וְאֵלֶּה דִּבְרֵי הַסֵּפֶר אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח יִרְמְיָה הַנָּבִיא מִירוּשָׁלִָם אֶל־יֶתֶר זִקְנֵי הַגּוֹלָה וְאֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִים וְאֶל־הַנְּבִיאִים וְאֶל־כָּל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר הֶגְלָה נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מִירוּשָׁלִַם בָּבֶלָה

These are the matters of the missive, in which the prophecy is written, that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exile, the prominent surviving members of the elite who had been exiled from Judah, and to the priests and to the prophets and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon.

אַחֲרֵי צֵאת יְכָנְיָה הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַגְּבִירָה וְהַסָּרִיסִים שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִַם וְהֶחָרָשׁ וְהַמַּסְגֵּר מִירוּשָׁלִָם

Nebuchadnezzar had exiled them after the departure of King Yekhonya and the queen mother, or possibly the queen, Yekhonya’s wife; and the officials of the court; and the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths, or the royal advisors and the wise men, from Jerusalem.

בְּיַד אֶלְעָשָׂה בֶן־שָׁפָן וּגְמַרְיָה בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּה אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח צִדְקִיָּה מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה אֶל־נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל בָּבֶלָה לֵאמֹר׃

The missive was sent by the hand of Elasa son of Shafan, and Gemarya son of Hilkiya, the diplomatic representatives whom Tzidkiya king of Judah sent to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, to Babylon. This is how Jeremiah was able to send a missive to the Jewish exiles, saying:

כֹּה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְכָל־הַגּוֹלָה אֲשֶׁר־הִגְלֵיתִי מִירוּשָׁלִַם בָּבֶלָה —

So said the Lord of hosts, God of Israel, to the entire exile that I exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon:

בְּנוּ בָתִּים ושׁבוּ וְנִטְעוּ גַנּוֹת וְאִכְלוּ אֶת־פִּרְיָן

Build houses, and dwell in permanent residences, and plant gardens, and eat their fruit. It is advisable for you to engage in agriculture for your livelihoods, and you should even plant for the long term, as your stay in Babylon will not be brief.

קְחוּ נָשִׁים וְהוֹלִידוּ בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת וּקְחוּ לִבְנֵיכֶם נָשִׁים וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֵיכֶם תְּנוּ לַאֲנָשִׁים וְתֵלַדְנָה בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת וּרְבוּ־שָׁם וְאַל־תִּמְעָטוּ

Take wives, and beget sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, and they will bear sons and daughters, and you will multiply there, and do not be diminished. You should settle in the land, bear children, and live normal lives, as a lengthy exile awaits you. Therefore, there is no point in living in anticipation of your imminent return to your land.

וְדִרְשׁוּ אֶת־שְׁלוֹם הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר הִגְלֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם שָׁמָּה וְהִתְפַּלְּלוּ בַעֲדָהּ אֶל־ה' כִּי בִשְׁלוֹמָהּ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם שָׁלוֹם

And moreover, seek the peace of the city to which I exiled you, and pray to the Lord on its behalf.You are now citizens of another state, and you must pray for that country’s welfare, as in its peace there will be peace for you.

כִּי כֹה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אַל־יַשִּׁיאוּ לָכֶם נְבִיאֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר־בְּקִרְבְּכֶם וְקֹסְמֵיכֶם וְאַל־תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל־חֲלֹמֹתֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם מַחְלְמִים

For so said the Lord of hosts, God of Israel: Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners entice you, and do not heed your dreams that you dream. Alternatively, this means that you should not heed the dreams that you cause those diviners to dream, by giving credence to their false statements, or by seeking answers from God through them. Likewise, do not heed the dreams that you cause yourselves to dream at night by contemplating those matters during the day.

