29:1 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].
29:2 (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.)
29:3 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:
29:4 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:
29:5 “Build houses and settle ·in the land [down]. Plant gardens and eat ·the food they grow [L their fruit].
29:6 ·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.
29:7 ·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].”
29:8 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].
29:9 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.
29:10 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].
29:11 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.
29:12 Then you will call ·my name [L me]. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
29:13 You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me [Dan. 9:4–19]!
29:14 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.”
29:15 You might say, “The Lord has ·given [raised up/established/confirmed for; Deut. 18:18] us prophets here in Babylon.”
29:16 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.
29:17 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].
29:18 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].
29:19 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.
29:20 You ·captives [exiles], whom I ·forced to leave [sent from] Jerusalem ·and go to [L to] Babylon, listen to the message from the Lord.
29:21 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].
29:22 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.’
29:23 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.
29:24 Also give a message to Shemaiah from the Nehelamite family.
29:25 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.
29:26 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.
29:27 Now Jeremiah from Anathoth is acting like a prophet. So why haven’t you ·arrested [L rebuked] him?
29:28 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].’”
29:29 Zephaniah the priest read ·the letter to [L this scroll in the ear of] Jeremiah the prophet.
29:31 “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.
29:32 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.’”
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