1 ه َذا هُوَ نَصُّ الرِّسالَةِ الَّتِي أرسَلَها إرْمِيا مِنَ مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ إلَى بَقِيَّةِ شُيُوخِ السَّبيِ وَالكَهَنَةِ وَالأنبِياءِ وَإلَى كُلِّ الشَّعبِ الَّذِي سَباهُ نَبُوخَذْناصَّرُ مِنَ مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ إلَى بابِلَ.

Now these are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exile, the priests, the prophets and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

2 ك انَ هَذا بَعدَ خُرُوجِ يَكُنْيا مِنَ مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ مَعَ المَلِكَةِ الأُمِّ وَالعَبيدِ وَرُؤَساءِ يَهُوذا وَمَدينَةِ القُدْسِ وَالنَّحّاتِينَ وَالحَدّادِينَ.

(This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the court officials, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.)

3 و َقَدْ أرْسَلَ إرْمِيا الرِّسالَةَ بِيَدِ ألْعاسَةَ بْنِ شافانَ وَجَمَرْيا بْنِ حَلْقِيّا، اللَّذَينِ أرسَلَهُما صِدْقِيّا مَلِكُ يَهُوذا إلَى بابِلَ، إلَى نَبُوخَذْناصَّرَ مَلِكِ بابِلَ، فَقالَ:

The letter 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 ه َذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ القَدِيرُ، إلَهُ إسْرائِيلَ، لِكُلِّ المَسبِيِّينَ مِنَ القُدْسِ إلَى بابِلَ:

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon,

5 « ابنُوا بُيُوتاً وَاسكُنُوا فِيها، وَازرَعُوا بَساتِينَ وَكُلُوا ما تُنتِجُهُ.

‘ Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce.

6 ت َزَوَّجُوا وَأنجِبُوا بَنِيناً وَبَناتٍ. خُذُوا زَوجاتٍ لِبَنِيكُمْ، وَزَوِّجُوا بَناتِكُمْ، وَلْيُنجِبُوا بَنِيناً وَبَناتٍ. تَضاعَفُوا هُناكَ وَلا تَقِلُّوا.

Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease.

7 و َاطلُبُوا خَيرَ المَدِينَةِ الَّتِي سُبِيتُمْ إلَيها، وَصَلُّوا إلَى اللهِ لأجلِها. لأنَّهُ إنْ كانَ لَها خَيرٌ، فَأنتُمْ كَذَلِكَ سَيَكُونُ لَكُمْ خَيرٌ.»

Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.’

8 ل أنَّ هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ القَدِيرُ، إلَهُ إسْرائِيلَ: «لا تَدَعُوا أنبِياءَكُمْ وَعَرّافِيكُمُ الَّذِينَ يَعِيشُونَ فِي وَسَطِكُمْ يَخدَعُوكُمْ. وَلا تَستَمِعُوا إلَى الأحلامِ الَّتِي يَحلُمُونَها.

For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream.

9 ل أنَّهُمْ يَتَنَبَّأُونَ لَكُمْ بِاسمِي كَذِباً. وَأنا لَمْ أُرسِلْهُمْ، يَقُولُ اللهُ.›»

For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them,’ declares the Lord.

10 ل أنَّ هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ: «عِندَما تَكتَمِلُ السَّبعُونَ سَنَةً لِبابِلَ، سَأفتَقِدُكُمْ وَأُتَمِّمُ وَعدِي الَّذِي قَطَعْتُهُ مَعَكُمْ بِأنْ أُعِيدَكُمْ إلَى هَذا المَكانِ.

“For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.

11 ل أنِّي أعرِفُ الخُطَطَ الَّتِي أُفَكِّرُ بِها بِخُصُوصِكُمْ، يَقُولُ اللهُ ، فَهِيَ خُطَطٌ لِخَيرِكُمْ وَلَيسَتْ لِضَرَرِكُمْ، لأُعطِيَكُمْ مُستَقبَلاً وَرَجاءً.

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

12 س َتَدعُونَنِي وَسَتَأتُونَ لِتُصَلُّوا إلَيَّ، وَأنا سَأستَمِعُ إلَيكُمْ.

Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

13 س َتَطلُبُونَنِي وَتَجِدُونَنِي حِينَ تَطلُبُونَنِي بِكُلِّ قُلُوبِكُمْ،

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

14 و َسَأُوجَدُ لَكُمْ، يَقُولُ اللهُ ، وَسَأُرجِعُ ما أُخِذَ مِنكُمْ، وَسَأجمَعُكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ الأماكِنِ الَّتِي طَرَدتُكُمْ إلَيها، يَقُولُ اللهُ ، وَسَأُرجِعُكُمْ مِنَ المَكانِ الَّذِي سَبَيتُكُمْ إلَيهِ.»

I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’

15 ق َدْ تَقُولُونَ: «أقامَ اللهُ لَنا أنبِياءَ فِي بابِلَ.»

“Because you have said, ‘The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon’—

16 و َلَكِنَّ هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ لِلمَلِكِ الجالِسِ عَلَى عَرشِ داوُدَ، وَلِكُلِّ الشَّعبِ السّاكِنِينَ فِي هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ، إخوَتِكُمُ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَذهَبُوا مَعَكُمْ إلَى السَّبيِ.

for thus 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 with you into exile—

17 ي َقُولُ اللهُ القَدِيرُ: «سَأُرسِلُ عَلَيهِمُ الحَربَ وَالمَجاعَةَ وَالوَباءَ، وَسَأجعَلُهُمْ كَالتِّينِ العَفِنِ الَّذِي لا يُؤكَلُ لِرَداءَتِهِ.

thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Behold, I am sending upon them the sword, famine and pestilence, and I will make them like split-open figs that cannot be eaten due to rottenness.

18 س َأُلاحِقُهُمْ بِالحَربِ وَالمَجاعَةِ وَالوَباءِ. وَسَأجعَلُهُمْ عِبرَةً تُرعِبُ جَميعَ مَمالِكِ الأرْضِ. سَأجعَلُهُمْ لَعنَةً وَخَراباً وَرُعباً وَمَثاراً لِلاسْتِغرابِ فِي جَميعِ الأُمَمِ الَّتِي سَأطرُدُهُمْ إلَيها.

I will pursue them with the sword, with famine and with pestilence; and I will make them a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse and a horror and a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them,

19 ل أنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَنتَبِهُوا لِكَلامِي، يَقُولُ اللهُ ، إذْ أرسَلتُ إلَيهِمْ خُدَّامي الأنبِياءَ واحِداً بَعدَ الآخَرِ، وَلَمْ يَستَمِعُوا إلَيَّ. يَقُولُ اللهُ.»

because they have not listened to My words,’ declares the Lord, ‘which I sent to them again and again by My servants the prophets; but you did not listen,’ declares the Lord.

20 ف َاستَمِعُوا إلَى كَلِمَةِ اللهِ يا كُلَّ المَسبِيِّينَ مِنَ القُدْسِ إلَى بابِلَ.

You, therefore, hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles, whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.

21 ه َذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ القَدِيرُ، إلَهُ إسْرائِيلَ، لأخآبَ بْنِ قُولايا وَلِصِدْقِيّا بْنِ مَعَسِيّا، اللَّذَينِ يَتَنَبَّآنِ لَكُمْ بِالكَذِبِ: «سَأُسَلِّمُهُما لِنَبُوخَذْناصَّرَ مَلِكِ بابِلَ، وَسَيَقتُلُهُما أمامَكُمْ.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you falsely in My name, ‘Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will slay them before your eyes.

22 و َسَيُضرَبُ بِهِما المَثَلُ كَلَعنَةٍ لِكُلِّ المَسبِيِّينَ مِنْ بَنِي يَهُوذا فِي بابِلَ، فَيُقالُ: ‹لِيَجعَلْكَ اللهُ كَصِدْقِيّا وَأخآبَ اللَّذَينِ أحرَقَهُما مَلِكُ بابِلَ بِالنّارِ.›

Because of them a curse will be used by all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon, saying, “May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire,

23 س َيَحدُثُ هَذا بِسَبَبِ الأعمالِ البَشِعَةِ الَّتِي عَمِلاها فِي مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ، إذْ أنَّهُما زَنَيا مَعَ زَوجاتِ جِيرانِهِما، وَتَكَلَّما بِكَلامٍ كاذِبٍ باسمِي لَمْ آمُرْهُما بِأنْ يَقُولاهُ. أعرِفُ بِهَذا وَأشهَدُ عَلَيهِ. يَقُولُ اللهُ.» رِسالَةُ اللهِ إلَى شِمْعِيا

because they have acted foolishly in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have spoken words in My name falsely, which I did not command them; and I am He who knows and am a witness,” declares the Lord.’”

