耶利米送信给巴比伦的犹大人
耶利米先知从耶路撒冷送信给被掳幸存的长老，以及祭司、先知，和尼布甲尼撒从耶路撒冷掳到巴比伦去的众百姓。
Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;
2这是在耶哥尼雅王和太后、太监，并犹大和耶路撒冷的领袖，以及工匠、铁匠都离开耶路撒冷之后。(After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;)
3他藉沙番的儿子以利亚萨和希勒家的儿子基玛利的手送去；他们二人是犹大王西底家差往巴比伦去见巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒的。By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying,
4信上说：“万军之耶和华－以色列的神对所有被掳的，就是我使他们从耶路撒冷被掳到巴比伦去的人如此说：Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;
5你们要建造房屋，住在其中；要开垦田园，吃园中所出产的；Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
6要娶妻生儿养女，为你们的儿子娶妻，使你们的女儿嫁人，生儿养女。你们要在那里生养众多，不可减少。Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
7我使你们被掳到的那城，你们要为那城求平安，为那城向耶和华祈求，因为那城得平安，你们也随着得平安。And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
8万军之耶和华－以色列的神如此说：不要被你们中间的先知和占卜的所诱惑，也不要听信你们☛“你们”：原文另译“他们”。所做的梦，For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
9因为他们托我的名对你们说假预言，我并未差遣他们。这是耶和华说的。For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.
10“耶和华如此说：为巴比伦所定的七十年满了以后，我要眷顾你们，向你们实现我的恩言，使你们归回此地。For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
11我知道我向你们所怀的意念是赐平安的意念，不是降灾祸的意念，要叫你们末后有指望。这是耶和华说的。For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
12你们呼求我，向我祷告，我就应允你们。Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13你们寻求我，若专心寻求我，就必寻见。And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
14我必被你们寻见，也必使你们被掳的人归回。这是耶和华说的。我必将你们从各国和我赶你们到的各处召集过来，又将你们带回我使你们被掳离开的地方。这是耶和华说的。And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
15“你们说：‘耶和华已在巴比伦为我们兴起先知。’Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon;
16所以耶和华如此论坐大卫宝座的君王和住在这城里所有的百姓，就是未曾与你们一同被掳的弟兄，Know that thus saith the LORD of the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;
17万军之耶和华如此说：‘看哪，我必使刀剑、饥荒、瘟疫临到他们，使他们像极坏的无花果，坏得不能吃。Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
18我必用刀剑、饥荒、瘟疫追赶他们，使地上万国因他们而惊骇；在我赶他们到的各国，令人诅咒、惊骇、嗤笑、羞辱。And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:
19这是因为他们不听从我先前一再差遣我仆人众先知说的话。这是耶和华说的。你们☛“你们”：有古译本是“他们”。也一样不听。这是耶和华说的。’Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.
20所以你们所有被掳去的，就是我从耶路撒冷放逐到巴比伦去的，当听耶和华的话。Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:
21万军之耶和华－以色列的神论哥赖雅的儿子亚哈和玛西雅的儿子西底家如此说：‘他们托我的名向你们说假预言，看哪，我必把他们交在巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒的手中，他要在你们眼前杀害他们。Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;
22在巴比伦所有被掳的犹大人必藉这二人赌咒说：愿耶和华使你像巴比伦王在火中焚烧的西底家和亚哈一样。And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;
23这二人在以色列中做了丑事，与邻舍的妻行淫，又假托我的名说我未曾吩咐他们的话。我知道这一切，也作见证。这是耶和华说的。’”Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD.
示玛雅的信件
24“你要对尼希兰人示玛雅说：Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,
25万军之耶和华－以色列的神如此说：你曾用自己的名送信给耶路撒冷的众百姓和玛西雅的儿子西番雅祭司，并众祭司，说：Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
26‘耶和华已经立你西番雅为祭司，代替耶何耶大祭司，使耶和华的殿中有总管，好把所有狂妄自称先知的人用枷枷住，用锁锁住。The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks.
27现在亚拿突人耶利米向你们自称先知，你为什么不责备他呢？Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you?
28他送信给我们在巴比伦的人说：被掳的事必长久，你们要建造房屋，住在其中；要开垦田园，吃园中所出产的。’”For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
29西番雅祭司就把这信念给耶利米先知听。And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
30于是耶和华的话临到耶利米，说：Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,
31“你当送信给所有被掳的人，说：‘耶和华论到尼希兰人示玛雅说：因为示玛雅向你们说预言，使你们倚靠谎言，而我并没有差遣他，Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:
32所以耶和华如此说：看哪，我必惩罚尼希兰人示玛雅和他的后裔，他必无一人存留住在这民中，也看不见我所要赏赐给我百姓的福乐，因为他向耶和华说了叛逆的话。这是耶和华说的。’”Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the LORD; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD.