Jeremiah 36

Build Houses, Plant Gardens, and Seek the City’s Peace

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The Letter to the Deportees

36:1And these are the words of the document Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the elders of the deportation, the priests, and the false prophets—a letter to Babylon for the deportees and all the people—

36:2after King Jeconiah, the queen, the eunuchs, and every free person, prisoner, and craftsman left Jerusalem,

36:3by Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon’s king in Babylon, saying:

36:4Thus said the Lord, Israel’s God, concerning the deportees whom I deported from Jerusalem:

Build Houses and Dwell in Them

36:5Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruits,

36:6and take wives and beget sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands. Multiply and do not become fewer,

36:7and seek the peace of the land where I deported you, and pray to the Lord for them, because in its peace you will have peace.

36:8Because thus said the Lord: Do not let the false prophets among you persuade you, and do not let your diviners persuade you. Do not listen to your dreams that you dream,

They Prophesy Unjust Things to You

36:9because they prophesy unjust things to you in My name, and I did not send them.

36:10Because thus said the Lord: When seventy years are about to be fulfilled for Babylon, I will visit you and establish My words for you, to return your people to this place.

36:11And I will plan for you a plan of peace and not evils, to give you these things.

36:12And pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

36:13And seek Me earnestly, and you will find Me, because you will seek Me with your whole heart,

36:14and I will appear to you.

You Said the Lord Established Prophets for Us

36:15Because you said: The Lord established prophets for us in Babylon,

36:21Thus said the Lord concerning Ahab and Zedekiah: Look, I am giving them into Babylon’s king’s hands, and he will strike them before your eyes.

36:22And all Judah’s deportees in Babylon will take a curse from them, saying: May the Lord make you as He made Zedekiah and Ahab, whom Babylon’s king fried in fire,

36:23because of the lawlessness they committed in Israel: they committed adultery with their fellow citizens’ wives and delivered an oracle in My name that I did not command them. I am a witness, says the Lord.

To Shemaiah the Nelamite

36:24And to Shemaiah the Nelamite say:

36:25I did not send you in My name. And to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest say:

36:26The Lord appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada the priest, to become an overseer in the Lord’s house over every person prophesying and every person raging, and you will put him into confinement and into the trap.

36:27And now why did you join in reviling Jeremiah from Anathoth, who prophesied to you?

36:28Was it not for this that he sent to you in Babylon, saying: It is far off. Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens, and you will eat their fruit?

36:29And Zephaniah read the document in Jeremiah’s hearing.

36:30And the Lord’s word came to Jeremiah, saying:

36:31Send to the deportees, saying: Thus said the Lord concerning Shemaiah the Nelamite: Since Shemaiah prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and made you trust in unjust things,

36:32therefore thus said the Lord: Look, I will visit Shemaiah and his family, and none of them will be among you to see the good things I will do for you. They will not see.

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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.