Jeremiah 29–31

29TH CHAPTER

Jeremiah Writes to the Captives in Babylon

¹The prophet Jeremiah sent a letter from Jerusalem to the rest of the leaders among the captives. He also sent it to the priests, the prophets, and all the people that Nebuchadnezzar took away as captives from Jerusalem to Babylon. ²(This was after King Jehoiakin^aand his mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and metal workers left Jerusalem.) ³He sent the letter with Shaphan’s son Elasah and Hilkiah’s son Gemariah, whom King Zedekiah of Judah had sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. The letter said: 

⁴This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all those who were taken captive from Jerusalem to Babylon: ⁵Build houses, and live in them. Plant gardens, and eat what they produce. ⁶Get married, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons, and let your daughters get married so that they can have sons and daughters. Grow in number there; don’t decrease. ⁷Work for the good of the city where I’ve taken you as captives, and pray to the Lord for that city. When it prospers, you will also prosper. 

⁸This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Don’t let the prophets or the mediums who are among you trick you. Don’t even listen to your own dreams. ⁹These people are prophesying lies to you in my name. I didn’t send them, declares the Lord. 

¹⁰This is what the Lord says: When Babylon’s 70 years are over, I will come to you. I will keep my promise to you and bring you back to this place. ¹¹I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope. ¹²Then you will call to me. You will come and pray to me, and I will hear you. ¹³When you look for me, you will find me. When you wholeheartedly seek me, ¹⁴I will let you find me, declares the Lord. I will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I’ve scattered you, declares the Lord. I will bring you back from the place where you are being held captive. 

¹⁵You’ve said that the Lord has given you prophets in Babylon. ¹⁶But this is what the Lord says about the king who sits on David’s throne and about all the people who live in this city, the people who are your relatives and who weren’t taken away as captives: ¹⁷The Lord of Armies says: I’m going to send them wars, famines, and plagues. These people are like rotten figs to me, figs that are so bad that they can’t be eaten. ¹⁸I will chase them with wars, famines, and plagues. I will make them a horrifying sight to all the kingdoms on the earth. They will become something cursed, ridiculed, and hissed at, and they will be a disgrace among all the nations where I scatter them. ¹⁹They didn’t listen to me, declares the Lord. I sent them my servants the prophets again and again, but they refused to listen, declares the Lord. 

²⁰So listen to the Lord’s word, all you captives who were sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon. 

²¹This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says about Kolaiah’s son Ahab and about Maaseiah’s son Zedekiah, who prophesy lies to you in my name: I’m going to hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I will kill them as you watch. ²²Because of them, all the captives from Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: May the Lord curse you as he cursed Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned to death. ²³They have done shameful things in Israel. They committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and spoke lies in my name. I didn’t command them to do this. I know what they have done. I’m a witness, declares the Lord. 

²⁴⸤The Lord says,⸥ “Say to Shemaiah from Nehelam, ²⁵‘This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests. These letters said: ²⁶The Lord made you priest instead of Jehoiada so that there would be officials for the Lord’s temple. You should put any lunatic who acts like a prophet in prison and in shackles. ²⁷Now, why haven’t you arrested Jeremiah from Anathoth? After all, he acts like a prophet among you. ²⁸That’s why Jeremiah sent this message to us in Babylon: You will be captives a long time. Build houses, and live in them. Plant gardens, and eat what they produce.’ ” 

²⁹The priest Zephaniah read this letter to the prophet Jeremiah. 

³⁰Then the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah. He said, ³¹“Send this message to all the captives: ‘This is what the Lord says about Shemaiah from Nehelam: Shemaiah prophesied to you, but I didn’t send him. He has made you believe a lie. ³²The Lord says: I will punish Shemaiah from Nehelam. I will also punish his descendants. No one from his family will be left alive. He will not see the blessings that I’m going to send my people, declares the Lord, because he has encouraged rebellion against the Lord.’ ” 

30TH CHAPTER

Israel’s Glorious Future

¹The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah. He said, ²“This is what the Lord God of Israel says: Write in a book everything that I tell you. ³The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity. I will bring them back to the land that I gave their ancestors, and they will take possession of it.” 

