¹ 先知耶利米從耶路撒冷寄信與被擄的祭司、先知，和眾民，並生存的長老，就是尼布甲尼撒從耶路撒冷擄到巴比倫去的。

² （這在耶哥尼雅王和太后、太監，並猶大、耶路撒冷的首領，以及工匠、鐵匠都離了耶路撒冷以後。）

³ 他藉沙番的兒子以利亞薩和希勒家的兒子基瑪利的手寄去。他們二人是猶大王西底家打發往巴比倫去見尼布甲尼撒王的。

⁴ 信上說：萬軍之耶和華─以色列的神對一切被擄去的（就是我使他們從耶路撒冷被擄到巴比倫的人）如此說：

⁵ 你們要蓋造房屋，住在其中；栽種田園，吃其中所產的；

⁶ 娶妻生兒女，為你們的兒子娶妻，使你們的女兒嫁人，生兒養女。在那�生養眾多，不致減少。

⁷ 我所使你們被擄到的那城，你們要為那城求平安，為那城禱告耶和華；因為那城得平安，你們也隨著得平安。

⁸ 萬軍之耶和華─以色列的神如此說：不要被你們中間的先知和占卜的誘惑，也不要聽信自己所做的夢；

⁹ 因為他們託我的名對你們說假預言，我並沒有差遣他們。這是耶和華說的。

¹⁰ 耶和華如此說：為巴比倫所定的七十年滿了以後，我要眷顧你們，向你們成就我的恩言，使你們仍回此地。

¹¹ 耶和華說：我知道我向你們所懷的意念是賜平安的意念，不是降災禍的意念，要叫你們末後有指望。

¹² 你們要呼求我，禱告我，我就應允你們。

¹³ 你們尋求我，若專心尋求我，就必尋見。

¹⁴ 耶和華說：我必被你們尋見，我也必使你們被擄的人歸回，將你們從各國中和我所趕你們到的各處招聚了來，又將你們帶回我使你們被擄掠離開的地方。這是耶和華說的。

¹⁵ 你們說：耶和華在巴比倫為我們興起先知；

¹⁶ 所以耶和華論到坐大衛寶座的王和住在這城裡的一切百姓，就是未曾與你們一同被擄的弟兄，

¹⁷ 萬軍之耶和華如此說：看哪，我必使刀劍、饑荒、瘟疫臨到他們，使他們像極壞的無花果，壞得不可吃。

¹⁸ 我必用刀劍、饑荒、瘟疫追趕他們，使他們在天下萬國拋來拋去，在我所趕他們到的各國中，令人咒詛、驚駭、嗤笑、羞辱。

¹⁹ 耶和華說：這是因為他們沒有聽從我的話，就是我從早起來差遣我僕人眾先知去說的，無奈他們不聽。這是耶和華說的。

²⁰ 所以你們一切被擄去的，就是我從耶路撒冷打發到巴比倫去的，當聽耶和華的話。

²¹ 萬軍之耶和華─以色列的神論到哥賴雅的兒子亞哈，並瑪西雅的兒子西底家，如此說：他們是託我名向你們說假預言的，我必將他們交在巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒的手中；他要在你們眼前殺害他們。

²² 住巴比倫一切被擄的猶大人必藉這二人賭咒說：願耶和華使你像巴比倫王在火中燒的西底家和亞哈一樣。

²³ 這二人是在以色列中行了醜事，與鄰舍的妻行淫，又假託我名說我未曾吩咐他們的話。知道的是我，作見證的也是我。這是耶和華說的。

²⁴ 論到尼希蘭人示瑪雅，你當說，

²⁵ 萬軍之耶和華─以色列的神如此說：你曾用自己的名寄信給耶路撒冷的眾民和祭司瑪西雅的兒子西番雅，並眾祭司，說：

²⁶ 耶和華已經立你西番雅為祭司，代替祭司耶何耶大，使耶和華殿中有官長，好將一切狂妄自稱為先知的人用枷枷住，用鎖鎖住。

²⁷ 現在亞拿突人耶利米向你們自稱為先知，你們為何沒有責備他呢？

²⁸ 因為他寄信給我們在巴比倫的人說：被擄的事必長久。你們要蓋造房屋，住在其中；栽種田園，吃其中所產的。

²⁹ 祭司西番雅就把這信念給先知耶利米聽。

³⁰ 於是耶和華的話臨到耶利米說：

³¹ 你當寄信給一切被擄的人說：耶和華論到尼希蘭人示瑪雅說：因為示瑪雅向你們說預言，我並沒有差遣他，他使你們倚靠謊言；

³² 所以耶和華如此說：我必刑罰尼希蘭人示瑪雅和他的後裔，他必無一人存留住在這民中，也不得見我所要賜與我百姓的福樂，因為他向耶和華說了叛逆的話。這是耶和華說的。

⁶ Now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the animals of the field also have I given him to serve him.

⁷ All the nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the time of his own land come: and then many nations and great kings shall make him their bondservant.

⁸ It shall happen, that the nation and the kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, says Yahweh, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.

⁹ But as for you, don't you listen to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreams, nor to your soothsayers, nor to your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, You shall not serve the king of Babylon:

¹⁰ for they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land, and that I should drive you out, and you should perish.

¹¹ But the nation that shall bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, that [nation] will I let remain in their own land, says Yahweh; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.

¹² I spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

¹³ Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as Yahweh has spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

¹⁴ Don't listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, You shall not serve the king of Babylon; for they prophesy a lie to you.

¹⁵ For I have not sent them, says Yahweh, but they prophesy falsely in my name; that I may drive you out, and that you may perish, you, and the prophets who prophesy to you.

¹⁶ Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus says Yahweh: Don't listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, Behold, the vessels of Yahweh's house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon; for they prophesy a lie to you.

¹⁷ Don't listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: why should this city become a desolation?

¹⁸ But if they be prophets, and if the word of Yahweh be with them, let them now make intercession to Yahweh of Armies, that the vessels which are left in the house of Yahweh, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, don't go to Babylon.

¹⁹ For thus says Yahweh of Armies concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that are left in this city,

²⁰ which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon didn't take, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;

²¹ yes, thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of Yahweh, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem:

²² They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be, until the day that I visit them, says Yahweh; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.