Jeremiah Chapter 29

1 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thy hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Ye shall surely drink.

2 For, lo, I begin to work evil at the city which is called by my name; and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished; for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith Jehovah of hosts.

3 Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, Jehovah will roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he will mightily roar against his fold; he will give a shout, as they that tread

4 the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.

5 A noise shall come even to the end of the earth; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the nations; he will enter into judgment with all flesh: as for the wicked, he will give them to the sword, saith Jehovah.

6 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great tempest shall be raised up from the uttermost parts of the earth.

7 And the slain of Jehovah shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the face of the ground.

8 Wail, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow

9 in ashes, ye principal of the flock; for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are fully come, and ye shall fall like a goodly vessel.

10 And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape.

11 A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and the wailing of the principal of the flock! for Jehovah layeth waste their pasture.

12 And the peaceable folds are brought to silence because of the fierce anger of Jehovah.

13 He hath left his covert, as the lion; for their land is become an astonishment because of the fierceness of the oppressing

14 sword, and because of his fierce anger.

15 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, came this word from Jehovah, saying,

16 Thus saith Jehovah: Stand in the court of Jehovah’s house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in Jehovah’s house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word.

17 It may be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way; that I may repent me of the evil which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.

18 And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah: If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,

19 to hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send unto you, even rising up early and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;

20 then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.

21 And the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of Jehovah.

22 And it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that Jehovah had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold on him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.

23 Why hast thou prophesied in the name of Jehovah, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant? And all the people were gathered unto Jeremiah in the house of Jehovah.

24 And when the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house unto the house of Jehovah; and they sat in the entry of the new gate of Jehovah’s

25 house.

26 Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy of death; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.

27 Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, Jehovah sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.

28 Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of Jehovah your God; and Jehovah will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.

29 But as for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as is good and right in your eyes.

30 Only know ye for certain that, if ye put me to death, ye will bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof; for of a truth Jehovah hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.

31 Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets: This man is not worthy of death; for he hath spoken to us in the name of Jehovah our God.

32 Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying,

darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext

1 And these are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the residue of the elders of the captivity, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon

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

3 by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkijah (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon, unto Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), saying,

4 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, theGod of Israel, unto all the captivity, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon:

5 Build houses, and dwell in them, and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

6 Take 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; and multiply there, and be not diminished.

7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray unto Jehovah for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

8 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, theGod of Israel: Let not your prophets that are in your midst, nor your diviners deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams, which ye like to dream.

9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith Jehovah.

10 For thus saith Jehovah: When seventy years shall be accomplished for Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in bringing you back to this place.

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith Jehovah, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you in your latter end a hope.

12 And ye shall call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you;

13 and ye shall seek me and find me, for ye shall search for me with all your heart,

14 and I will be found of you, saith Jehovah. And I will turn your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith Jehovah; and I will bring you again into the place whence I have caused you to be carried away captive.

15 If ye say, Jehovah hath raised us up prophets in Babylon;

16 yea, thus saith Jehovah concerning the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and concerning all the people that dwell in this city, your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;

17 thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Behold, I will send against them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like the vile figs, that cannot be eaten for badness.

18 And I will pursue them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will give them over to be driven hither and thither into all the kingdoms of the earth, to be an execration, and an astonishment, and a hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I will drive them:

19 because they have not hearkened to my words, saith Jehovah, wherewith I sent unto them my servants the prophets, rising early and sending; but ye have not hearkened, saith Jehovah.

20 But ye, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon, hear the word of Jehovah.

21 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, theGod of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy falsehood unto you in my name: Behold, I will give them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall smite them before your eyes.

22 And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah that are in Babylon, saying, Jehovah make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;

23 because they have committed infamy in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken words of falsehood in my name, which I had not commanded them: and I [am] he that knoweth, and [am] witness, saith Jehovah.

24 And thou shalt speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,

25 Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, theGod 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 Jehovah hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that there should be officers [in] the house of Jehovah, over every madman and self-made prophet, that thou shouldest put him in the stocks and in the shackles.