⁴This is the message that the Lord spoke about Israel and Judah: ⁵“This is what the Lord says: 

“We hear cries of fear, cries of panic, not cries of peace. 

⁶Ask now, and see: Can a man give birth to a child? 

Why, then, do I see every strong man holding his stomach in pain 

like a woman giving birth to a child? 

Why has every face turned pale? 

⁷How terrible that day will be! 

There will be no other day like it. 

It will be a time of calamity for the descendants of Jacob, 

but they will be rescued from it. 

⁸“On that day,” declares the Lord of Armies, “I will break the yokes^aoff your necks and tear off your ropes. Foreigners will no longer make you serve them. ⁹You will serve the Lord your God and David your king. I will establish him for you. 

¹⁰“Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob,” declares the Lord. 

Don’t be terrified, Israel. 

I’m going to rescue you from a faraway place. 

I’m going to rescue your descendants from where they are captives. 

The descendants of Jacob will again have peace and security, 

and no one will frighten them. 

¹¹I am with you, and I will rescue you,” declares the Lord. 

“I will completely destroy all the nations where I scattered you, 

but I will not completely destroy you. 

I will correct you with justice. 

I won’t let you go entirely unpunished. 

¹²“This is what the Lord says: 

Your wound is incurable. 

Your injury is beyond healing. 

¹³No one argues that you should be healed. 

No medicine will heal you. 

¹⁴All your lovers have forgotten you, 

and they don’t want you anymore. 

I’ve punished you as an enemy would. 

I’ve corrected you as a cruel person would. 

You are very wicked, and you have many sins. 

¹⁵Why do you cry about your wound, your injury that can’t be cured? 

I’ve done this to you. 

You are very wicked, and you have many sins. 

¹⁶That is why everyone who devours you will be devoured, 

and all your enemies will be taken away as captives. 

Those who looted you will be looted. 

Those who stole from you in war will have things stolen from them. 

¹⁷I’ll restore your health and heal your wounds,” declares the Lord. 

“People call you an outcast: 

Zion, no one cares for you. 

¹⁸“This is what the Lord says: 

I’m going to bring the captives back to Jacob’s tents 

and show compassion on their homes. 

Cities will be built on the ruins, 

and fortified palaces will be built in their rightful place. 

¹⁹The people who live there will sing songs of praise, 

and the sound of laughter will be heard from there. 

I’ll make them numerous, and their number won’t decrease. 

I’ll bring them honor, and they won’t be considered unimportant. 

²⁰Their children will be like they were long ago. 

Their community will be established in my presence, 

and I will punish everyone who oppresses them. 

²¹Their leader will be someone from their own people. 

Their ruler will come from among them. 

I’ll bring him near, and he will come close to me. 

Who would dare to come near me?” asks the Lord. 

²²You will be my people, and I will be your God. 

²³The storm of the Lord will come with his anger. 

Like a driving wind, it will swirl down on the heads of the wicked. 

²⁴The Lord’s burning anger will not turn back 

until he has done everything he intends to do. 

In the last days you will understand this clearly. 

31ST CHAPTER

Both Israel and Judah Will Be Rescued

¹“At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.” 

²This is what the Lord says: 

The people who survived the wars have found favor in the desert. 

Israel went to find its rest. 

³The Lord appeared to me in a faraway place and said, 

“I love you with an everlasting love. 

So I will continue to show you my kindness. 

⁴Once again I will build you up, 

and you will be rebuilt, my dear people Israel. 

Once again you will take your tambourines, 

and you will go dancing with happy people. 

⁵Once again you will plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria. 

Those who plant them will enjoy the fruit. 

⁶There will be a day when watchmen on the mountains of Ephraim 

will call out this message: 

‘Arise! Let’s go to Zion, to the Lord our God.’ ” 

⁷This is what the Lord says: 

Sing a happy song about Jacob. 

Sing joyfully for the leader of the nations. 

Shout, sing praise, and say, 

“O Lord, rescue your people, the remaining few from Israel.” 

⁸“I will bring them from the land of the north. 

I will gather them from the farthest parts of the earth. 

Blind people and lame people will return 

together with pregnant women and those in labor. 

A large crowd will return here. 

⁹They will cry as they return. 

They will pray as I bring them back. 

I will lead them beside streams 

on a level path where they will…