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26 In the beginning of the reign of Y’hoyakim (Jehoiakim) Ben Yoshiyah Melech Yehudah came this Davar from Hashem saying
2 Thus saith Hashem: Stand in the khatzer (courtyard) of the Bais Hashem, and speak unto all the towns of Yehudah, which come to worship in the Bais Hashem, all the Devarim that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word;
3 If so be they will pay heed, turn every man from his derech hara’ah, that I may relent of the ra’ah, which I purpose to do unto them for the evil of their doings.
4 And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith Hashem: If ye will not pay heed to Me, to walk in My torah, which I have set before you,
5 To pay heed to the Devarim of My Avadim the Nevi’im, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early and sending them, but ye have not paid heed;
6 Then will I make this Bais like Shiloh, and will make this city a kelalah (curse) to all the Goyim of Ha’Aretz.
7 So the kohanim and the nevi’im and kol HaAm heard Yirmeyah speaking these Devarim in the Bais Hashem.
8 Now it came to pass, when Yirmeyah had made an end of speaking all that Hashem had commanded him to speak unto kol HaAm, that the kohanim and the nevi’im and kol HaAm laid hold of him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.
9 Why hast thou prophesied B’Shem Hashem, saying, This Bais shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And kol HaAm were gathered against Yirmeyah in the Bais Hashem.
10 When the sarim of Yehudah heard these things, then they came up from the Bais HaMelech to the Beis Hashem, and sat down in the petach Sha’ar HeChadash (entrance of the New Gate) of [the Beis] Hashem.
11 Then spoke the kohanim and the nevi’im unto the sarim and to kol HaAm, saying, Mishpat mavet for this ish! For he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your oznayim.
12 Then spoke Yirmeyah unto all the sarim and to kol HaAm, saying, Hashem sent me to prophesy against this Bais and against this city all the Devarim that ye have heard.
13 Therefore now reform your drakhim and your doings, and obey the voice of Hashem Eloheichem; and Hashem will relent of the ra’ah that He hath pronounced against you.
14 As for me, see, I am in your yad; do with me as seemeth tov and yashar unto you.
15 But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring dahm naki upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof; for b’emes Hashem hath sent me unto you to speak all these Devarim in your oznayim.
16 Then said the sarim and kol HaAm unto the kohanim and to the nevi’im; This ish is not mishpat mavet (worthy of death); for he hath spoken to us B’Shem Hashem Eloheinu.
17 Then rose up anashim zekenim ha’aretz, and spoke to kol kehal HaAm, saying,
18 Michah the Morashti prophesied in the days of Chizkiyah Melech Yehudah, and spoke to kol Am Yehudah, saying, Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: Tziyon shall be plowed like a sadeh, and Yerushalayim shall become rubble heaps, and the Har HaBais (Temple Mount) like the bare heights of a ya’ar (forest).
19 Did Chizkiyah Melech Yehudah and kol Yehudah put him to death? Did he not fear Hashem, and besought Hashem, and Hashem relented of the ra’ah which He had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure ra’ah gedolah against nafshoteinu.
20 And there was also an ish that prophesied B’Shem Hashem, Uriyah Ben Shema’yahu of Kiryat HaYearim, who prophesied against this city and against HaAretz Hazot according to all the devarim of Yirmeyah.
21 And when Y’hoyakim (Jehoiakim) HaMelech, with all his gibborim, and all the sarim, heard his words, HaMelech sought to put him to death; but when Uriyah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Mitzrayim;
22 And Y’hoyakim HaMelech sent anashim into Mitzrayim, namely, Elnatan Ben Achbor, and certain anashim with him into Mitzrayim.
23 And they brought Uriyah out of Mitzrayim, and brought him unto Y’hoyakim HaMelech; who slaughtered him with the cherev, and cast his nevelah (dead body) into the kevarim of the Bnei HaAm (common people).
24 Nevertheless the yad (hand, influence) of Achikam Ben Shaphan was with Yirmeyah, that they should not give him into the yad HaAm to put him to death.
