Jeremiah — Chapter 29

This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the priests, the prophets, the rest of the elders of the exile community, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon—

after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, and the artisans and smiths had left Jerusalem.

[The letter was sent] through Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom King Zedekiah of Judah had dispatched to Babylon, to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

Thus said GOD of Hosts, the God of Israel, to the whole community that I exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon:

Build houses and live in them, plant gardens and eat their fruit.

YouaYou I.e., the men in the community. should take wives and beget sons and daughters; and you should take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there, do not decrease.

And seek the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you and pray to GOD in its behalf; for in its prosperity you shall prosper.

For thus said GOD of Hosts, the God of Israel: Let not the prophets and diviners in your midst deceive you, and pay no heed to the dreams theybthey Heb. “you.” dream.

For they prophesy to you in My name falsely; I did not send them—declares GOD.

For thus said GOD: When Babylon’s seventy years are over, I will take note of you, and I will fulfill to you My promise of favor—to bring you back to this place.

For I am mindful of the plans I have made concerning you—declares GOD—plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a hopeful future.

When you call Me, and come and pray to Me, I will give heed to you.

You will search for Me and find Me, if only you seek Me wholeheartedly.

I will be at hand for you—declares GOD—and I will restore your fortunes. And I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places to which I have banished you—declares GOD—and I will bring you back to the place from which I have exiled you.

But you say, “GOD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon.”cThis verse is continued in vv. 20ff.

Thus said GOD concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your kinsfolk who did not go out with you into exile—

thus said GOD of Hosts: I am going to let loose sword, famine, and pestilence against them and I will treat them as loathsome figs, so bad that they cannot be eaten.dloathsome figs … cannot be eaten Cf. chapter 24.

I will pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence; and I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, an execrationean execration I.e., a standard by which people execrate; cf. 42.18; 44.12. and an object of horror and hissingfhissing Cf. note at 18.16. and scorn among all the nations to which I shall banish them,

because they did not heed My words—declares GOD—when I persistently sent to them My servants, the prophets, and theygthey Heb. “you.” did not heed—declares GOD.

But you, the whole exile community that I banished from Jerusalem to Babylon, hear the word of GOD!

Thus said GOD of Hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who prophesy falsely to you in My name: I am going to deliver them into the hands of King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon, and he shall put them to death before your eyes.

And the whole community of Judah in Babylonia shall use a curse derived from their fate: “May God make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon consigned to the flames!”—

because they did vile things in Israel, committing adultery with the wives of their fellows and speaking in My name false words that I had not commanded them. I am the One who knows and bears witness—declares GOD.

Concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite youhyou I.e., Jeremiah. shall say:

Thus said GOD of Hosts, the God of Israel: Because you sent letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah and to the rest of the priests, as follows,

“GOD appointed you priest in place of the priest Jehoiada, to exercise authorityito exercise authority Lit. “that there might be officials.” in the House of GOD over every maniac who wants to play the prophet, to put them into the stocksjstocks Meaning of Heb. uncertain. and into the pillory.kpillory Meaning of Heb. uncertain.

Now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah the Anathothite, who plays the prophet among you?

For he has actually sent a message to us in Babylon to this effect: It will be a long time. Build houses and live in them, plant gardens and enjoy their fruit.”—

When the priest Zephaniah read this letter in the hearing of the prophet Jeremiah,

the word of GOD came to Jeremiah:

Send a message to the entire exile community: “Thus said GOD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and made you false promises,

assuredly, thus said GOD: I am going to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his offspring. There shall be no one of his line dwelling among this people or seeing the good things I am going to do for My people—declares GOD—for he has urged disloyalty toward GOD.”