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Jeremiah 29
Expanded Bible
Jeremiah 29
Expanded Bible
A Letter to the Captives in Babylon
29 This is the ·letter [L words of the scroll] that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders who were among the ·captives [exiles], the priests, and the prophets. He sent it to all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had taken as ·captives [exiles] from Jerusalem to Babylon [C in 597 bc; 2 Kin. 24:12–17; 2 Chr. 36:6–8]. 2 (This ·letter [L scroll] was sent after all these people were taken away: Jehoiachin [L Jeconiah] the king and the queen mother [C Nehushta; 13:18]; the ·officers [servants; L eunuchs] and leaders of Judah and Jerusalem; and the craftsmen and metalworkers from Jerusalem.) 3 Zedekiah king of Judah sent Elasah son of Shaphan [C perhaps the court secretary under Josiah; 2 Kin. 22:3, 8–9] and Gemariah son of Hilkiah [C perhaps the high priest under Josiah; 2 Kin. 22:8] to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. So Jeremiah gave them this ·letter [L scroll] to carry to Babylon:
4 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says to all those ·people I sent away [exiles] from Jerusalem as ·captives [exiles] to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle ·in the land [down]. Plant gardens and eat ·the food they grow [L their fruit]. 6 ·Get married [L Take wives] and have sons and daughters. ·Find [L Take] wives for your sons, and let your daughters be married so they also may have sons and daughters. ·Have many children in Babylon [L Multiply there]; don’t become fewer in number. 7 ·Also do good things for [L Seek the peace/security of] the city where I ·sent you as captives [exiled you]. Pray to the Lord for the city where you are living, because ·if good things happen in the city, good things will happen to you also [L in its peace/security you will have peace/security].” 8 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: “Don’t let the prophets among you and the ·people who do magic [L diviners] ·fool [deceive] you. Don’t listen to ·their dreams [their/or your dreams that they/or you dream]. 9 They are prophesying ·lies [falsehoods] to you, ·saying that their message is from me [L …in my name]. But I did not send them,” says the Lord.
10 This is what the Lord says: “·Babylon will be powerful for seventy years. After that time I will come to [L Only after the seventy years of Babylon are filled will I visit; 25:11] you, and I will ·keep my promise [L confirm my good word] to ·bring [restore] you back to ·Jerusalem [L this place]. 11 I say this because I know ·what [L the plans] I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have ·good plans for you [L plans for your peace/security], not plans ·to hurt you [L for your harm]. I will give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call ·my name [L me]. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me [Dan. 9:4–19]! 14 I will let you find me,” says the Lord. “And I will ·bring you back from your captivity [restore your fortunes]. I ·forced you to leave [drove you from] this place, but I will gather you from all the nations, from the places I have ·sent you as captives [exiled you],” says the Lord. “And I will ·bring you back [restore you] to this place.”
15 You might say, “The Lord has ·given [raised up/established/confirmed for; Deut. 18:18] us prophets here in Babylon.”
16 But the Lord says this about the king who is sitting on David’s throne now and all the other people still in this city [C Jerusalem], your ·relatives [L brothers] who did not go ·as captives to Babylon [L out as exiles] with you. 17 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: “I will soon send ·war [L sword], ·hunger [famine], and ·terrible diseases [plague; pestilence; C against those still in Jerusalem]. I will make them like bad figs that are too rotten to eat [24:1–10]. 18 I will ·chase [pursue] them with ·war [L sword], ·hunger [famine], and ·terrible diseases [plague; pestilence]. I will make them ·hated by [a horror to] all the kingdoms of the earth. ·People will curse them and be shocked and will use them as a shameful example [L …an object of cursing, shock, hissing and reproach] ·wherever I make them go [L among the nations where I have driven them]. 19 This is because they have not listened to my message,” says the Lord. “I sent my ·message [word] to them again and again through my servants, the prophets, but they did not listen,” says the Lord.
20 You ·captives [exiles], whom I ·forced to leave [sent from] Jerusalem ·and go to [L to] Babylon, listen to the message from the Lord. 21 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says this about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah: “These two men have been prophesying ·lies [falsehood] to you, ·saying that their message is from me [L in my name]. But soon I will ·hand over those two prophets to [L give them into the hand of] Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will ·kill [L strike] them ·in front of you [L before your eyes]. 22 Because of them, all the ·captives [exiles] from Judah in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the Lord ·treat [make] you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon ·burned [roasted] in the fire.’ 23 They have done evil things among the people of Israel. They are guilty of adultery with their neighbors’ wives. They have also spoken ·lies and said those lies were a message from me [L falsehoods in my name; Deut. 18:14–21]. I did not ·tell [L command] them to do that. I know what they have done; I am a witness to it,” says the Lord.
