Jeremiah · Catholic Public Domain Version
Jeremiah 29 Catholic Public Domain Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
1 And these are the words of the letter which Jeremiah, the prophet, sent from Jerusalem to the remnant of the elders of the transmigration, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had led away from Jerusalem to Babylon,
1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the residue of the elders of the captivity, and to the priests, to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon,
2 after king Jeconiah, with the queen, and the eunuchs, and the leaders of Judah and of Jerusalem, and the craftsmen and engravers, had departed from Jerusalem.
2 (after Jeconiah the king, the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem),
3 It was sent by the hand of Elasah, the son of Shaphan, and by Gemariah, the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah, the king of Judah, sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, saying:
3 by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon). It said:
4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who have been taken away, whom I have caused to be transferred from Jerusalem to Babylon:
4 Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives whom I have caused to be carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 Build houses and live in them. And plant gardens, and eat from their fruit.
5 “Build houses and dwell in them. Plant gardens and eat their fruit.
6 Take wives, and conceive sons and daughters. And give wives to your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, and let them bear sons and daughters. And be multiplied there, and do not choose to be few in number.
6 Take wives and father sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there, and don’t be diminished.
7 And seek the peace of the city, to which I have caused you to be taken away, and pray to the Lord on its behalf. For your peace will be in its peace.
7 Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to Yahweh for it; for in its peace you will have peace.”
8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not allow your prophets and your diviners, who are in your midst, to seduce you. And you should pay no attention to your dreams, which you are dreaming.
8 For Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you. Don’t listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed.
9 For they prophesy falsely to you in my name, and I have not sent them, says the Lord.
9 For they prophesy falsely to you in my name. I have not sent them,” says Yahweh.
10 For thus says the Lord: When the seventy years will begin to be completed in Babylon, I will visit you. And I will raise up over you my good word, so that I may lead you back to this place.
10 For Yahweh says, “After seventy years are accomplished for Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think over you, says the Lord: thoughts of peace and not of affliction, so that I may give you patience and an end.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says Yahweh, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.
12 And you shall call upon me, and you shall go forth. And you shall pray to me, and I will heed you.
12 You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
13 You shall seek me. And you will find me, when you have sought me with your whole heart.
13 You shall seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart.
14 And I will be found by you, says the Lord. And I will lead you back from your captivity. And I will gather you from all the nations and all the places, to which I have expelled you, says the Lord. And I will return you from the place to which I sent you into captivity.
14 I will be found by you,” says Yahweh, “and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you,” says Yahweh. “I will bring you again to the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive.”
15 For you have said: ‘The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon.’
15 Because you have said, “Yahweh has raised us up prophets in Babylon,”
16 For thus says the Lord, to the king who sits upon the throne of David, and to all the people who live in this city, to your brothers who have not departed with you in the transmigration:
16 Yahweh says concerning the king who sits on David’s throne, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brothers who haven’t gone with you into captivity,
17 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will send among them the sword, and famine, and pestilence. And I will make them like the bad figs, which cannot be eaten, because they are very bad.
17 Yahweh of Armies says: “Behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like rotten figs that can’t be eaten, they are so bad.
18 And I will pursue them with the sword, and with famine, and with pestilence. And I will give them over to affliction, amid all the kingdoms of the earth: as a curse, and in stupor, and with hissing, and as a disgrace among all the nations to which I have driven them out.
18 I will pursue after them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth, to be an object of horror, an astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them,
19 For they have not listened to my words, says the Lord, which I sent to them through my servants, the prophets, rising while it was still night, and sending. But you have not listened, says the Lord.
19 because they have not listened to my words,” says Yahweh, “with which I sent to them my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but you would not hear,” says Yahweh.
20 Therefore, listen to the word of the Lord, all you of the transmigration, whom I have sent away from Jerusalem into Babylon.
20 Hear therefore Yahweh’s word, all you captives whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.
21 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to Ahab, the son of Kolaiah, and to Zedekiah, the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy falsely to you in my name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and he will strike them down before your eyes.
21 Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in my name: “Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he will kill them before your eyes.
22 And a curse will be taken up about them, by all the captives of Judah that are in Babylon, saying: ‘May the Lord make you like Zedekiah, and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon fried in the fire!’