27 In the beginning of the reign of Y’hoyakim Ben Yoshiyah Melech Yehudah came this davar unto Yirmeyah from Hashem, saying,
2 Thus saith Hashem to me: Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy tzavar (neck),
3 And send them to Melech Edom, and to Melech Moav, and to Melech Bnei Ammon, and to Melech Tzor, and to Melech Tzidon, by the yad of the malachim which come to Yerushalayim unto Tzidkiyah Melech Yehudah;
4 And command them to say unto their adonim, Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel: Thus shall ye say unto your adonim;
5 I have made ha’aretz (the earth), ha’adam and habehemah that are upon the face of the earth, by My great ko’ach and by My outstretched zero’a, and have given it unto whom it seemed yashar unto Me.
6 And now have I given all these lands into the yad Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel, Avdi (My servant); and the beasts of the sadeh have I given him also to serve him.
7 And all Goyim shall serve him, and bno, and ben bno, until the very time of his land come; and then many Goyim and great melachim shall make him serve [in bondage to] them.
8 And it shall come to pass, that the goy (nation) and mamlachah (kingdom) which will not serve the same Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel, and that will not put their tzavar (neck) under the yoke of HaMelech Bavel, that nation will I punish, saith Hashem, with the cherev, and with the ra’av (famine), and with the dever, until I have consumed them by his yad.
9 Therefore do not pay heed to your nevi’im, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your soothsayers, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve Melech Bavel;
10 For they prophesy sheker unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.
11 But the Goyim that bring their tzavar (neck) under the yoke of the Melech Bavel, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own adamah, saith Hashem; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.
12 I spoke also to Tzidkiyah Melech Yehudah according to all these Devarim, saying, Bring your tzavarot (necks) under the yoke of Melech Bavel, and serve Him and his people, and live.
13 Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the cherev, by the ra’av (famine), and by the dever, as Hashem hath spoken against the goy (nation) that will not serve Melech Bavel?
14 Therefore do not pay heed unto the devarim of the nevi’im that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve Melech Bavel; for they prophesy sheker unto you.
15 For I have not sent them, saith Hashem, yet they prophesy sheker in My name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the nevi’im that prophesy unto you.
16 Also I spoke to the kohanim and to all this people, saying, Thus saith Hashem: Do not pay heed to the devarim of your nevi’im that prophesy unto you, saying, Hinei, the K’lei Beis Hashem shall now shortly be brought back from Bavel; for they prophesy sheker unto you.
17 Do not pay heed unto them; serve Melech Bavel, and live; why should this ir be laid waste?
18 But if they are nevi’im, and if the Devar Hashem be with them, let them now make intercession to Hashem Tzva’os, that the kelim (vessels) which are left in the Beis Hashem, and in the Bais HaMelech Yehudah, and at Yerushalayim, go not to Bavel.
19 For thus saith Hashem Tzva’os concerning the Ammudim (Pillars) and concerning the Yam (Sea), and concerning the Mekhonot (Stands [supporting the lavers]), and concerning the remainder of the kelim that remain in this ir.
20 Which Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel took not, when he carried away captive Yechanyah Ben Y’hoyakim Melech Yehudah from Yerushalayim to Bavel, and all the nobles of Yehudah and Yerushalayim;
21 Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel, concerning the kelim (vessels) that remain in the Beis Hashem, and in the Bais HaMelech Yehudah and Yerushalayim;
22 They shall be carried to Bavel, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith Hashem; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this makon.
3 Lemaskana (finally), Achim b’Moshiach, daven for us, that the Dvar Hashem will run on and be lifted up in kavod, just as it is also with you,
2 And that we may be delivered from anshei resha (men of wickedness), for not all possess the Messianic emunah.
3 But Ne’eman (Faithful) is Hashem who gives you chozek (strength) and is shomer over you, guarding you from the Evil One.
4 And we have bitachon in Hashem concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we have directed.
5 Now may Hashem direct your levavot in the Ahavas Hashem and into the zitzfleisch of Moshiach.
6 Now we charge you, Achim b’Moshiach, b’Shem Adoneinu Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua, to shun chavrusashaft (association) with every one of the Achim b’Moshiach who follows the derech habatlanim (way of idlers) and walks not according to Moshiach’s [pnimiyus] haTorah that was handed over and transmitted to you and which you received from us [Shlichim].
