« | Jeremiah 29 | » |
1 Jeremiah sent a letter to the captives in Babylon. He sent it to the elders, the priests, the prophets, and all the other people who Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem to Babylon.
2 (This letter was sent after King Jehoiachin, the queen mother, the officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the carpenters, and the metal workers had been taken from Jerusalem.)
3 King Zedekiah of Judah sent Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah to King Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah gave them the letter to take to Babylon. This is what the letter said:
4 This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of the people of Israel, says to all the people he sent into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 "Build houses and live in them. Settle in the land. Plant gardens and eat the food you grow.
6 Get married and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons, and let your daughters be married. Do this so that they also may have sons and daughters. Have many children and grow in number in Babylon. Don't become fewer in number.
7 Also do good things for the city I sent you to. Pray to the Lord for the city you are living in, because if there is peace in that city, you will have peace also."
8 The Lord All- Powerful, the God of the people of Israel, says, "Don't let your prophets and those who practice magic fool you. Don't listen to the dreams they have.
9 They are telling lies, and they are saying that their message is from me. But I didn't send it." This message is from the Lord.
10 This is what the Lord says: "Babylon will be powerful for 70 years. After that time, I will come to you people who are living in Babylon. I will keep my good promise to bring you back to Jerusalem.
11 I say this because I know the plans that I have for you." This message is from the Lord. "I have good plans for you. I don't plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future.
12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me.
14 I will let you find me." This message is from the Lord. "And I will bring you back from your captivity. I forced you to leave this place. But I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have sent you," says the Lord, "and I will bring you back to this place."
15 You people might say, "But the Lord has given us prophets here in Babylon."
16 But this is what the Lord says about your relatives who were not carried away to Babylon. I am talking about the king who is sitting on David's throne now and all the other people who are still in the city of Jerusalem.
17 The Lord All-Powerful says, "I will soon send the sword, hunger, and terrible sicknesses against those who are still in Jerusalem. And I will make them the same as bad figs that are too rotten to eat.
18 I will chase those who are still in Jerusalem with the sword, with hunger, and terrible sicknesses. And I will make it so that all the kingdoms of the earth will be frightened at what has happened to those people. They will be destroyed. People will whistle with amazement when they hear what happened. And people will use them as an example when they ask for bad things to happen to people. People will insult them wherever I force them to go.
19 I will make all these things happen because the people of Jerusalem have not listened to my message." This message is from the Lord. "I sent my message to them again and again. I used my servants, the prophets, to give my messages to them, but they didn't listen." This message is from the Lord.
20 "You people are captives. I forced you to leave Jerusalem and go to Babylon. So listen to the message from the Lord."
21 This is what the Lord All-Powerful says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah: "These two men have been telling you lies. They have said that their message is from me. I will give these two prophets to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. And he will kill these prophets in front of all you people who are captives in Babylon.
22 All the Jewish captives will use these men as examples when they ask for bad things to happen to other people. The captives will say: 'May the Lord treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab. The king of Babylon burned those two in the fire!'
23 They did very bad things among the people of Israel. They committed the sin of adultery with their neighbors' wives. They also spoke lies and said those lies were a message from me, the Lord. I did not tell them to do that. I know what they have done. I am a witness." This message is from the Lord.
24 Also give a message to Shemaiah from the Nehelam family.
25 This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: "Shemaiah, you sent letters to all the people in Jerusalem and to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. You also sent letters to all the priests. You sent those letters in your own name and not by the authority of the Lord.
26 Shemaiah, this is what you said in your letter to Zephaniah: 'Zephaniah, the Lord has made you priest in place of Jehoiada. You are to be in charge of the Lord's Temple. You should arrest anyone who acts like a crazy person and acts like a prophet. You should put that person's feet between large blocks of wood and put neck irons on him.
27 Now Jeremiah is acting like a prophet. So why have you not arrested him?
28 Jeremiah has sent this message to us in Babylon: You people in Babylon will be there for a long time, so build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what you grow.'"
29 Zephaniah the priest read the letter to Jeremiah the prophet.
30 Then the message from the Lord came to Jeremiah:
31 "Jeremiah, send this message to all the captives in Babylon: 'This is what the Lord says about Shemaiah, the man from the Nehelam family: Shemaiah has spoken to you, but I didn't send him. He has made you believe a lie.
32 Because Shemaiah has done that, this is what the Lord says: I will soon punish Shemaiah, the man from the Nehelam family. I will completely destroy his family, and he will not share in the good things I will do for my people.'" This message is from the Lord. "'I will punish Shemaiah because he has taught the people to turn against the Lord.'"
The Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)
The Easy-To-Read Version (ERV) is a Bible translation specifically designed to be accessible and comprehensible for people with limited reading skills or those for whom English is a second language. Originally published in 1987 by the World Bible Translation Center, the ERV was initially developed to serve the deaf community, using a simplified vocabulary and straightforward sentence structures. The goal of the ERV is to make the scriptures understandable to a wide range of readers, ensuring that everyone can grasp the essential messages of the Bible without being hindered by complex language or archaic terms.
One of the defining characteristics of the ERV is its commitment to clarity and simplicity. The translators employed a thought-for-thought translation philosophy, focusing on conveying the meaning of the original texts in plain, everyday English. This approach ensures that readers can easily comprehend the Bible’s teachings and narratives, making it a valuable resource for children, new Christians, and those with limited literacy skills. The ERV avoids technical theological terms and instead uses language that is commonly spoken, making it accessible for personal study and public reading alike.
The ERV also pays careful attention to the cultural and contextual nuances of the original manuscripts. The translators sought to present the Bible’s messages in a way that is relevant and meaningful to contemporary readers while maintaining faithfulness to the original texts. This cultural sensitivity helps bridge the gap between ancient scriptures and modern readers, allowing them to connect more deeply with the biblical stories and teachings. Additionally, the ERV includes helpful footnotes and cross-references that provide further explanation and context, enhancing the reader’s understanding of the text.
Despite its strengths, the ERV has faced some criticism from those who prefer more traditional or literal translations. Critics argue that the simplified language and thought-for-thought approach can sometimes result in a loss of depth and richness found in the original texts. Some theologians believe that the ERV’s emphasis on accessibility may lead to oversimplification of complex theological concepts. Nonetheless, the Easy-To-Read Version remains a highly valuable translation for its target audience, offering a clear and approachable rendition of the Bible that helps people of all backgrounds engage with and understand the scriptures.