22 A curse will be taken up about them by all the captives of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, ‘Yahweh make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;’
23 For they have acted foolishly in Israel, and they have committed adultery with the wives of their friends, and they have spoken lying words in my name, which I did not command them. I am the Judge and the Witness, says the Lord.
23 because they have done foolish things in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken words in my name falsely, which I didn’t command them. I am he who knows, and am witness,” says Yahweh.
24 And to Shemaiah of Nehelam, you shall say:
24 Concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite you shall speak, saying,
25 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Similarly, you have sent letters in your name to all the people that are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying:
25 “Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
26 ‘The Lord has made you priest in place of Jehoiada, the priest, so that you would be the ruler in the house of the Lord over every man who raves and prophesies, to send him to the stocks and to prison.
26 “Yahweh has made you priest in the place of Jehoiada the priest, that there may be officers in Yahweh’s house, for every man who is crazy and makes himself a prophet, that you should put him in the stocks and in shackles.
27 And now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who prophesies to you?
27 Now therefore, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who makes himself a prophet to you,
28 For about this, he has sent to us in Babylon, saying: It is a long time. Build houses and live in them. And plant gardens, and eat from their fruits.’ ”
28 because he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, The captivity is long. Build houses, and dwell in them. Plant gardens, and eat their fruit?”’”
29 Thus, Zephaniah, the priest, read this letter, in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet.
29 Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet.
30 And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying:
30 Then Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah, saying,
31 “Send to all those of the transmigration, saying: Thus says the Lord to Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and because he has caused you to trust in a lie:
31 “Send to all of the captives, saying, ‘Yahweh says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: “Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, and I didn’t send him, and he has caused you to trust in a lie,”
32 For this reason, thus says the Lord: Behold, I will visit upon Shemaiah of Nehelam, and upon his offspring. There will not be, for him, even one man sitting in the midst of this people. And he will not see the good that I will accomplish for my people, says the Lord. For he has spoken a betrayal against the Lord.”
32 therefore Yahweh says, “Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his offspring. He will not have a man to dwell among this people. He won’t see the good that I will do to my people,” says Yahweh, “because he has spoken rebellion against Yahweh.”’”
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Ahab
Son of Kolaiah, a prophet in Babylon prophesying lies in the LORD's name, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire.
Cited in the guide: Jeremiah 29:21; Jeremiah 29:22
Elasah
Son of Shaphan who, with Gemariah son of Hilkiah, carried Jeremiah's letter to the exiles in Babylon.
Cited in the guide: Jeremiah 29:3
Gemariah
Son of Hilkiah whom Zedekiah sent to Nebuchadnezzar and who carried Jeremiah's letter to the exiles.
Cited in the guide: Jeremiah 29:3
Hilkiah
Named as the father of Gemariah, who carried Jeremiah's letter to Babylon.
Cited in the guide: Jeremiah 29:3
Kolaiah
Named as the father of Ahab, a false prophet among the exiles.
Cited in the guide: Jeremiah 29:21
Maaseiah
Named as the father of Zedekiah, a false prophet among the exiles.
Cited in the guide: Jeremiah 29:21
Maaseiah
Named as the father of Zephaniah the priest.
Cited in the guide: Jeremiah 21:1; Jeremiah 29:25; Jeremiah 37:3
Shemaiah
A Nehelamite among the exiles who sent letters to Jerusalem and was condemned by the LORD through Jeremiah.
Cited in the guide: Jeremiah 29:24; Jeremiah 29:31; Jeremiah 29:32
Zedekiah
Son of Maaseiah, a prophet in Babylon prophesying lies in the LORD's name, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire.
