"
32
The LORD says: I will punish Shemaiah from Nehelam. I will also punish his descendants. No one from his family will be left alive. He will not see the blessings that I'm going to send my people, declares the LORD, because he has encouraged rebellion against the LORD.'"
Third Millennium Bible (TMB), New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc., Gary, SD 57237. All rights reserved.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.