וְאֵלֶּה דִּבְרֵי הַסֵּפֶר אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח יִרְמְיָה הַנָּבִיא מִירוּשָׁלִָם אֶל־יֶתֶר זִקְנֵי הַגֹּולָה וְאֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִים   29:1             וְאֶל־הַנְּבִיאִים וְאֶל־כָּל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר הֶגְלָה נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מִירוּשָׁלִַם בָּבֶלָה׃

Jere. 29:1   Now these are the words of the document that Jeremiah, the prophet, sent from Jerusalem to the remnant of the elders of the captivity and to the priests and to the prophets and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried off into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon

אַחֲרֵי צֵאת יְכָנְיָה־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַגְּבִירָה וְהַסָּרִיסִים שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִַם וְהֶחָרָשׁ וְהַמַּסְגֵּר מִירוּשָׁלִָם׃   29:2

Jere. 29:2   after the departure of Jeconiah, the king, and of the queen-mother and of the officers, of the princes of Judah and of Jerusalem, and of the craftsman and of the smith from Jerusalem,

בְּיַד אֶלְעָשָׂה בֶן־שָׁפָן וּגְמַרְיָה בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּה אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח צִדְקִיָּה מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה אֶל־נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ   29:3     בָּבֶל בָּבֶלָה לֵאמֹר׃

Jere. 29:3   by the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah, king of Judah, had sent to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, to Babylon, saying,

These first three verses, which constitute one long and complicated sentence (that doesn’t end until v. 29:5), identify the period as being early in the exile after Jerusalem had fallen and the Temple was destroyed.  There’s a small possibility that the time was a few years before that, but v. 29:19 below supports the time being after the start of the exile.  Notice also (in v. 29:1) that Jeremiah was still in Jerusalem, so he would seem to be included among those who were cursed in Jere. 24:8 to 10 (and in vss. 29:17 and 18 below).  However, he lived for some time after this and was not cursed in that way.  What to make of that!  Well, the possibility exists that he was one of those who went to the Chaldeans to surrender, a likelihood in fact.  Then he might have been left to return to Jerusalem.

כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאֹות אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְכָל־הַגֹּולָה אֲשֶׁר־הִגְלֵיתִי מִירוּשָׁלִַם בָּבֶלָה׃   29:4

Jere. 29:4   “Thus says the Lord of hosts, God of Israel:  ‘To all the exiled whom I made to be carried off into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:’

בְּנוּ בָתִּים וְשֵׁבוּ וְנִטְעוּ גַנֹּות וְאִכְלוּ אֶת־פִּרְיָן׃   29:5

Jere. 29:5   ‘Build and inhabit houses, and plant gardens and eat their fruit.’

All of the pertinent second-person pronouns (literal, or implied as in this verse) in the remaining verses of this chapter are plural, indicating to me that the document was addressed to every individual of the exile, and perhaps was meant to be read to the people by the messenger or messengers delivering it, who, by the way, are not identified in this chapter, unless it is Zephaniah, mentioned in v. 29:29 below.

קְחוּ נָשִׁים וְהֹולִידוּ בָּנִים וּבָנֹות וּקְחוּ לִבְנֵיכֶם נָשִׁים וְאֶת־בְּנֹותֵיכֶם תְּנוּ לַאֲנָשִׁים וְתֵלַדְנָה בָּנִים   29:6       וּבָנֹות וּרְבוּ־שָׁם וְאַל־תִּמְעָטוּ׃

Jere. 29:6   ‘Take wives and bring forth sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands that they may bear sons and daughters, and multiply there, that you are not diminished.’

וְדִרְשׁוּ אֶת־שְׁלֹום הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר הִגְלֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם שָׁמָּה וְהִתְפַּלְלוּ בַעֲדָהּ אֶל־יְהוָה כִּי בִשְׁלֹומָהּ יִהְיֶה   29:7 לָכֶם שָׁלֹום׃

Jere. 29:7   ‘And seek the peace of the city where I made you to be carried off into exile there, and pray on behalf of it to the Lord, for in its peace will there be peace for you.’

