1 And these are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the residue of the elders of the captivity, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon
2 (after that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the craftsmen, and the smiths, had departed from Jerusalem);
3 by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkijah (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon, unto Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), saying,
4 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all the captivity, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon:
5 Build houses, and dwell in them, and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
6 Take wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there, and be not diminished.
7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray unto Jehovah for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
8 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Let not your prophets that are in your midst, nor your diviners deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams, which ye like to dream.
9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith Jehovah.
10 For thus saith Jehovah: When seventy years shall be accomplished for Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in bringing you back to this place.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith Jehovah, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you in your latter end a hope.
12 And ye shall call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you;
13 and ye shall seek me and find me, for ye shall search for me with all your heart,
14 and I will be found of you, saith Jehovah. And I will turn your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith Jehovah; and I will bring you again into the place whence I have caused you to be carried away captive.
15 If ye say, Jehovah hath raised us up prophets in Babylon;
16 yea, thus saith Jehovah concerning the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and concerning all the people that dwell in this city, your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;
17 thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Behold, I will send against them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like the vile figs, that cannot be eaten for badness.
18 And I will pursue them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will give them over to be driven hither and thither into all the kingdoms of the earth, to be an execration, and an astonishment, and a hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I will drive them:
19 because they have not hearkened to my words, saith Jehovah, wherewith I sent unto them my servants the prophets, rising early and sending; but ye have not hearkened, saith Jehovah.
20 But ye, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon, hear the word of Jehovah.
21 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy falsehood unto you in my name: Behold, I will give them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall smite them before your eyes.
22 And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah that are in Babylon, saying, Jehovah make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;
23 because they have committed infamy in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken words of falsehood in my name, which I had not commanded them: and I {am} he that knoweth, and {am} witness, saith Jehovah.
24 And thou shalt speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,
25 Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
26 Jehovah hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that there should be officers {in} the house of Jehovah, over every madman and self-made prophet, that thou shouldest put him in the stocks and in the shackles.
27 And now, why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, who maketh himself a prophet to you?
28 Forasmuch as he hath sent unto us in Babylon, saying, It will be long; build houses, and dwell {in them}, and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
29 -And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of the prophet Jeremiah.
30 And the word of Jehovah came unto Jeremiah, saying,
31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith Jehovah concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he hath caused you to trust in falsehood;
32 therefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he see the good that I will do for my people, saith Jehovah; because he hath spoken revolt against Jehovah.
1 以下这一封信， 是耶利米先知从耶路撒冷寄给被掳的祭司、先知和众民， 以及尚存的长老， 就是尼布甲尼撒从耶路撒冷掳到巴比伦去的。
2 这是在耶哥尼雅王、太后、宫中的臣宰、犹大和耶路撒冷的领袖、工匠和铁匠从耶路撒冷被掳走以后。
3 这封信是由沙番的儿子以利亚萨和希勒家的儿子基玛利带去的； 他们是犹大王西底家差往巴比伦， 去见巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒的。信上说：
4 "万军之耶和华以色列的 神对所有被掳的， 就是耶和华（"耶和华"原文作"我"）把他们从耶路撒冷掳到巴比伦去的人， 这样说：
5 ‘你们要建造房屋， 定居下来； 要栽种园子， 吃园中的果子。
6 你们要娶妻， 生养儿女； 要为你们的儿子娶媳妇， 把你们的女儿出嫁， 好让他们也生养儿女。你们要在那里增多， 不可减少。
7 我把你们掳到的那城， 你们要为她求平安， 为她向耶和华祈祷； 因为她得平安， 你们也得平安。’
8 "万军之耶和华以色列的 神这样说： ‘不要被你们中间的先知和作占卜的欺骗， 也不要听信自己所作的梦（"自己所作的梦"原文作"你们的梦， 就是你们所促使作的梦"， 有古本作"他们所作的梦"）。
9 因为他们冒我名对你们说虚假的预言， 我并没有差派他们。’这是耶和华的宣告。
10 "耶和华这样说： ‘为巴比伦所定的七十年满了以后， 我必眷顾你们， 向你们实行我满有恩惠的诺言， 把你们带回这地方来。
11 因我自己知道我为你们所定的计划， 是使你们得平安， 而不是遭受灾祸的计划； 要赐给你们美好的前程和盼望。’这是耶和华的宣告。
12 ‘你们要呼求我， 要来向我祷告， 我就必应允你们。
13 你们要寻找我， 只要一心寻求， 就必寻见。
14 我必给你们寻见（这是耶和华的宣告）； 我必使你们被掳的归回， 从我赶逐你们去的各国各地， 把你们集合起来， 带回我掳你们离开的地方去。’这是耶和华的宣告。
15 "你们既然说： ‘耶和华在巴比伦为我们兴起了先知’，
16 所以耶和华论到那坐大卫王位的君王和住在这城里的众民， 就是没有和你们一同被掳去的众兄弟， 这样说：
17 ‘万军之耶和华这样说： 看哪！ 我必打发刀剑、饥荒、瘟疫临到他们； 我必使他们像腐烂的无花果， 坏到不能吃。
18 我必用刀剑、饥荒、瘟疫追赶他们， 使他们成为地上万国所惊惧的， 在我赶逐他们到的各国中， 成为令人惊骇、被人咒骂、嗤笑、羞辱的对象。
19 因为他们不听从我的话（这是耶和华的宣告）， 就是我不断差遣到他们那里去， 我的仆人众先知所说的话； 同样， 你们也没有听从。’这是耶和华的宣告。
20 "你们这所有被掳去的， 就是我从耶路撒冷赶逐到巴比伦去的， 要听耶和华的话。
21 "万军之耶和华以色列的 神这样说： ‘论到冒我的名向你们说虚假预言的哥赖雅的儿子亚哈和玛西雅的儿子西底家， 我要把他们交在巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒的手中， 他要在你们眼前击杀他们。
22 所有被掳到巴比伦的犹大人， 都要因他们的遭遇这样咒诅人， 说： "愿耶和华使你像巴比伦王用火烧死的西底家和亚哈一样。"
23 因为他们二人在以色列中行了无耻的事， 他们和邻舍的妻子通奸， 又冒我的名说虚假的话， 是我没有吩咐他们说的。我知道一切， 也可以作证。’这是耶和华的宣告。"
24 耶和华吩咐耶利米说： "你要对尼希兰人示玛雅说：
25 ‘万军之耶和华以色列的 神这样说： 你曾用自己的名寄信给在耶路撒冷的众民、玛西雅祭司的儿子西番雅， 和众祭司， 说：
26 耶和华已经立了你西番雅为祭司， 代替耶何耶大， 作耶和华殿中的总管， 你就应把所有妄自说预言的人， 都带上脚镣枷锁。
27 现在， 亚拿突人耶利米向你们说预言， 你为什么不斥责他呢？
28 因为他寄信给我们在巴比伦的人说： 被掳的时期必会长久， 所以你们要建造房屋， 定居下来， 也要栽植园子， 吃园中的果子。’"
29 （西番雅祭司却把这封信念给耶利米先知听。）
30 耶和华的话又临到耶利米， 说：
31 "你要寄信给所有被掳的人， 说： ‘论到尼希兰人示玛雅， 耶和华这样说： 因为示玛雅向你们说预言， 我并没有差遣他， 他竟使你们信靠谎言。
32 所以耶和华这样说： 看哪！ 我必惩罚尼希兰人示玛雅和他的后代； 他必不会有子孙住在这人民中间， 也必不能看见我要为我的子民所作的美事， 因为他说了悖逆耶和华的话。’"这是耶和华的宣告。