27 And now, why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, who maketh himself a prophet to you?

28 Forasmuch as he hath sent unto us in Babylon, saying, It will be long; build houses, and dwell [in them], and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

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

30 And the word of Jehovah came unto Jeremiah, saying,

31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith Jehovah concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he hath caused you to trust in falsehood;

32 therefore thus saith Jehovah: 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 for my people, saith Jehovah; because he hath spoken revolt against Jehovah.

lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM

1 Thus saith the Lord against the Philistines;

2 Behold, waters come up from the north, and shall become a sweeping torrent, and it shall sweep away the land, and its fulness; the city, and them that dwell in it: and men shall cry and all that dwell in the land shall howl,

3 at the sound of his rushing, at [the sound of] his hoofs, and at the rattling of his chariots, at the noise of his wheels: the fathers turned not to their children because of the weakness of their hands,

4 in the day that is coming to destroy all the Philistines: and I will utterly destroy Tyre and Sidon, and all the rest of their allies: for the Lord will destroy the remaining [inhabitants] of the islands.

5 Baldness is come upon Gaza; Ascalon is cast away, and the remnant of the Enakim.

6 How long wilt thou smite, O sword of the Lord? how long will it be ere thou art quiet? return into thy sheath, rest, and be removed.

7 How shall it be quiet, whereas the Lord has given it a commission against Ascalon, and against the regions on the sea-coast, to awake against the remaining [countries]!

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Et hæc sunt verba libri, quem misit Ieremias propheta de Ierusalem ad reliquias seniorum transmigrationis, et ad sacerdotes, et ad prophetas, et ad omnem populum, quem traduxerat Nabuchodonosor de Ierusalem in Babylonem:

2 postquam egressus est Iechonias rex, et domina, et eunuchi, et principes Iuda, et Ierusalem, et faber, et inclusor de Ierusalem:

3 in manu Elasa filii Saphan, et Gamariæ filii Helciæ, quos misit Sedecias rex Iuda ad Nabuchodonosor regem Babylonis in Babylonem, dicens:

4 Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum Deus Israel omni transmigrationi, quam transtuli de Ierusalem in Babylonem:

5 Ædificate domos, et habitate: et plantate hortos, et comedite fructum eorum.

6 Accipite uxores, et generate filios et filias: et date filiis vestris uxores, et filias vestras date viris, et pariant filios et filias: et multiplicamini ibi, et nolite esse pauci numero.

7 Et quærite pacem civitatis, ad quam transmigrare vos feci: et orate pro ea ad Dominum: quia in pace illius erit pax vobis.

8 Hæc enim dicit Dominus exercituum Deus Israel: Non vos seducant prophetæ vestri, qui sunt in medio vestrum, et divini vestri: et ne attendatis ad somnia vestra, quæ vos somniatis:

9 quia falso ipsi prophetant vobis in nomine meo: et non misi eos, dicit Dominus.

10 Quia hæc dicit Dominus: Cum cœperint impleri in Babylone septuaginta anni, visitabo vos: et suscitabo super vos verbum meum bonum, ut reducam vos ad locum istum.

11 Ego enim scio cogitationes, quas ego cogito super vos, ait Dominus, cogitationes pacis, et non afflictionis, ut dem vobis finem et patientiam.

12 Et invocabitis me, et ibitis: et orabitis me, et ego exaudiam vos.

13 Quæretis me, et invenietis: cum quæsieritis me in toto corde vestro.

14 Et inveniar a vobis, ait Dominus: et reducam captivitatem vestram, et congregabo vos de universis gentibus, et de cunctis locis, ad quæ expuli vos, dicit Dominus: et reverti vos faciam de loco, ad quem transmigrare vos feci.

15 Quia dixistis: Suscitavit nobis Dominus Prophetas in Babylone:

16 Quia hæc dicit Dominus ad regem, qui sedet super solium David, et ad omnem populum habitatorem urbis huius, ad fratres vestros, qui non sunt egressi vobiscum in transmigrationem.

17 Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum: Ecce mittam in eos gladium, et famem, et pestem: et ponam eos quasi ficus malas, quæ comedi non possunt, eo quod pessimæ sint.

18 Et persequar eos in gladio, et in fame, et in pestilentia: et dabo eos in vexationem universis regnis terræ: in maledictionem, et in stuporem, et in sibilum, et in opprobrium cunctis Gentibus, ad quas ego eieci eos:

19 eo quod non audierint verba mea, dicit Dominus: quæ misit ad eos per servos meos prophetas de nocte consurgens, et mittens: et non audistis, dicit Dominus.