כִּי בְשֶׁקֶר הֵם נִבְּאִים לָכֶם בִּשְׁמִי לֹא שְׁלַחְתִּים נְאֻם־ה'

Do not heed those prophets, as falsely they prophesy to you in My name; I did not send them – the utterance of the Lord.

כִּי־כֹה אָמַר ה' כִּי לְפִי מְלֹאת לְבָבֶל שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה אֶפְקֹד אֶתְכֶם וַהֲקִמֹתִי עֲלֵיכֶם אֶת־דְּבָרִי הַטּוֹב לְהָשִׁיב אֶתְכֶם אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה

For so said the Lord: For at the completion of seventy years for Nebuchadnezzar’s empire in Babylon, I will remember you, and I will fulfill for you My good word to restore you to this place.

כִּי אָנֹכִי יָדַעְתִּי אֶת־הַמַּחֲשָׁבֹת אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי חֹשֵׁב עֲלֵיכֶם נְאֻם־ה' מַחְשְׁבוֹת שָׁלוֹם וְלֹא לְרָעָה לָתֵת לָכֶם אַחֲרִית וְתִקְוָה

For I know the designs that I am devising in your regard – the utterance of the Lord – designs of peace and not for evil, to give you a remnant and hope. I want you to prosper and thrive.

וּקְרָאתֶם אֹתִי וַהֲלַכְתֶּם וְהִתְפַּלַּלְתֶּם אֵלָי — וְשָׁמַעְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם

You will call Me and you will go and you will pray to Me and I will listen to you.

וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּם אֹתִי — וּמְצָאתֶם כִּי תִדְרְשֻׁנִי בְּכָל־לְבַבְכֶם

You will seek Me, and you will find, when you search for Me with all your heart.

וְנִמְצֵאתִי לָכֶם נְאֻם־ה' וְשַׁבְתִּי אֶת־שְׁבוּתְכֶם וְקִבַּצְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מִכָּל־הַגּוֹיִם וּמִכָּל־הַמְּקוֹמוֹת אֲשֶׁר הִדַּחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם שָׁם נְאֻם־ה' וַהֲשִׁבֹתִי אֶתְכֶם אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־הִגְלֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם מִשָּׁם

And I will be found for you; I will make Myself available to you and will answer you – the utterance of the Lord – and I will restore your returnees to their former status, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places to which I banished you – the utterance of the Lord – and I will restore you to the place from which I exiled you. Now is your opportunity to return to God and worship Him with all your heart.

כִּי אֲמַרְתֶּם הֵקִים לָנוּ ה' נְבִאִים בָּבֶלָה

I am stressing this point, for you said: The Lord established for us prophets in Babylon who foresee a very different future, of a speedy return to our land. Do not let them mislead you. You should plan to sustain yourselves in exile not merely for the rest of your days, but also for the duration of the lives of your sons and grandsons, over the course of the next seventy years.

כִּי כֹה אָמַר ה' אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ הַיּוֹשֵׁב אֶל כִּסֵּא דָוִד וְאֶל־כָּל־הָעָם הַיּוֹשֵׁב בָּעִיר הַזֹּאת אֲחֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָצְאוּ אִתְּכֶם בַּגּוֹלָה

For, in contrast to your relatively good fortune in Babylon, so said the Lord concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning the entire people that dwells in this city, Jerusalem, your brethren who did not go out with you into exile.

כֹּה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת הִנְנִי מְשַׁלֵּחַ בָּם אֶת־הַחֶרֶב אֶת־הָרָעָב וְאֶת־הַדָּבֶר וְנָתַתִּי אוֹתָם כַּתְּאֵנִים הַשֹּׁעָרִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא־תֵאָכַלְנָה מֵרֹעַ

So said the Lord of hosts with regard to those who remain in Jerusalem: Behold, I am sending among them the sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will render them like vile figs, which cannot be eaten due to rottenness.