I can imagine that this verse could be the source of the custom for Jews to pray for the peace of our local and national governments.

כִּי כֹה אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאֹות אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אַל־יַשִּׁיאוּ לָכֶם נְבִיאֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר־בְּקִרְבְּכֶם וְקֹסְמֵיכֶם   29:8         וְאַל־תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל־חֲלֹמֹתֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם מַחְלְמִים׃

Jere. 29:8   ‘For thus says the Lord of hosts, God of Israel:  ‘Do not let your prophets who are in your midst deceive you, or your diviners, and pay no attention to your dreams that you are dreaming,

כִּי בְשֶׁקֶר הֵם נִבְּאִים לָכֶם בִּשְׁמִי לֹא שְׁלַחְתִּים נְאֻם־יְהוָה׃   29:9

Jere. 29:9   for they are prophesying to you in falsehood in My name; I have not sent them, declares the Lord.’

כִּי־כֹה אָמַר יְהוָה כִּי לְפִי מְלֹאת לְבָבֶל שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה אֶפְקֹד אֶתְכֶם וַהֲקִמֹתִי עֲלֵיכֶם אֶת־דְּבָרִי   29:10 לְהָשִׁיב אֶתְכֶם אֶל־הַמָּקֹום הַזֶּה׃ הַטֹּוב

Jere. 29:10   ‘For thus says the Lord:  ‘At the conclusion of the fulfillment of seventy years in Babylon I will gather you and I will establish My good word on your behalf, returning you to this place.’

כִּי אָנֹכִי יָדַעְתִּי אֶת־הַמַּחֲשָׁבֹת אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי חֹשֵׁב עֲלֵיכֶם נְאֻם־יְהוָה מַחְשְׁבֹות שָׁלֹום וְלֹא לְרָעָה   29:11  לָתֵת לָכֶם אַחֲרִית וְתִקְוָה׃

Jere. 29:11   ‘For I know the plans that I am imagining concerning you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans of peace and not for evil, giving to you a posterity and an outcome,

וּקְרָאתֶם אֹתִי וַהֲלַכְתֶּם וְהִתְפַּלַּלְתֶּם אֵלָי וְשָׁמַעְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם׃   29:12

Jere. 29:12   when you will proclaim Me, and go and pray to Me, and I shall listen to you,

וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּם אֹתִי וּמְצָאתֶם כִּי תִדְרְשֻׁנִי בְּכָל־לְבַבְכֶם׃   29:13

Jere. 29:13   and you will seek Me, and you will find, when you desire Me with all your heart.’

וְנִמְצֵאתִי לָכֶם נְאֻם־יְהוָה וְשַׁבְתִּי אֶת־(שְׁבִיתְכֶם) [שְׁבוּתְכֶם] וְקִבַּצְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מִכָּל־הַגֹּויִם   29:14           וּמִכָּל־הַמְּקֹומֹות אֲשֶׁר הִדַּחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם שָׁם נְאֻם־יְהוָה וַהֲשִׁבֹתִי אֶתְכֶם אֶל־הַמָּקֹום אֲשֶׁר־הִגְלֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם מִשָּׁם׃

Jere. 29:14   ‘And I will be present for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will turn back your captivity and gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I had driven you there and I will bring you back to the place where I had caused you to be carried into exile from there.’

The alleged error in the parentheses, the word being spelled with a yad instead of a vav, is in my opinion correctly spelled.  The word, meaning captivity or return, may be spelled either way.

כִּי אֲמַרְתֶּם הֵקִים לָנוּ יְהוָה נְבִאִים בָּבֶלָה׃    29:15

Jere. 29:15   ‘For you have said, ‘The Lord has brought prophets on the scene to Babylon for us.’

כִּי־כֹה אָמַר יְהוָה אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ הַיֹּושֵׁב אֶל־כִּסֵּא דָוִד וְאֶל־כָּל־הָעָם הַיֹּושֵׁב בָּעִיר הַזֹּאת אֲחֵיכֶם   29:16    אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָצְאוּ אִתְּכֶם בַּגֹּולָה׃

Jere. 29:16   ‘For thus says the Lord concerning the king remaining at the throne of David and concerning all the people dwelling in this city, your brethren who did not go out with you into exile,

כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאֹות הִנְנִי מְשַׁלֵּחַ בָּם אֶת־הַחֶרֶב אֶת־הָרָעָב וְאֶת־הַדָּבֶר וְנָתַתִּי אֹותָם כַּתְּאֵנִים   29:17 הַשֹּׁעָרִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא־תֵאָכַלְנָה מֵרֹעַ׃

Jere. 29:17   thus says the Lord of hosts:  ‘Behold, I am sending amidst them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence and I will make them like the vilest of figs, which are so bad they cannot be eaten.’

וְרָדַפְתִּי אַחֲרֵיהֶם בַּחֶרֶב בָּרָעָב וּבַדָּבֶר וּנְתַתִּים לִזְוָעָה לְכֹל מַמְלְכֹות הָאָרֶץ לְאָלָה   29:18                         וּלְשַׁמָּה וְלִשְׁרֵקָה וּלְחֶרְפָּה בְּכָל־הַגֹּויִם אֲשֶׁר־הִדַּחְתִּים שָׁם׃

Jere. 29:18   ‘And I will chase after them with sword, with famine, and with pestilence, and make them to be a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, for a curse and for a wasteland, and for a hissing, and for a reproach, in all the nations where I drive them there,

תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר־לֹא־שָׁמְעוּ אֶל־דְּבָרַי נְאֻם־יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַחְתִּי אֲלֵיהֶם אֶת־עֲבָדַי הַנְּבִאִים הַשְׁכֵּם   29:19         וְשָׁלֹחַ וְלֹא שְׁמַעְתֶּם נְאֻם־יְהוָה׃

Jere. 29:19   because that they did not listen to My words,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I sent My servants, the prophets, to them, and sending often.  But you did not listen,’ declares the Lord.

וְאַתֶּם שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר־יְהוָה כָּל־הַגֹּולָה אֲשֶׁר־שִׁלַּחְתִּי מִירוּשָׁלִַם בָּבֶלָה׃   29:20

Jere. 29:20   ‘So you hear the word of the Lord, all of the exiled whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon,

כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאֹות אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־אַחְאָב בֶּן־קֹולָיָה וְאֶל־צִדְקִיָּהוּ בֶן־מַעֲשֵׂיָה הַנִּבְּאִים לָכֶם   29:21 בִּשְׁמִי שָׁקֶר הִנְנִי נֹתֵן אֹתָם בְּיַד נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וְהִכָּם לְעֵינֵיכֶם׃

Jere. 29:21   thus says the Lord of hosts, God of Israel, concerning Ahab son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah prophesying falsehood to you in My name:  ‘Behold, I am delivering them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon and he will slay them to your eyes.’

וְלֻקַּח מֵהֶם קְלָלָה לְכֹל גָּלוּת יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר בְּבָבֶל לֵאמֹר יְשִׂמְךָ יְהוָה כְּצִדְקִיָּהוּ וּכְאֶחָב אֲשֶׁר־קָלָם   29:22 מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל בָּאֵשׁ׃

Jere. 29:22   ‘Then a curse will be acquired out of them for all the exiled of Judah who are in Babylon saying, ‘The Lord make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab whom the king of Babylon roasted in a fire,’

יַעַן אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ נְבָלָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיְנַאֲפוּ אֶת־נְשֵׁי רֵעֵיהֶם וַיְדַבְּרוּ דָבָר בִּשְׁמִי שֶׁקֶר אֲשֶׁר לֹוא צִוִּיתִם   29:23 וְאָנֹכִי (הוּיֹדֵעַ) [הַיֹּודֵעַ] וָעֵד נְאֻם־יְהוָה׃

Jere. 29:23   for the reason that they had practiced vile behavior in Israel, that they committed adultery with the wives of their neighbors, and spoke a word of falsehood in My name that I did not command them, and I am the Knower and Witness, declares the Lord.’

The word in parentheses is misspelled.  The yad and vav are incorrectly interchanged.  The correct spelling is in the brackets.

