Jeremiah 29–31

Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles

29This is the text of the letter ^uthat Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exiles, the priests, the prophets, and all the people Nebuchadnezzar ^vhad deported from Jerusalem to Babylon. ²This was after King Jeconiah, ^wxthe queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had left Jerusalem. ³The letter was sent by Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah ^ywhom Zedekiah king of Judah had sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. The letter stated:

⁴This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: ⁵“Build houses and live in them. ^zPlant gardens and eat their produce. ⁶Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. ^a7Seek the welfare of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, ^bfor when it has prosperity, you will prosper.”

⁸For this is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among you ^cand your diviners deceive you, ^dand don’t listen to the dreams you elicit from them, ⁹for they are prophesying falsely to you in My name. I have not sent them.” ^eThis is the Lord’s declaration.

¹⁰For this is what the Lord says: “When 70 years for Babylon are complete, ^fI will attend to you and will confirm My promise concerning you to restore you to this place. ¹¹For I know the plans I have for you” ^g—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. ¹²You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ^h13You will seek Me ⁱand find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. ¹⁴I will be found by you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and I will restore your fortunes ^jkand gather you from all the nations and places where I banished you”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “I will restore you to the place I deported you from.” ^l

¹⁵You have said, “The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon!” ¹⁶But this is what the Lord says concerning the king sitting on David’s throne ^mand concerning all the people living in this city—that is, concerning your brothers who did not go with you into exile. ¹⁷This is what the Lord of Hosts says: “I am about to send against them sword, famine, and plague ⁿand will make them like rotten figs that are inedible because they are so bad. ¹⁸I will pursue them with sword, famine, and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse and a desolation, an object of scorn and a disgrace among all the nations ^owhere I have banished them. ^p19I will do this because they have not listened to My words”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“that I sent to them with My servants the prophets time and time again. ^qrAnd you too have not listened.” This is the Lord’s declaration.

²⁰Hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon. ^s21This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to Ahab son of Kolaiah and to Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, the ones prophesying a lie to you in My name: ^t“I am about to hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes. ²²Based on what happens to them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will create a curse ^uthat says, ‘May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!’ ^v23because they have committed an outrage ^win Israel by committing adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have spoken a lie in My name, which I did not command them. I am He who knows, and I am a witness.” This is the Lord’s declaration.

²⁴To Shemaiah the Nehelamite you are to say, ²⁵“This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: You ^xin your own name have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah ^yson of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying: ²⁶‘The Lord has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada the priest to be the chief officer ^zin the temple of the Lord, responsible for every madman ^awho acts like a prophet. You must confine him in the stocks ^band an iron collar. ²⁷So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who has been acting like a prophet among you? ^c28For he has sent word to us in Babylon, claiming, “The exile will be long. Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce.” ’ ” ^d

²⁹Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet.

A Message about Shemaiah

³⁰Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ³¹“Send a message to all the exiles, saying: This is what the Lord says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and made you trust a lie, ^e32this is what the Lord says: I am about to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. There will not be even one of his descendants living among these people, ^fnor will any ever see the good that I will bring to My people”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“for he has preached rebellion against the Lord.” ^g

Restoration from Captivity

30This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord. ²This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “Write down on a scroll all the words that I have spoken to you, ^h3for the days are certainly coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will restore the fortunes ⁱof My people Israel and Judah” ^j—the Lord’s declaration. “I will restore them to the land I gave to their ancestors and they will possess it.”

⁴These are the words the Lord spoke to Israel and Judah. ⁵Yes, this is what the Lord says:

We have heard a cry of terror,

of dread—there is no peace.

⁶Ask and see

whether a male can give birth.

Why then do I see every man

with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor

and every face turned pale? ^k

⁷How awful that day will be! ^l

There will be none like it! ^m

It will be a time of trouble for Jacob,

but he will be delivered out of it.

⁸“On that day”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts—“I will break his yoke from your neck ⁿand tear off your chains ^oso strangers will never again enslave him. ^p9They will serve the Lord their God and I will raise up David their king for them.” ^q

¹⁰As for you, My servant Jacob, ^r

do not be afraid—

this is the Lord’s declaration—

and do not be dismayed, Israel,

for without fail I will save you from far away,

your descendants, from the land of their captivity!

Jacob will return and have calm and quiet

with no one to frighten him. ^s

¹¹For I will be with you—

this is the Lord’s declaration—

to save you! ^t

I will bring destruction on all the nations

where I have scattered you;

however, I will not bring destruction on you.

I will discipline you justly,

and I will by no means leave you unpunished. ^u

Healing Zion’s Wounds

¹²For this is what the Lord says:

Your injury is incurable;

your wound most severe. ^v

¹³No one takes up the case for your sores. ^w

There is no healing for you.

¹⁴All your lovers have forgotten you; ^x

they no longer look for you,

for I have struck you as an enemy would,

with the discipline ^yof someone cruel, ^z

because of your enormous guilt

and your innumerable sins. ^a

¹⁵Why do you cry out about your injury?

Your pain has no cure!

I have done these things to you

because of your enormous guilt

and your innumerable sins.

¹⁶Nevertheless, all who devoured you will be devoured, ^b

and all your adversaries—all of them—

will go off into exile.

Those who plunder you will be plundered,

and all who raid you will be raided. ^c

¹⁷But I will bring you health ^d

and will heal you of your wounds—

this is the Lord’s declaration—

for they call you Outcast,

Zion whom no one cares about.

Restoration of the Land

¹⁸This is what the Lord says:

I will certainly restore the fortunes ^eof Jacob’s tents ^f

and show compassion ^g

Every city will be rebuilt on its mound;

every citadel will stand on its proper site.

¹⁹Thanksgiving will come out of them,

a sound of celebration.

I will multiply them, and they will not decrease; ^h

I will honor them, and they will not be insignificant.

²⁰His children will be as in past days;

his congregation will be established in My presence.

I will punish all his oppressors. ⁱ

²¹Jacob’s leader will be one of them;

his ruler will issue from him.

I will invite him to Me, and he will approach Me, ^j

for who would otherwise risk his life to approach Me?

This is the Lord’s declaration.

²²You will be My people,

and I will be your God. ^k

The Wrath of God

²³Look, a storm from the Lord! ^l

Wrath has gone out,

a churning storm.

It will whirl about the heads of the wicked.

²⁴The Lord’s burning anger will not turn back

until He has completely fulfilled the purposes of His heart.

In time to come you will understand it. ^m

God’s Relationship with His People

31“At that time”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“I will be the God of all the families of Israel, ⁿand they will be My people.”

²This is what the Lord says:

They found favor in the wilderness ^o—

the people who survived the sword.

When Israel went to find rest, ^p

³the Lord appeared to him ^qfrom far away.

I have loved you with an everlasting love; ^r

therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you. ^s

⁴Again I will build you so that you will be rebuilt,

Virgin Israel. ^t

You will take up your tambourines again ^u

and go out in joyful dancing.

⁵You will plant vineyards again ^v

on the mountains of Samaria;

the planters will plant and will enjoy the fruit. ^w

⁶For there will be a day when watchmen will call out

in the hill country of Ephraim,

“Get up, let’s go up to Zion, ^x

to Yahweh our God!”

God’s People Brought Home

⁷For this is what the Lord says:

Sing with joy for Jacob;

shout for the chief of the nations!

Proclaim, praise, and say,

“Lord, save Your people, ^y

the remnant of Israel!” ^z

⁸Watch! I am going to bring them from the northern land.

I will…