Jeremiah 29 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles

1 Now these ^H428 are the words ^H1697 of the letter ^H5612 which ^H834 Jeremiah ^H3414 the prophet ^H5030 sent ^H7971 from Jerusalem ^H3389 to the rest ^H3499 of the elders ^H2205 of the exile ^H1473, the priests ^H3548, the prophets ^H5030, and all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 whom ^H834 Nebuchadnezzar ^H5019 had taken ^H1540 away ^H1540 into ^H1540 exile ^H1473 from Jerusalem ^H3389 to Babylon ^H894.

2 (This was after ^H310 King ^H4428 Jeconiah ^H3204 and the queen ^H1377 mother ^H1377, the court ^H5631 officials ^H5631, the princes ^H8269 of Judah ^H3063 and Jerusalem ^H3389, the craftsmen ^H2796, and the smiths ^H4525 had gone ^H3318 out ^H3318 from Jerusalem ^H3389.) 3 The letter was sent by the hand ^H3027 of Elasah ^H501 the son ^H1121 of Shaphan ^H8227 and Gemariah ^H1587 the son ^H1121 of Hilkiah ^H2518, whom ^H834 Zedekiah ^H6667 king ^H4428 of Judah ^H3063 sent ^H7971 to Babylon ^H894 to Nebuchadnezzar ^H5019 king ^H4428 of Babylon ^H894, saying ^H559, 4 “Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068 of hosts ^H6635, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, to all ^H3605 the exiles ^H1473 whom ^H834 I have sent ^H1540 into ^H1540 exile ^H1540 from Jerusalem ^H3389 to Babylon ^H894, 5 ‘Build ^H1129 houses ^H1004 and live ^H3427 in them; and plant ^H5193 gardens ^H1593 and eat ^H398 their fruit ^H6529. 6 Take ^H3947 wives ^H802 and [fn]become ^H3205 the fathers ^H3205 of sons ^H1121 and daughters ^H1323, and take ^H3947 wives ^H802 for your sons ^H1121 and give ^H5414 your daughters ^H1323 to husbands ^H376, that they may bear ^H3205 sons ^H1121 and daughters ^H1323; and multiply ^H7235 there ^H8033 and do not decrease ^H4591. 7 Seek ^H1875 the peace ^H7965 of the city ^H5892 where ^H834 H8033 I have sent ^H1540 you into ^H1540 exile ^H1540, and pray ^H6419 to Yahweh ^H3068 on its behalf ^H1157; for in its peace ^H7965 you will have ^H1961 peace ^H7965.’ 8 For thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068 of hosts ^H6635, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, ‘Do not let your prophets ^H5030 who ^H834 are in your midst ^H7130 and your diviners ^H7080 deceive ^H5378 you, and do not listen ^H8085 to your dreams ^H2472 which ^H834 you dream ^H2492. 9 For they prophesy ^H5012 a lie ^H8267 to you in My name ^H8034; I have not sent ^H7971 them,’ declares ^H5002 Yahweh ^H3068.

10 “For thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068, ‘When ^H3588 seventy ^H7657 years ^H8141 have been ^H4390 fulfilled ^H4390 for Babylon ^H894, I will [fn]visit ^H6485 you and establish ^H6965 My good ^H2896 word ^H1697 to you, to return ^H7725 you to this ^H2088 place ^H4725. 11 For I know ^H3045 the plans ^H4284 that I [fn]have ^H2803 for you,’ declares ^H5002 Yahweh ^H3068, ‘plans ^H4284 for peace ^H7965 and not for calamity ^H7451, to give ^H5414 you a future ^H319 and a hope ^H8615. 12 Then you will call ^H7121 upon Me and come ^H1980 and pray ^H6419 to Me, and I will listen ^H8085 to you. 13 You will seek ^H1245 Me and find ^H4672 Me when ^H3588 you search ^H1875 for Me with all ^H3605 your heart ^H3824. 14 I will be found ^H4672 by you,’ declares ^H5002 Yahweh ^H3068, ‘and I will [fn]return ^H7725 your [fn]fortunes ^H7622 and will gather ^H6908 you from all ^H3605 the nations ^H1471 and from all ^H3605 the places ^H4725 where ^H834 H8033 I have banished ^H5080 you,’ declares ^H5002 Yahweh ^H3068, ‘and I will cause ^H7725 you to return ^H7725 to the place ^H4725 from where ^H834 H8033 I sent ^H1540 you into ^H1540 exile ^H1540.’