וְרָדַפְתִּי אַחֲרֵיהֶם בַּחֶרֶב בָּרָעָב וּבַדָּבֶר וּנְתַתִּים לְזַעֲוָה לְכֹל מַמְלְכוֹת הָאָרֶץ לְאָלָה וּלְשַׁמָּה וְלִשְׁרֵקָה וּלְחֶרְפָּה בְּכָל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר־הִדַּחְתִּים שָׁם

I will pursue after them wherever they go with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, and I will render them a horror for all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse and an object of astonishment, and a source of whistling in shock, and a disgrace among all the nations where I will have banished them. The remaining people in Judah will also be exiled, but they will not leave their homeland in a dignified manner,

תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר־לֹא־שָׁמְעוּ אֶל־דְּבָרַי נְאֻם־ה' אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַחְתִּי אֲלֵיהֶם אֶת־עֲבָדַי הַנְּבִאִים הַשְׁכֵּם וְשָׁלֹחַ וְלֹא שְׁמַעְתֶּם נְאֻם־ה'

because they did not heed My words – the utterance of the Lord – that I sent to them with My servants the prophets, sending them time and again, but you did not hear, both those left behind in Jerusalem and you exiles in Babylon; this is the utterance of the Lord.

וְאַתֶּם שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר־ה' כָּל־הַגּוֹלָה אֲשֶׁר־שִׁלַּחְתִּי מִירוּשָׁלִַם בָּבֶלָה

And you, hear the word of the Lord, the entire exile that I sent from Jerusalem to Babylon, as this is your opportunity to rectify your misdeeds and to improve your behavior.

כֹּה־אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל אַחְאָב בֶּן־קוֹלָיָה וְאֶל צִדְקִיָּהוּ בֶן־מַעֲשֵׂיָה הַנִּבְּאִים לָכֶם בִּשְׁמִי שָׁקֶר הִנְנִי נֹתֵן אֹתָם בְּיַד נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וְהִכָּם לְעֵינֵיכֶם

After the previous lengthy prophecy regarding future events in Babylon and the Land of Israel, Jeremiah addresses specific individuals who were active among the exiles in Babylon. So said the Lord of hosts, God of Israel, concerning Ahav son of Kolaya, and concerning Tzidkiyahu son of Maaseya, who prophesy falsehood to you in My name: Behold, I am delivering them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he will smite them before your eyes. Nothing is stated about these false prophets beyond that which appears here.

וְלֻקַּח מֵהֶם קְלָלָה לְכֹל גָּלוּת יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר בְּבָבֶל לֵאמֹר יְשִׂמְךָ ה' כְּצִדְקִיָּהוּ וּכְאֶחָב אֲשֶׁר־קָלָם מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל בָּאֵשׁ

Their fate will serve as a paradigm, and a curse will be derived from them for the entire exile of Judah that is in Babylon. One who wishes evil upon another will curse him by saying: May the Lord render you like Tzidkiyahu and like Ahav, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire. It is possible that they were not burned at the stake in the usual manner, but were roasted slowly and torturously.

יַעַן אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ נְבָלָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיְנַאֲפוּ אֶת־נְשֵׁי רֵעֵיהֶם וַיְדַבְּרוּ דָבָר בִּשְׁמִי שֶׁקֶר אֲשֶׁר לוֹא צִוִּיתִם — וְאָנֹכִי הַיּוֹדֵעַ ועֵד נְאֻם־ה'

They will suffer this fate because they performed an abomination in Israel: They committed adultery with the wives of their neighbors, and they spoke in My name matters of falsehood that I did not command them, and I am He who knows, and I am the witness to their deeds – the utterance of the Lord.