24 و َقُلْ لِشِمْعِيا النَّحِلامِيِّ:

To Shemaiah the Nehelamite you shall speak, saying,

25 ه َذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ القَدِيرُ، إلَهُ إسْرائِيلَ: «أرسَلْتَ رَسائِلَ بِاسمِكَ إلَى كُلِّ الشَّعبِ الَّذِي فِي مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ، وَلِصَفَنْيا بْنِ مَعَسِيّا الكاهِنِ، وَإلَى كُلِّ الكَهَنَةِ الآخَرِينَ قُلْتَ فِيها:

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have sent letters in your own 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 ‹ قَدْ عَيَّنَكَ اللهُ كاهِناً مَكانَ يَهُوياداعَ الكاهِنِ، لِيَكُونَ هُناكَ مَنْ يَهتَمُّ بِبَيتِ اللهِ. لِذَلِكَ، سَيُسْجَنُ كُلُّ مَجنُونٍ يَتَنَبَّأُ عَلَيكَ، وَتُوضَعُ قَدَمِيهِ بَينَ لَوحَينِ خَشَبِيَّيْنِ.

“The Lord has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to be the overseer in the house of the Lord over every madman who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and in the iron collar,

27 ف َلِماذا لَمْ تُوَبِّخْ إرْمِيا الَّذِي مِنْ عَناثُوثَ الَّذِي يَتَنَبَّأُ لَكُمْ؟

now then, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who prophesies to you?

28 ف َقَدْ أرسَلَ رِسالَةً إلَينا فِي بابِلَ قالَ فِيها: سَتَعِيشُونَ هُناكَ لِزَمَنٍ طَوِيلٍ، فَابنُوا بُيُوتاً وَاسكُنُوا فِيها، وَازرَعُوا بَساتِينَ وَكُلُوا ثَمَرَها.›»

For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, ‘ The exile will be long; build houses and live in them and plant gardens and eat their produce.’”’”

29 ف َقَرَأ صَفَنْيا الكاهِنُ هَذِهِ الرِّسالَةَ لِلنَّبِيِّ إرْمِيا.

Zephaniah the priest read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.

30 ف َجاءَتْ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ إلَى إرمِيا، فَقالَ اللهُ:

Then came the word of the Lord to Jeremiah, saying,

31 « أرْسِلْ رِسالَةً إلَى كُلِّ المَسبِيِّينَ وَقُلْ لَهُمْ: ‹هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ لِشِمْعِيا النَّحِلّامِي: لأنَّ شِمْعِيا تَنَبَّأ لَكُمْ مَعَ أنِّي لَمْ أُرسِلْهُ، وَقَدْ جَعَلَكُمْ تَضَعُونَ ثِقَتَكُمْ بِالكَذِبِ.

“Send to all the exiles, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite, “Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, although I did not send him, and he has made you trust in a lie,”

32 ل ِذَلِكَ، هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ: سَأُعاقِبُ شِمْعِيا النَّحِلّامِيِّ وَنَسلَهُ، وَلَنْ يَبقَى لَهُ مِنْ نَسلِهِ أحَدٌ وَسَطَ هَذا الشَّعبِ. وَلَنْ يَرَى الخَيرَ الَّذِي سَأعمَلُهُ لِشَعبِي، يَقُولُ اللهُ ، لأنَّهُ تَكَلَّمَ بِخِيانَةٍ ضِدَّ اللهِ.›»

therefore thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am about to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants; he will not have anyone living among this people, and he will not see the good that I am about to do to My people,” declares the Lord, “because he has preached rebellion against the Lord.”’”