1 GLT These are the words in the scroll that Jeremiah the prophet sent out from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the captives and to the priests, prophets, and all the people that Nebuchadnezzar exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon. 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 GLT This was after Jehoiachin the king, the queen mother, and the high officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, and the craftsmen had been sent away from 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 GLT He sent this scroll by the hand of Elasah son of Shapan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah whom Zedekiah, king of Judah, had sent to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. 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 GLT The scroll said,“Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this to all the captives whom I caused to be exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon, 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 GLT Take wives and give birth to sons and daughters. Then take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands. Let them give birth to sons and daughters and increase there so you do not become too few. 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 GLT Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be exiled, and intercede with me on its behalf since there will be peace for you if it is at 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 GLT For Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this,‘Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that you yourselves are having. 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 GLT For they are prophesying deceitfully to you in my name. I did not send them— this is Yahweh’ s declaration.’ BSB BSB: For they are falsely prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, declares the LORD.”
11 GLT For I myself know the plans that I have for you— this is Yahweh’ s declaration— plans for peace and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 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 GLT Then you will call to me, and go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. BSB BSB: Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
14 GLT Then I will be found by you— this is Yahweh’ s declaration— and I will bring back your fortunes; I will gather you from all the nations and places where I scattered you— this is Yahweh’ s declaration— for I will bring you back to the place from where I caused you to be exiled.’ 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 GLT Since you said that Yahweh has raised up prophets for us in Babylon, BSB BSB: Because you may say, “The LORD has raised up for us prophets in Babylon,”
16 GLT Yahweh says this to the king who sits on the throne of David and to all the people who are staying in that city, your brothers who have not gone out with you into captivity— BSB BSB: 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 brothers who did not go with you into exile—
17 GLT Yahweh of hosts says this,‘See, I am about to send sword, famine, and disease on them. For I will make them like rotten figs that are too bad to be eaten. BSB BSB: this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will send against them sword and famine and plague, and I will make them like rotten figs, so bad they cannot be eaten.
18 GLT Then I will pursue them with sword, famine, and plague and make them a horrible sight to all the kingdoms on earth— a horror, an object of curses and hissing, and a shameful thing among all the nations where I scattered her. BSB BSB: I will pursue them with sword and famine and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse, a desolation, and an object of scorn and reproach among all the nations to which I banish them.
19 GLT This is because they did not listen to my word— this is Yahweh’ s declaration— that I sent out to them through my servants the prophets. I repeatedly sent them, but you would not listen— this is Yahweh’ s declaration.’ BSB BSB: I will do this because they have not listened to My words, declares the LORD, which I sent to them again and again through My servants the prophets. And neither have you exiles listened, declares the LORD.”
20 GLT So you yourselves listen to the word of Yahweh, all you exiles whom he has sent out from Jerusalem to Babylon, BSB BSB: So hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.
21 GLT ‘Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who prophesy falsely to you in my name: See, I am about to put them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He will kill them before your eyes. 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 GLT Then a curse will be spoken about these persons by all the captives of Judah in Babylon. The curse will say: May Yahweh make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in 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 GLT This will happen because of the shameful things they did in Israel when they committed adultery with their neighbor’ s wives and declared false words in my name, things that I never commanded them to say. For I am the one who knows; I am the witness— this is Yahweh’ s declaration.’” 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.”
24 GLT “About Shemaiah the Nehelamite, say this: BSB BSB: You are to tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite that
25 GLT ‘Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this: Because you sent out letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, and said, 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 GLT “Yahweh has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, for you to be in charge of Yahweh’ s house. You are in control of all the people who rave and make themselves into prophets. You should put them in stocks and chains. 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 GLT So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who makes himself into a prophet against you? BSB BSB: So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you?
28 GLT For he has sent to us in Babylon and said,‘It will be a long time. Build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their fruit.”’” 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 GLT Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. BSB BSB: (Zephaniah the priest, however, had read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.)
30 GLT Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, BSB BSB: Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:
31 GLT “Send word to all the exiles and say,‘Yahweh says this about Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you when I myself did not send him, and he has led you to believe lies, 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 GLT therefore Yahweh says this: Look, I am about to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. There will not be a man for him to stay among this people. He will not see the good that I will do for my people— this is Yahweh’ s declaration— for he has proclaimed rebellion against Yahweh.’” 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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