20 Vos ergo audite verbum Domini omnis transmigratio, quam emisi de Ierusalem in Babylonem.

21 Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum Deus Israel ad Achab filium Coliæ, et ad Sedeciam filium Maasiæ, qui prophetant vobis in nomine meo mendaciter: Ecce ego tradam eos in manus Nabuchodonosor regis Babylonis: et percutiet eos in oculis vestris.

22 Et assumetur ex eis maledictio omni transmigrationi Iuda, quæ est in Babylone, dicentium: Ponat te Dominus sicut Sedeciam, et sicut Achab, quos frixit rex Babylonis in igne:

23 pro eo quod fecerint stultitiam in Israel, et mœchati sunt in uxores amicorum suorum, et locuti sunt verbum in nomine meo mendaciter, quod non mandavi eis: ego sum iudex et testis, dicit Dominus.

24 Et ad Semeiam Nehelamiten dices:

25 Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum, Deus Israel: Pro eo quod misisti in nomine tuo libros ad omnem populum, qui est in Ierusalem, et ad Sophoniam filium Maasiæ sacerdotem, et ad universos sacerdotes, dicens:

26 Dominus dedit te sacerdotem pro Ioiade sacerdote, ut sis dux in domo Domini super omnem virum arreptitium et prophetantem, ut mittas eum in nervum et in carcerem.

27 Et nunc quare non increpasti Ieremiam Anathothiten, qui prophetat vobis?

28 Quia super hoc misit in Babylonem ad nos, dicens: Longum est: ædificate domos, et habitate: et plantate hortos, et comedite fructus eorum.

29 Legit ergo Sophonias sacerdos librum istum in auribus Ieremiæ prophetæ.

30 Et factum est verbum Domini ad Ieremiam, dicens:

31 Mitte ad omnem transmigrationem, dicens: Hæc dicit Dominus ad Semeiam Nehelamiten: Pro eo quod prophetavit vobis Semeias, et ego non misi eum: et fecit vos confidere in mendacio:

32 idcirco hæc dicit Dominus: Ecce ego visitabo super Semeiam Nehelamiten, et super semen eius: non erit ei vir sedens in medio populi huius, et non videbit bonum, quod ego faciam populo meo, ait Dominus: quia prævaricationem locutus est adversus Dominum.

web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV

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

3 by 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). It said:

4 The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives whom I have caused to be carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon:

5 “Build houses and dwell in them. Plant gardens and eat their fruit.

6 Take wives and father sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there, and don’t be diminished.

7 Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace.”

8 For the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you. Don’t listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed.

9 For they prophesy falsely to you in my name. I have not sent them,” says the LORD.

10 For the LORD says, “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 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says the LORD, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.

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

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

14 I will be found by you,” says the LORD, “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 the LORD. “I will bring you again to the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive.”

15 Because you have said, “The LORD has raised us up prophets in Babylon,”

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

17 the LORD of Armies says: “Behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like rotten figs that can’t be eaten, they are so bad.

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

19 because they have not listened to my words,” says the LORD, “with which I sent to them my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but you would not hear,” says the LORD.

20 Hear therefore the LORD’s word, all you captives whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.

21 The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says 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 will kill them before your eyes.

22 A curse will be taken up about them by all the captives of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, ‘The LORD make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;’

23 because they have done foolish things in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken words in my name falsely, which I didn’t command them. I am he who knows, and am witness,” says the LORD.

24 Concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite you shall speak, saying,

25 “The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘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 “The LORD has made you priest in the place of Jehoiada the priest, that there may be officers in the LORD’s house, for every man who is crazy and makes himself a prophet, that you should put him in the stocks and in shackles.

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

28 because he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, The captivity is long. Build houses, and dwell in them. Plant gardens, and eat their fruit?”’”

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

30 Then the LORD’s word came to Jeremiah, saying,

31 “Send to all of the captives, saying, ‘The LORD says 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 therefore the LORD says, “Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his offspring. He will not have a man to dwell among this people. He won’t see the good that I will do to my people,” says the LORD, “because he has spoken rebellion against the LORD.”’”

ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8

1 And these <FI>are<Fi> words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the remnant of the elders of the removal, and unto the priests, and unto the prophets, and unto all the people--whom Nebuchadnezzar removed from Jerusalem to Babylon,

2 After the going forth of Jeconiah the king, and the mistress, and the officers, heads of Judah and Jerusalem, and the artificer, and the smith, from Jerusalem--

3 By the hand of Eleasah son of Shaphan, and Gemariah son of Hilkijah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon--to Babylon, saying,

4 `Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, to all the removal that I removed from Jerusalem to Babylon,

5 Build ye houses, and abide; and plant ye gardens, and eat their fruit;

6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take for your sons wives, and your daughters give to husbands, and they bear sons and daughters; and multiply there, and ye are not few;

7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have removed you, and pray for it unto Jehovah, for in its peace ye have peace.

8 `For thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, Let not your prophets who <FI>are<Fi> in your midst, and your diviners, lift you up, nor hearken ye unto their dreams, that ye are causing <FI>them<Fi> to dream;

9 For with falsehood they are prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, an affirmation of Jehovah.

10 `For thus said Jehovah, Surely at the fulness of Babylon--seventy years--I inspect you, and have established towards you My good word, to bring you back unto this place.

11 For I have known the thoughts that I am thinking towards you--an affirmation of Jehovah; thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give to you posterity and hope.

12 `And ye have called Me, and have gone, and have prayed unto Me, and I have hearkened unto you,

13 And ye have sought Me, and have found, for ye seek Me with all your heart;

14 And I have been found of you--an affirmation of Jehovah; and I have turned back <FI>to<Fi> your captivity, and have gathered you out of all the nations, and out of all the places whither I have driven you--an affirmation of Jehovah--and I have brought you back unto the place whence I removed you.

15 `Because ye have said, Jehovah hath raised up to us prophets in Babylon,

16 Surely thus said Jehovah concerning the king who is sitting on the throne of David, and concerning all the people that is dwelling in this city, your brethren who went not forth with you in the removal;

17 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, Lo, I am sending among them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and I have given them up as figs that <FI>are<Fi> vile, that are not eaten for badness.

18 And I have pursued after them with sword, with famine, and with pestilence, and have given them for a trembling to all kingdoms of the earth, for a curse and for an astonishment, and for a hissing, and for a reproach among all the nations whither I have driven them,

19 Because that they have not hearkened unto My words--an affirmation of Jehovah--that I sent unto them by My servants the prophets, rising early and sending, and ye hearkened not--an affirmation of Jehovah.

20 `And ye, hear ye a word of Jehovah, all ye of the captivity that I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon,

21 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, concerning Ahab son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you in My name falsehood: Lo, I am giving them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he hath smitten them before your eyes,

22 And taken from them hath been a reviling by all the removed of Judah that <FI>are<Fi> in Babylon, saying, Jehovah doth set thee as Zedekiah, and as Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted with fire;

23 Because that they have done folly in Israel, and commit adultery with the wives of their neighbours, and speak a word in My name falsely that I have not commanded them, and I <FI>am<Fi> He who knoweth and a witness--an affirmation of Jehovah.

24 `And unto Shemaiah the Nehelamite thou dost speak, saying,

25 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, saying, Because that thou hast sent in thy name letters unto all the people who <FI>are<Fi> in Jerusalem, and unto Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, and unto all the priests, saying,

26 Jehovah hath made thee priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, for there being inspectors of the house of Jehovah, for every one mad and making himself a prophet, and thou hast put him unto the torture and unto the stocks.

27 And now, why hast thou not pushed against Jeremiah of Anathoth, who is making himself a prophet to you?

28 Because that he hath sent unto us to Babylon, saying, It <FI>is<Fi> long, build ye houses, and abide; and plant ye gardens, and eat their fruit.'

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

30 And there is a word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah, saying,

31 `Send unto all the removal, saying, Thus said Jehovah concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite, Because that Shemaiah prophesied to you, and I--I have not sent him, and he doth cause you to trust on falsehood,

32 Therefore, thus said Jehovah, Lo, I am seeing after Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and after his seed, he hath none dwelling in the midst of this people, nor doth he look on the good that I am doing to My people--an affirmation of Jehovah--for apostasy he hath spoken against Jehovah.'

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).