| International Standard Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, to the priests, to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, | 1Now 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. |
| 2after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the palace officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths left Jerusalem. | 2(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.) |
| 3The letter was sent by Shaphan's son Elasah and by Hilkiah's son Gemariah, whom King Zedekiah of Judah sent to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in Babylon, and it said, | 3The 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"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were taken from Jerusalem into exile to Babylon, | 4"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, |
| 5Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. | 5Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. |
| 6Take wives and father sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so they may have sons and daughters. Increase in numbers there, don't decrease. | 6'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. |
| 7Seek the welfare of the city to which I've exiled you and pray to the LORD for it, for your welfare depends on its welfare.' | 7'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.' |
| 8For this is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'Don't let the prophets and diviners who are among you deceive you, and don't listen to them when they tell you their dreams. | 8"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. |
| 9Indeed, they're prophesying lies to you in my name. I didn't send them,' declares the LORD. | 9'For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them,' declares the LORD. |
| 10"For this is what the LORD says: 'When Babylon's seventy years are completed, I'll take note of you and will fulfill my good promises to you by bringing you back to this place. | 10"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. |
| 11For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for well-being, and not for calamity, in order to give you a future and a hope. | 11'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. |
| 12When you call out to me and come and pray to me, I'll hear you. | 12'Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. |
| 13You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. | 13You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. |
| 14I'll be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I'll restore your security and gather you from all the nations and all the places to which I've driven you,' declares the LORD. 'I'll bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.' | 14'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"Indeed, you have said, 'The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon.' | 15"Because you have said, 'The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon '-- |
| 16"But this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David's throne, and about the people who live in this city—your brothers who didn't go with you into exile: | 16for 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-- |
| 17This is what the LORD says: 'I'm about to send the sword, famine, and plague on them, and I'll make them like rotten figs that cannot be eaten because they're so bad. | 17thus 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. |
| 18I'll pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with plague, and I'll make them a horrifying sight to all the kingdoms of the earth. I'll make them a curse, an object of horror, and scorn, and a desolation in all the nations to which I've driven them, | 18'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, |
| 19because they didn't listen to my words,' declares the LORD. 'When I sent my servants, the prophets, to you again and again, you didn't listen,' declares the LORD. | 19because 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"Now, all you exiles whom I sent from Jerusalem to Babylon, listen to this message from the LORD! | 20"You, therefore, hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles, whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon. |
| 21This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says about Kolaiah's son Ahab and Maaseiah's son Zedekiah, who are prophesying lies to you in my name, 'I'm about to give them into the domination of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them before your eyes. | 21"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. |
| 22What happens to them will be the basis for a curse for all the Judean exiles who are in Babylon. People will say, "May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the LORD roasted in the fire, | 22'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, |
| 23because they did something stupid in Israel. They committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and in my name they spoke lies that I didn't command them. I'm the one who knows, and I'm a witness," declares the LORD.'" | 23because 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"You are to say to Shemaiah of Nehelam: | 24To Shemaiah the Nehelamite you shall speak, saying, |
| 25This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: "Because you sent letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, to Maaseiah's son Zephaniah the priest and to all the priests— | 25"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, |
| 26The LORD made you a priest instead of Jehoiada the priest to serve in the LORD's Temple as an official against every crazy prophet, and to put him in stocks and restraints. | 26"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, |
| 27And now, why didn't you rebuke Jeremiah from Anathoth who prophesies to you? | 27now then, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who prophesies to you? |
| 28So he sent a message to us in Babylon: 'The exile will be long, so build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce.'"'" | 28"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.'"'" |
| 29Then Zephaniah the priest read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet, | 29Zephaniah the priest read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet. |
| 30and this message from the LORD came to Jeremiah: | 30Then came the word of the LORD to Jeremiah, saying, |
| 31"Send a message to all the exiles: 'This is what the LORD says about Shemaiah from Nehelam, "Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I didn't send him, and has made you trust a lie," | 31"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," |
| 32therefore, this is what the LORD says: "I'm about to judge Shemaiah from Nehelam along with his descendants. He won't have anyone related to him living among these people. Nor will he see the good that I'll do for my people," declares the LORD, "because he advocated rebellion against the LORD."'" | 32therefore 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."'" |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
|
