1 N ow these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders in exile and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon.

And these words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the remnant of the elders of the removal, and unto the priests, and unto the prophets, and unto all the people -- whom Nebuchadnezzar removed from Jerusalem to Babylon,

2 T his was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.

After the going forth of Jeconiah the king, and the mistress, and the officers, heads of Judah and Jerusalem, and the artificer, and the smith, from Jerusalem --

3 b y the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said:

By the hand of Eleasah son of Shaphan, and Gemariah son of Hilkijah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon -- to Babylon, saying,

4 T hus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the captives whom I have caused to be carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:

`Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, to all the removal that I removed from Jerusalem to Babylon,

5 B uild yourselves houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat the fruit of them.

Build ye houses, and abide; and plant ye gardens, and eat their fruit;

6 T ake wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not be diminished.

Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take for your sons wives, and your daughters give to husbands, and they bear sons and daughters; and multiply there, and ye are not few;

7 A nd seek (inquire for, require, and request) the peace and welfare of the city to which I have caused you to be carried away captive; and pray to the Lord for it, for in the welfare of you will have welfare.

And seek the peace of the city whither I have removed you, and pray for it unto Jehovah, for in its peace ye have peace.

8 F or thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Let not your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you; pay no attention and attach no significance to your dreams which you dream or to theirs,

`For thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, Let not your prophets who in your midst, and your diviners, lift you up, nor hearken ye unto their dreams, thay ye are causing to dream;

9 F or they prophesy falsely to you in My name. I have not sent them, says the Lord.

For with falsehood they are prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, an affirmation of Jehovah.

10 F or thus says the Lord, When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you and keep My good promise to you, causing you to return to this place.

`For thus said Jehovah, Surely at the fulness of Babylon -- seventy years -- I inspect you, and have established towards you My good word, to bring you back unto this place.

11 F or I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

For I have known the thoughts that I am thinking towards you -- an affirmation of Jehovah; thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give to you posterity and hope.

12 T hen you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you.

`And ye have called Me, and have gone, and have prayed unto Me, and I have hearkened unto you,

13 T hen you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

And ye have sought Me, and have found, for ye seek Me with all your heart;

14 I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will release you from captivity and gather you from all the nations and all the places to which I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I caused you to be carried away captive.

And I have been found of you -- an affirmation of Jehovah; and I have turned back your captivity, and have gathered you out of all the nations, and out of all the places whither I have driven you -- an affirmation of Jehovah -- and I have brought you back unto the place whence I removed you.

15 b ecause you have said, The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,

`Because ye have said, Jehovah hath raised up to us prophets in Babylon,

16 T hus says the Lord concerning the king who sits upon the throne of David and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brethren who did not go forth with you into captivity—

Surely thus said Jehovah concerning the king who is sitting on the throne of David, and concerning all the people that is dwelling in this city, your brethren who went not forth with you in the removal;

17 T hus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I am sending on them the sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like vile figs which are so bad they cannot be eaten.

Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, Lo, I am sending among them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and I have given them up as figs that vile, that are not eaten for badness.

18 A nd I will pursue them with the sword, famine, and pestilence and will give them up to be tossed to and fro and to be a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, an astonishment, and a terror, a hissing and a reproach among all the nations to which I have driven them,

And I have pursued after them with sword, with famine, and with pestilence, and have given them for a trembling to all kingdoms of the earth, for a curse and for an astonishment, and for a hissing, and for a reproach among all the nations whither I have driven them,

19 B ecause they have not listened to and heeded My words, says the Lord, which I sent to them persistently by My servants the prophets; but you would not listen, says the Lord.

Because that they have not hearkened unto My words -- an affirmation of Jehovah -- that I sent unto them by My servants the prophets, rising early and sending, and ye hearkened not -- an affirmation of Jehovah.

20 H ear therefore the word of the Lord, all you exiles whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.

`And ye, hear ye a word of Jehovah, all ye of the captivity that I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon,

21 T hus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you in My name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he will slay them before your eyes!

Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, concerning Ahab son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you in My name falsehood: Lo, I am giving them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he hath smitten them before your eyes,

22 A nd because of them, this curse shall be taken up and used by all from Judah who are in captivity in Babylon: The Lord make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire—

And taken from them hath been a reviling by all the removed of Judah that in Babylon, saying, Jehovah doth set thee as Zedekiah, and as Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted with fire;

23 B ecause they have committed folly in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have spoken words in My name falsely, which I had not commanded them. I am the One Who knows and I am witness, says the Lord.

Because that they have done folly in Israel, and commit adultery with the wives of their neighbours, and speak a word in My name falsely that I have not commanded them, and I He who knoweth and a witness -- an affirmation of Jehovah.

24 A lso you shall say this concerning and to Shemaiah of Nehelam:

`And unto Shemaiah the Nehelamite thou dost speak, saying,

25 T hus 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 son of Maaseiah the priest and to all the priests, saying,

Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, saying, Because that thou hast sent in thy name letters unto all the people who in Jerusalem, and unto Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, and unto all the priests, saying,

26 T he Lord has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, that you should have oversight in the house of the Lord over every madman who makes himself a prophet, that you should put him in the stocks and collar.

Jehovah hath made thee priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, for there being inspectors of the house of Jehovah, for every one mad and making himself a prophet, and thou hast put him unto the torture and unto the stocks.

27 N ow therefore, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who makes himself a prophet to you?

And now, why hast thou not pushed against Jeremiah of Anathoth, who is making himself a prophet to you?

28 F or he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, is to be long; build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat the fruit of them.

Because that he hath sent unto us to Babylon, saying, It long, build ye houses, and abide; and plant ye gardens, and eat their fruit.'

29 A nd Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet.

And Zephaniah the priest readeth this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.

30 T hen came the word of the Lord to Jeremiah:

And there is a word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah, saying,

31 S end to all those in captivity, saying, Thus says the Lord concerning Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and has caused you to trust in a lie,

`Send unto all the removal, saying, Thus said Jehovah concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite, Because that Shemaiah prophesied to you, and I -- I have not sent him, and he doth cause you to trust on falsehood,

32 T herefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah of Nehelam and his offspring. He will not have anyone to dwell among this people, nor will he see the good that I will do to My people, says the Lord, because he has spoken and taught rebellion against the Lord.

Therefore, thus said Jehovah, Lo, I am seeing after Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and after his seed, he hath none dwelling in the midst of this people, nor doth he look on the good that I am doing to My people -- an affirmation of Jehovah -- for apostacy he hath spoken against Jehovah.'