¹寫信慰問被擄的人民以下這一封信，是耶利米先知從耶路撒冷寄給被擄的祭司、先知和眾民，以及尚存的長老，就是尼布甲尼撒從耶路撒冷擄到巴比倫去的。

¹Now 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這是在耶哥尼雅王、太后、宮中的臣宰、猶大和耶路撒冷的領袖、工匠和鐵匠從耶路撒冷被擄走以後。

²(after that Jeconiah the king, the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths, had departed from Jerusalem),

³這封信是由沙番的兒子以利亞薩和希勒家的兒子基瑪利帶去的；他們是猶大王西底家差往巴比倫，去見巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒的。信上說：

³by 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), saying,

⁴“萬軍之耶和華以色列的　神對所有被擄的，就是耶和華（“耶和華”原文作“我”）把他們從耶路撒冷擄到巴比倫去的人，這樣說：

⁴Thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, to all the captivity, whom I have caused to be carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon:

⁵‘你們要建造房屋，定居下來；要栽種園子，吃園中的果子。

⁵Build houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat their fruit.

⁶你們要娶妻，生養兒女；要為你們的兒子娶媳婦，把你們的女兒出嫁，好讓他們也生養兒女。你們要在那裡增多，不可減少。

⁶Take wives, and father 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, and don’t be diminished.

⁷我把你們擄到的那城，你們要為她求平安，為她向耶和華祈禱；因為她得平安，你們也得平安。’

⁷Seek 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 shall have peace.

⁸勿信假先知“萬軍之耶和華以色列的　神這樣說：‘不要被你們中間的先知和作占卜的欺騙，也不要聽信自己所作的夢（“自己所作的夢”原文作“你們的夢，就是你們所促使作的夢”，有古本作“他們所作的夢”）。

⁸For thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel: Don’t let your prophets who are in the midst of you, and your diviners, deceive you; neither listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed.

⁹因為他們冒我名對你們說虛假的預言，我並沒有差派他們。’這是耶和華的宣告。

⁹For they prophesy falsely to you in my name: I have not sent them, says Yahweh.

¹⁰預言七十年後必重返故土“耶和華這樣說：‘為巴比倫所定的七十年滿了以後，我必眷顧你們，向你們實行我滿有恩惠的諾言，把你們帶回這地方來。

¹⁰For thus says Yahweh, 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因我自己知道我為你們所定的計劃，是使你們得平安，而不是遭受災禍的計劃；要賜給你們美好的前程和盼望。’這是耶和華的宣告。

¹¹For 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‘你們要呼求我，要來向我禱告，我就必應允你們。

¹²You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

¹³你們要尋找我，只要一心尋求，就必尋見。

¹³You shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.

¹⁴我必給你們尋見（這是耶和華的宣告）；我必使你們被擄的歸回，從我趕逐你們去的各國各地，把你們集合起來，帶回我擄你們離開的地方去。’這是耶和華的宣告。

¹⁴I 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; and I will bring you again to the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive.

¹⁵“你們既然說：‘耶和華在巴比倫為我們興起了先知’，

¹⁵Because you have said, Yahweh has raised us up prophets in Babylon;

¹⁶所以耶和華論到那坐大衛王位的君王和住在這城裡的眾民，就是沒有和你們一同被擄去的眾兄弟，這樣說：

¹⁶thus says Yahweh concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brothers who haven’t gone forth with you into captivity;

¹⁷‘萬軍之耶和華這樣說：看哪！我必打發刀劍、饑荒、瘟疫臨到他們；我必使他們像腐爛的無花果，壞到不能吃。

¹⁷thus says Yahweh of Armies; Behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that can’t be eaten, they are so bad.

¹⁸我必用刀劍、饑荒、瘟疫追趕他們，使他們成為地上萬國所驚懼的，在我趕逐他們到的各國中，成為令人驚駭、被人咒罵、嗤笑、羞辱的對象。

¹⁸I 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, and an astonishment, and a hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations where I have driven them;

¹⁹因為他們不聽從我的話（這是耶和華的宣告），就是我不斷差遣到他們那裡去，我的僕人眾先知所說的話；同樣，你們也沒有聽從。’這是耶和華的宣告。

¹⁹because 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“你們這所有被擄去的，就是我從耶路撒冷趕逐到巴比倫去的，要聽耶和華的話。

²⁰Hear therefore the word of Yahweh, all you of the captivity, whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.

²¹亞哈和西底家必遭惡報“萬軍之耶和華以色列的　神這樣說：‘論到冒我的名向你們說虛假預言的哥賴雅的兒子亞哈和瑪西雅的兒子西底家，我要把他們交在巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒的手中，他要在你們眼前擊殺他們。

²¹Thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, 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 shall kill them before your eyes;

²²所有被擄到巴比倫的猶大人，都要因他們的遭遇這樣咒詛人，說：“願耶和華使你像巴比倫王用火燒死的西底家和亞哈一樣。”

²²and of them shall be taken up a curse 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因為他們二人在以色列中行了無恥的事，他們和鄰舍的妻子通姦，又冒我的名說虛假的話，是我沒有吩咐他們說的。我知道一切，也可以作證。’這是耶和華的宣告。”

²³because they have worked folly in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken words in my name falsely, which I didn’t command them; and I am he who knows, and am witness, says Yahweh.

²⁴示瑪雅寫信叫人責備耶利米耶和華吩咐耶利米說：“你要對尼希蘭人示瑪雅說：

²⁴Concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite you shall speak, saying,

²⁵‘萬軍之耶和華以色列的　神這樣說：你曾用自己的名寄信給在耶路撒冷的眾民、瑪西雅祭司的兒子西番雅，和眾祭司，說：

²⁵Thus speaks Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, saying, 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耶和華已經立了你西番雅為祭司，代替耶何耶大，作耶和華殿中的總管，你就應把所有妄自說預言的人，都帶上腳鐐枷鎖。

²⁶Yahweh has made you priest in the place of Jehoiada the priest, that there may be officers in the house of Yahweh, for every man who is mad, and makes himself a prophet, that you should put him in the stocks and in shackles.

²⁷現在，亞拿突人耶利米向你們說預言，你為甚麼不斥責他呢？

²⁷Now therefore, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who makes himself a prophet to you,

²⁸因為他寄信給我們在巴比倫的人說：被擄的時期必會長久，所以你們要建造房屋，定居下來，也要栽植園子，吃園中的果子。’”

²⁸because he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, The captivity is long: build houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat their fruit?

²⁹（西番雅祭司卻把這封信念給耶利米先知聽。）

²⁹Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.

³⁰示瑪雅說假預言必受惡報耶和華的話又臨到耶利米，說：

³⁰Then came the word of Yahweh to Jeremiah, saying,

³¹“你要寄信給所有被擄的人，說：‘論到尼希蘭人示瑪雅，耶和華這樣說：因為示瑪雅向你們說預言，我並沒有差遣他，他竟使你們信靠謊言。

³¹Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus says Yahweh 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所以耶和華這樣說：看哪！我必懲罰尼希蘭人示瑪雅和他的後代；他必不會有子孫住在這人民中間，也必不能看見我要為我的子民所作的美事，因為他說了悖逆耶和華的話。’”這是耶和華的宣告。

³²therefore thus says Yahweh, Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed; he shall not have a man to dwell among this people, neither shall he see the good that I will do to my people, says Yahweh, because he has spoken rebellion against Yahweh.