24 Also give a message to Shemaiah from the Nehelamite family. 25 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: “Shemaiah, you sent ·letters [scrolls] in your name to all the people in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests. 26 You said to Zephaniah, ‘The Lord has made you priest in place of Jehoiada. You are to be in charge of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. You should arrest any ·madman [crazy person] who acts like a prophet. Place him in stocks [C wooden restraints] and put an iron collar around his neck. 27 Now Jeremiah from Anathoth is acting like a prophet. So why haven’t you ·arrested [L rebuked] him? 28 He [C Jeremiah] has sent [C this message] to us in Babylon: You will be there for a long time, so build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat ·what they grow [L their fruit].’”
29 Zephaniah the priest read ·the letter to [L this scroll in the ear of] Jeremiah the prophet. 30 Then the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah: 31 “Send this message to all the ·captives in Babylon [exiles]: ‘This is what the Lord says about Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Shemaiah has prophesied to you, but I did not send him. He has made you ·believe [trust; have confidence in] a lie. 32 So the Lord says, I will soon punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his ·family [L seed]. He will not see the good things I will do for my people, says the Lord. None of his family will be left alive among the people, because he has taught the people to ·turn [rebel] against me.’”
Jeremiah 29
New International Version
Jeremiah 29
New International Version
A Letter to the Exiles
29 This is the text of the letter(A) that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.(B) 2 (This was after King Jehoiachin[a](C) and the queen mother,(D) the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) 3 He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:
4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried(E) into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build(F) houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.(G) 7 Also, seek(H) the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray(I) to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” 8 Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets(J) and diviners among you deceive(K) you. Do not listen to the dreams(L) you encourage them to have.(M) 9 They are prophesying lies(N) to you in my name. I have not sent(O) them,” declares the Lord.
10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years(P) are completed for Babylon, I will come to you(Q) and fulfill my good promise(R) to bring you back(S) to this place. 11 For I know the plans(T) I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper(U) you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.(V) 12 Then you will call(W) on me and come and pray(X) to me, and I will listen(Y) to you. 13 You will seek(Z) me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.(AA) 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back(AB) from captivity.[b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”(AC)
15 You may say, “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 all the people who remain in this city, your fellow citizens who did not go with you into exile— 17 yes, this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will send the sword, famine and plague(AD) against them and I will make them like figs(AE) that are so bad they cannot be eaten. 18 I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrent(AF) to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse[c](AG) and an object of horror,(AH) of scorn(AI) and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them. 19 For they have not listened to my words,”(AJ) declares the Lord, “words that I sent to them again and again(AK) by my servants the prophets.(AL) And you exiles have not listened either,” declares the Lord.
20 Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles whom I have sent(AM) away from Jerusalem to Babylon. 21 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies(AN) to you in my name: “I will deliver them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will put them to death before your very eyes. 22 Because of them, all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the Lord treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned(AO) in the fire.’ 23 For they have done outrageous things in Israel; they have committed adultery(AP) with their neighbors’ wives, and in my name they have uttered lies—which I did not authorize. I know(AQ) it and am a witness(AR) to it,” declares the Lord.
Message to Shemaiah
24 Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite, 25 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah(AS) son of Maaseiah, and to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah, 26 ‘The Lord has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada to be in charge of the house of the Lord; you should put any maniac(AT) who acts like a prophet into the stocks(AU) and neck-irons. 27 So why have you not reprimanded Jeremiah from Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you? 28 He has sent this message(AV) to us in Babylon: It will be a long time.(AW) Therefore build(AX) houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.’”
29 Zephaniah(AY) the priest, however, read the letter to Jeremiah the prophet. 30 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 31 “Send this message to all the exiles: ‘This is what the Lord says about Shemaiah(AZ) the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I did not send(BA) him, and has persuaded you to trust in lies, 32 this is what the Lord says: I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants.(BB) He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good(BC) things I will do for my people, declares the Lord, because he has preached rebellion(BD) against me.’”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 29:2 Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant of Jehoiachin
- Jeremiah 29:14 Or will restore your fortunes
- Jeremiah 29:18 That is, their names will be used in cursing (see verse 22); or, others will see that they are cursed.
Expanded Bible (EXB)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.