וְאֶל־שְׁמַעְיָהוּ הַנֶּחֱלָמִי תֹּאמַר לֵאמֹר׃   29:24

Jere. 29:24   ‘And about Shemaiah, the Nehelamite, you shall speak saying,

כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאֹות אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר יַעַן אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה שָׁלַחְתָּ בְשִׁמְכָה סְפָרִים אֶל־כָּל־הָעָם   29:25 אֲשֶׁר בִּירוּשָׁלִַם וְאֶל־צְפַנְיָה בֶן־מַעֲשֵׂיָה הַכֹּהֵן וְאֶל כָּל־הַכֹּהֲנִים לֵאמֹר׃

Jere. 29:25   ‘Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, God of Israel, saying, ‘For the reason that you sent documents in your name to all the people who were in Jerusalem and to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests saying,

יְהוָה נְתָנְךָ כֹהֵן תַּחַת יְהֹויָדָע הַכֹּהֵן לִהְיֹות פְּקִדִים בֵּית יְהוָה לְכָל־אִישׁ מְשֻׁגָּע וּמִתְנַבֵּא וְנָתַתָּה   29:26 אֹתֹו אֶל־הַמַּהְפֶּכֶת וְאֶל־הַצִּינֹק׃

Jere. 29:26   ‘The Lord has made you priest in place of Jehoiada, the priest, to bring about officers of the house of the Lord for every man mad enough to think himself a prophet that you would put him into the stocks and into the collar.’

וְעַתָּה לָמָּה לֹא גָעַרְתָּ בְּיִרְמְיָהוּ הָעֲנְּתֹתִי הַמִּתְנַבֵּא לָכֶם׃   29:27

Jere. 29:27   ‘So now why do you not remonstrate against Jeremiah, the Anathoth, who has made himself a prophet to you,

כִּי עַל־כֵּן שָׁלַח אֵלֵינוּ בָּבֶל לֵאמֹר אֲרֻכָּה הִיא בְּנוּ בָתִּים וְשֵׁבוּ וְנִטְעוּ גַנֹּות וְאִכְלוּ אֶת־פְּרִיהֶן׃   29:28

Jere. 29:28   when therefore he sent to us in Babylon saying, ‘It is long; build houses and dwell, and plant gardens and eat their fruit?’”

וַיִּקְרָא צְפַנְיָה הַכֹּהֵן אֶת־הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה בְּאָזְנֵי יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא׃   29:29

Jere. 29:29   And Zephaniah, the priest, read this document in the ears of Jeremiah, the prophet.

יְהִי דְּבַר־יְהוָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ לֵאמֹר׃   29:30

Jere. 29:30   Then the word of the Lord occurred to Jeremiah saying,

שְׁלַח עַל־כָּל־הַגֹּולָה לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה אֶל־שְׁמַעְיָה הַנֶּחֱלָמִי יַעַן אֲשֶׁר נִבָּא לָכֶם שְׁמַעְיָה   29:31          וַאֲניִ לֹא שְׁלַחְתִּיו וַיַּבְטַח אֶתְכֶם עַל־שָׁקֶר׃

Jere. 29:31   “Send to all of the exiled saying, ‘Thus says the Lord concerning Shemaiah, the Nehelemite:  For the reason that Shemaiah prophesied to you and I not did send him, and he made you depend on a lie;

לָכֵן כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה הִנְנִי פֹקֵד עַל־שְׁמַעְיָה הַנֶּחֱלָמִי וְעַל־זַרְעֹו לֹא־יִהְיֶה לֹו אִישׁ יֹושֵׁב בְּתֹוךְ־הָעָם   29:32 הַזֶּה וְלֹא־יִרְאֶה בַטֹּוב אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה־לְעַמִּי נְאֻם־יְהוָה כִּי־סָרָה דִבֶּר עַל־יְהוָה׃

Jere. 29:32   therefore thus says the Lord:  Behold, I am judging against Shemaiah, the Nehelemite, and against his seed; there shall not be one of his dwelling among this people, so that he could not look upon the good that I will do for My people, declares the Lord, for the apostasy he has spoken against the Lord.’”

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