Cited in the guide: Jeremiah 29:21; Jeremiah 29:22
Zephaniah
The priest, son of Maaseiah, whom Zedekiah sent to ask Jeremiah to pray and to whom a letter from Shemaiah was addressed. When Jerusalem fell he was taken as 'the second priest'…
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 25:18; Jeremiah 21:1; Jeremiah 29:25
Cross references (31)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Jeremiah 29:25–29; Esther 9:20; Acts 15:23; Hebrews 13:22; Revelation 2:1–3
- 2 Jeremiah 22:24–28; 2 Chronicles 36:9–10; Jeremiah 27:20; 2 Kings 24:12–16; 2 Kings 20:18
- 3 1 Chronicles 6:13; Jeremiah 36:25; 2 Chronicles 34:20; Ezekiel 8:11; 2 Kings 22:8
- 4 Jeremiah 24:5; Isaiah 59:1–2; Isaiah 45:7; Amos 3:6; Isaiah 10:5–6
- 5 Jeremiah 29:28; Jeremiah 29:10; Ezekiel 28:26
- 6 Judges 12:9; Genesis 24:51; Genesis 21:21; Genesis 24:3–4; Genesis 29:19
- 7 1 Timothy 2:1–2; Ezra 6:10; Ezra 7:23; 1 Peter 2:13–17; Daniel 4:27
- 8 Ephesians 5:6; 2 Thessalonians 2:9–11; Jeremiah 5:31; Jeremiah 27:9; Revelation 13:14
- 9 Jeremiah 27:15; Jeremiah 29:31; Jeremiah 29:23
- 10 Daniel 9:2; Jeremiah 24:6–7; Zechariah 7:5; Jeremiah 32:42–44; Jeremiah 25:12
- 11 Isaiah 55:8–12; Psalm 33:11; Micah 4:12; Psalm 40:5; Job 23:13
- 12 Matthew 7:7–8; Jeremiah 33:3; Psalm 50:15; Psalm 145:19; Psalm 10:17
- 13 Deuteronomy 4:29–31; Psalm 119:2; Matthew 7:7; Psalm 119:10; Jeremiah 24:7
- 14 Ezekiel 36:1–38; Jeremiah 30:3; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Romans 10:20; Micah 4:12
- 15 Ezekiel 1:1; Ezekiel 1:3; Jeremiah 28:1–17; Jeremiah 29:8–9
- 16 Jeremiah 38:2–3; Jeremiah 38:17–23; Ezekiel 6:1–9; Ezekiel 22:31; Jeremiah 24:2
- 17 Jeremiah 24:8–10; Jeremiah 29:18; Jeremiah 27:8; Luke 21:23; Jeremiah 43:11
- 18 Jeremiah 42:18; 2 Chronicles 29:8; Jeremiah 15:4; Jeremiah 34:17; Jeremiah 24:9
- 19 Jeremiah 6:19; Jeremiah 26:5; Jeremiah 35:14–16; Jeremiah 34:17; Jeremiah 25:3–7
- 20 Jeremiah 24:5; Micah 4:10; Ezekiel 3:11; Ezekiel 3:15
- 21 Jeremiah 14:14–15; Lamentations 2:14; Jeremiah 29:8–9
- 22 Isaiah 65:15; Daniel 3:6; Daniel 3:21; Genesis 48:20; Ruth 4:11
- 23 Malachi 3:5; Jeremiah 23:14; Hebrews 4:13; Jeremiah 29:21; Proverbs 5:21
- 24 Jeremiah 29:31–32
- 25 Jeremiah 37:3; Jeremiah 52:24; Jeremiah 29:29; Jeremiah 21:1–2; Nehemiah 6:17
- 26 Jeremiah 20:1–2; 2 Kings 9:11; John 10:20; Hosea 9:7; Acts 26:24
- 27 John 11:47–53; Jeremiah 29:26; Acts 4:17–21; Jeremiah 43:2–3; Matthew 27:63
- 28 Jeremiah 29:5; Jeremiah 29:10; Jeremiah 29:1
- 29 Jeremiah 29:25
- 31 Jeremiah 29:9; Jeremiah 14:14–15; Ezekiel 13:8–16; Ezekiel 13:22–23; Jeremiah 29:23–24
- 32 Jeremiah 28:16; 2 Kings 7:19–20; Jeremiah 17:6; Jeremiah 22:30; 2 Kings 7:2
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… when predicting the captivity that was to befall the ancient people of God, and giving them the divine command to go obediently to Babylonia, and thus serve their God, counselled them also to pray for Babylonia, saying, "In the peace thereof shall ye have peace," --the temporal peace which the good and the wicked together enjoy.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)