וְאֶל־שְׁמַעְיָהוּ הַנֶּחֱלָמִי תֹּאמַר לֵאמֹר׃

And concerning Shemayahu the Nehelamite, one of the Jewish exiles in Babylon, probably a prominent member of the community, who claimed to have prophetic capabilities, you shall state, saying:

כֹּה־אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר יַעַן אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה שָׁלַחְתָּ בְשִׁמְכָה סְפָרִים אֶל־כָּל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר בִּירוּשָׁלִַם וְאֶל־צְפַנְיָה בֶן־מַעֲשֵׂיָה הַכֹּהֵן וְאֶל־כָּל־הַכֹּהֲנִים לֵאמֹר

So stated the Lord of hosts, God of Israel, saying: Because you sent missives in your name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Tzefanya son of Maaseya, the priest, and to all the priests, saying:

ה' נְתָנְךָ כֹהֵן תַּחַת יְהוֹיָדָע הַכֹּהֵן לִהְיוֹת פְּקִדִים בֵּית ה'לְכָל־אִישׁ מְשֻׁגָּע וּמִתְנַבֵּא — וְנָתַתָּה אֹתוֹ אֶל־הַמַּהְפֶּכֶת וְאֶל־הַצִּינֹק

The Lord has made you priest instead of Yehoyada the priest, to be officials who appoint supervisors in the House of the Lord, to maintain order over every man who is mad and who prophesiesthere, that you shall place him in the cell, or the torture device, and in shackles.

וְעַתָּה לָמָּה לֹא גָעַרְתָּ בְּיִרְמְיָהוּ הָעַנְּתֹתִי הַמִּתְנַבֵּא לָכֶם !

And now, as you were appointed over these matters, why did you not reprimand Jeremiah of Anatot, who prophesies to you? Since he is a well-known madman, why don’t you reprimand him?

כִּי עַל־כֵּן שָׁלַח אֵלֵינוּ בָּבֶל לֵאמֹר אֲרֻכָּה הִיא בְּנוּ בָתִּים וְשֵׁבוּ וְנִטְעוּ גַנּוֹת וְאִכְלוּ אֶת־פְּרִיהֶן

As it is for this reason that you should have rebuked him, since he sent to us in Babylon, saying: It is going to be a long exile; build houses, and dwell, and plant gardens, and eat their fruit.

וַיִּקְרָא צְפַנְיָה הַכֹּהֵן אֶת־הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה בְּאָזְנֵי יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא

Tzefanya the priest read this missive in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet. Jeremiah was aware of the contents of this letter, not only due to his prophetic powers, but because the priest, who was friendly to him, read him the missive that he received from Babylon. Apparently, the priest did not intend to act on the matter, but he wanted to show Jeremiah what certain people thought of him.

וַיְהִי דְּבַר־ה' אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ לֵאמֹר׃

The word of the Lord was with Jeremiah, saying:

שְׁלַח עַל־כָּל־הַגּוֹלָה לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֶל שְׁמַעְיָה הַנֶּחֱלָמִי יַעַן אֲשֶׁר נִבָּא לָכֶם שְׁמַעְיָה — וַאֲנִי לֹא שְׁלַחְתִּיו וַיַּבְטַח אֶתְכֶם עַל־שָׁקֶר

Send to all of the exile, saying: So said the Lord concerning Shemaya the Nehelamite: Because Shemaya prophesied to you, and I did not send him, and he caused you to rely upon a falsehood, thereby misleading you into a false sense of security;

לָכֵן כֹּה־אָמַר ה' הִנְנִי פֹקֵד עַל־שְׁמַעְיָה הַנֶּחֱלָמִי וְעַל־זַרְעוֹ לֹא־יִהְיֶה לוֹ אִישׁ יוֹשֵׁב בְּתוֹךְ־הָעָם הַזֶּה וְלֹא־יִרְאֶה בַטּוֹב אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה־לְעַמִּי נְאֻם־ה' כִּי־סָרָה דִבֶּר עַל־ה'

therefore, so said the Lord: Behold, I am reckoning with, punishing, Shemaya the Nehelamite and I am likewise reckoning with his descendants; he will not have a man permanently residing among this people in Babylon, and he will not see the good that I am doing for My people, when I sustain them and return them to their land – the utterance of the Lord – because he has spoken fabrication against the Lord.