15 “Because ^H3588 you have said ^H559, ‘Yahweh ^H3068 has raised ^H6965 up ^H6965 prophets ^H5030 for us in Babylon ^H894’— 16 for thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068 concerning ^H413 the king ^H4428 who sits ^H3427 on the throne ^H3678 of David ^H1732 and concerning ^H413 all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 who live ^H3427 in this ^H2088 city ^H5892, your brothers ^H251 who ^H834 did not go ^H3318 with you into exile ^H1473— 17 thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068 of hosts ^H6635, ‘Behold ^H2009, I am sending ^H7971 upon them the sword ^H2719, famine ^H7458, and pestilence ^H1698, and I will make ^H5414 them like split-open ^H8182 figs ^H8384 that cannot ^H3808 be eaten ^H398 due ^H4480 to rottenness ^H7455. 18 I will pursue ^H7291 them with the sword ^H2719, with famine ^H7458, and with pestilence ^H1698; and I will give ^H5414 them over to be a terror ^H2113 to all ^H3605 the kingdoms ^H4467 of the earth ^H776, to be a curse ^H423 and an object ^H8047 of horror ^H8047 and of hissing ^H8322, and a reproach ^H2781 among all ^H3605 the nations ^H1471 where ^H834 H8033 I have banished ^H5080 them, 19 because ^H8478 H834 they have not listened ^H8085 to My words ^H1697,’ declares ^H5002 Yahweh ^H3068, ‘which ^H834 I sent ^H7971 to them by My slaves ^H5650 the prophets ^H5030, rising ^H7925 up ^H7925 early ^H7925 and sending ^H7971; but you did not listen ^H8085,’ declares ^H5002 Yahweh ^H3068. 20 You, therefore, hear ^H8085 the word ^H1697 of Yahweh ^H3068, all ^H3605 you exiles ^H1473, whom ^H834 I have sent ^H7971 away ^H7971 from Jerusalem ^H3389 to Babylon ^H894.

21 “Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068 of hosts ^H6635, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, concerning ^H413 Ahab ^H256 the son ^H1121 of Kolaiah ^H6964 and concerning ^H413 Zedekiah ^H6667 the son ^H1121 of Maaseiah ^H4641, who are prophesying ^H5012 to you falsely ^H8267 in My name ^H8034, ‘Behold ^H2009, I will give ^H5414 them into the hand ^H3027 of Nebuchadnezzar ^H5019 king ^H4428 of Babylon ^H894, and he will strike ^H5221 them down ^H5221 before your eyes ^H5869. 22 And because ^H4480 of them a curse ^H7045 will be [fn]used ^H3947 by all ^H3605 the exiles ^H1546 from Judah ^H3063 who ^H834 are in Babylon ^H894, saying ^H559, “May Yahweh ^H3068 make ^H7760 you like Zedekiah ^H6667 and like Ahab ^H256, whom ^H834 the king ^H4428 of Babylon ^H894 roasted ^H7033 in the fire ^H784 23 because ^H3282 H834 they have acted ^H6213 with wicked ^H5039 foolishness ^H5039 in Israel ^H3478 and have committed ^H5003 adultery ^H5003 with their neighbors’ ^H7453 wives ^H802 and have spoken ^H1696 words ^H1697 in My name ^H8034 falsely ^H8267, which ^H834 I did not command ^H6680 them; and I am He who knows ^H3045 and am a witness ^H5707,” declares ^H5002 Yahweh ^H3068.’”

24 And to Shemaiah ^H8098 the Nehelamite ^H5161 you shall speak ^H559, saying ^H559, 25 “Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068 of hosts ^H6635, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, ‘Because ^H3282 H834 you have sent ^H7971 letters ^H5612 in your own name ^H8034 to all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 who ^H834 are in Jerusalem ^H3389 and to Zephaniah ^H6846 the son ^H1121 of Maaseiah ^H4641, the priest ^H3548, and to all ^H3605 the priests ^H3548, saying ^H559, 26 “Yahweh ^H3068 has given ^H5414 you to be a priest ^H3548 instead ^H8478 of ^H8478 Jehoiada ^H3077 the priest ^H3548, to be the [fn]overseer ^H6496 in the house ^H1004 of Yahweh ^H3068 over every ^H3605 madman ^H7696 who prophesies ^H5012, to put ^H5414 him in the stocks ^H4115 and in the iron ^H6729 collar ^H6729, 27 so now ^H6258, why ^H4100 have you not rebuked ^H1605 Jeremiah ^H3414 of Anathoth ^H6069 who prophesies ^H5012 to you? 28 For he has sent ^H7971 to us in Babylon ^H894, saying ^H559, ‘The exile will be long ^H752; build ^H1129 houses ^H1004 and live ^H3427 in them and plant ^H5193 gardens ^H1593 and eat ^H398 their fruit ^H6529.’”’”

29 So Zephaniah ^H6846 the priest ^H3548 read ^H7121 this ^H2088 letter ^H5612 in ^H7121 the hearing ^H241 of Jeremiah ^H3414 the prophet ^H5030. 30 Then came ^H1961 the word ^H1697 of Yahweh ^H3068 to Jeremiah ^H3414, saying ^H559, 31 “Send ^H7971 to all ^H3605 the exiles ^H1473, saying ^H559, ‘Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068 concerning ^H413 Shemaiah ^H8098 the Nehelamite ^H5161, “Because ^H3282 H834 Shemaiah ^H8098 has prophesied ^H5012 to you, although I did not send ^H7971 him, and he has made you trust ^H982 in a lie ^H8267,” 32 therefore ^H3651 thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068, “Behold ^H2009, I am about to punish ^H6485 Shemaiah ^H8098 the Nehelamite ^H5161 and his seed ^H2233; he will not have ^H1961 anyone ^H376 living ^H3427 among ^H8432 this ^H2088 people ^H5971, and he will not see ^H7200 the good ^H2896 that I am about to do ^H6213 to My people ^H5971,” declares ^H5002 Yahweh ^H3068, “because ^H3588 he has spoken ^H1696 rebellion ^H5627 against ^H5921 Yahweh ^H3068.”’”