Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles 1 Brenton And these are the words of the book which Jeremias sent from Jerusalem to the elders of the captivity, and to the priests, and to the false prophets, even an epistle to Babylon for the captivity, and to all the people; BSB BSB: This is the text of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets, and all the others Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
2 Brenton (after the departure of Jechonias the king and the queen, and the eunuchs, and every freeman, and bondman, and artificer, out of Jerusalem;) BSB BSB: (This was after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had been exiled from Jerusalem.)
3 Brenton by the hand of Eleasan son of Saphan, and Gamarias son of Chelcias, (whom Sedekias king of Juda sent to the king of Babylon to Babylon) saying, BSB BSB: The letter was entrusted to Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It stated:
4 Brenton Thus said the Lord God of Israel concerning the captivity which I caused to be carried away from Jerusalem; BSB BSB: This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
6 Brenton and take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, and be multiplied, and be not diminished. BSB BSB: Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease.
7 Brenton And seek the peace of the land into which I have carried you captive, and ye shall pray to the Lord for the people: for in its peace ye shall have peace. BSB BSB: Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
8 Brenton For thus saith the Lord; Let not the false prophets that are among you persuade you, and let not your diviners persuade you, and hearken not to your dreams which ye dream. BSB BSB: For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among you, and do not listen to the dreams you elicit from them.
9 Brenton For they prophesy to you unrighteous words in my name; and I sent them not. BSB BSB: For they are falsely prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, declares the LORD.”
11 Brenton And I will devise for you a device of peace, and not evil, to bestow upon you these good things . BSB BSB: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.
12 Brenton And do ye pray to me, and I will hearken to you: and do ye earnestly seek me, and ye shall find me; BSB BSB: Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
14 Brenton And I will appear to you: BSB BSB: I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore you from captivity and gather you from all the nations and places to which I have banished you, declares the LORD. I will restore you to the place from which I sent you into exile.”
15 Brenton whereas ye said, The Lord has appointed for us prophets in Babylon: BSB BSB: Because you may say, “The LORD has raised up for us prophets in Babylon,”
21 Brenton Thus saith the Lord concerning Achiab, and concerning Sedekias; Behold, I will deliver them into the hands of the king of Babylon; and he shall smite them in your sight. BSB BSB: This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you lies in My name: “I will deliver them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes.
22 Brenton And they shall make of them a curse in all the captivity of Juda in Babylon, saying, The Lord do to thee as he did to Sedekias, and as he did to Achiab, whom the king of Babylon fried in the fire; BSB BSB: Because of them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!’
23 Brenton because of the iniquity which they wrought in Israel, and because they committed adultery with the wives of their fellow-citizens, and spoke a word in my name, which I did not command them to speak , and I am witness, saith the Lord. BSB BSB: For they have committed an outrage in Israel by committing adultery with the wives of their neighbors and speaking lies in My name, which I did not command them to do. I am He who knows, and I am a witness, declares the LORD.”
The Message to Shemaiah 24 Brenton And to Samæas the Ælamite thou shalt say, BSB BSB: You are to tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite that
25 Brenton I sent thee not in my name: and to Sophonias the priest the son of Maasæas say thou, BSB BSB: this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “In your own name you have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests. You said to Zephaniah:
26 Brenton The Lord has made thee priest in the place of Jodae the priest, to be ruler in the house of the Lord over every prophet, and to every madman, and thou shalt put them in prison, and into the dungeon. BSB BSB: ‘The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada, to be the chief officer in the house of the LORD, responsible for any madman who acts like a prophet—you must put him in stocks and neck irons.
27 Brenton And now wherefore have ye reviled together Jeremias of Anathoth, who prophesied to you? BSB BSB: So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you?
28 Brenton Did he not send for this purpose? for in the course of this month he sent to you to Babylon, saying, It is far off: build ye houses, and inhabit them ; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them. BSB BSB: For he has sent to us in Babylon, claiming: Since the exile will be lengthy, build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat their produce.’”
29 Brenton And Sophonias read the book in the ears of Jeremias. BSB BSB: (Zephaniah the priest, however, had read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.)
30 Brenton Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremias, saying, BSB BSB: Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:
31 Brenton Send to the captivity, saying, Thus saith the Lord concerning Samæas the Ælamite, Since Samæas has prophesied to you, and I sent him not, and he has made you to trust in iniquity, BSB BSB: “Send a message telling all the exiles what the LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you—though I did not send him—and has made you trust in a lie,
32 Brenton therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will visit Samæas, and his family: and there shall not be a man of them in the midst of you to see the good which I will do to you: they shall not see it . BSB BSB: this is what the LORD says: ‘I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good that I will bring to My people, declares the LORD, for he has preached rebellion against the LORD.’”
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