7 For you yourselves have da’as how it is necessary to imitate us as a mofet, a role model, because we [Shlichim] were not batlanim (idlers) among you.
8 Nor did we eat lechem (food) from anyone gratis, but in labor and exertion lailah v’yomam (night and day) we were working for the tachlis (purpose) of not weighing down and burdening any one of you;
9 Not because we do not have the zchus (right), but in order that we impart ourselves as a mofet (role model) to you that you might imitate us.
10 For even when we were with you, this we used to direct you: that if anyone will not be a po’el (worker), neither let him be an ochel (eater) [Gn 3:19].
11 For we hear that some among you are leading the life of a batlan (loafer), not being busy with a parnasah, but being busybodies with hitarevut (meddlesomeness).
12 Now such persons we are directing and exhort in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua Adoneinu to work with quietness that they may eat their own lechem.
13 But you, Achim b’Moshiach, do not lose chozek in well-doing.
14 But if anyone does not obey the gzeira (injunction) in this iggeret hakodesh (holy letter), take special notice of that one; do not have chavrusashaft (association) with him, for the tachlis (purpose) of stirring him with a sense of bushah (shame).
15 And do not consider (him) an oyev (enemy) but warn him as an Ach b’Moshiach.
16 Now may Elohei HaShalom Himself grant you shalom in every way. Hashem be with you all.
17 I, [Rav] Sha’ul, send Drishat Shalom greetings in my own handwriting, which is the distinctive siman (sign) in every iggeret hakodesh; this is the way I write.
18 The unmerited Chen v’Chesed Hashem of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua be with you all. [T.N. The following was written during the period between his release from custody in 63 and his re-arrest and death al kiddush ha-Shem in 65 C.E.]
85 (For the one directing. Of the Bnei Korach. Mizmor.) Hashem, Thou hast been favorable unto Thy land; Thou hast brought back the captivity of Ya’akov.
2 (3) Thou hast forgiven the avon (iniquity) of Amecha (Thy people); Thou hast covered all their chattat (sin). Selah.
3 (4) Thou hast withdrawn all Thy wrath; Thou hast turned from Thine charon af.
4 (5) Turn us, O Elohei Yisheinu (G-d of our salvation), and put away Thine ka’as (anger) toward us.
5 (6) Wilt Thou be angry with us l’olam? Wilt Thou draw out Thine anger l’dor vador?
6 (7) Wilt Thou not revive us again; that Amecha (Thy people) may rejoice in Thee?
7 (8) Show us chasdecha (Thy chesed, kindness, steadfast love), Hashem, and grant us Thy salvation.
8 (9) I will hear what HaEl Hashem will say; for He will speak shalom unto His people, and to His Chasidim; but let them not turn again to folly.
9 (10) Surely His salvation is karov (near) them that fear Him; that kavod may dwell in Artzeinu (our land).
10 (11) Chesed and emes will meet together; tzedek and shalom will kiss each other.
11 (12) Emes shall titzmach (sprout forth [T.N. Tzemach—Branch, Sprout—is the code name for Moshiach and the coming Tzemach’s Namesake in Zecharyah 6:11-12 is Yehoshua, Yeshua—see Ezra 3:8; Zech 3:8; 6:11-12. Go to Jer 23:5 and look at all the references. These are among the most important Scriptures in the Bible because it is here that the saving Name of Moshiach Tzidkeinu is prophetically communicated for salvation; the word Tzemach means “Moshiach” and it is the code word par excellence for Moshiach in the post-Exilic references in the minor prophets; this veiled reference to Moshiach was necessary in the situation of the Return under Persian rule when talk of a coming king was a delicate matter.]) out of ha’aretz; and tzedek shall look down from Shomayim.
12 (13) Yes, Hashem shall give that which is tov; and Artzeinu (our land) shall yield her yevul (increase, produce).
13 (14) Tzedek shall go before Him; and shall set us in the Derech of His steps.
16 Hast thou found devash? Eat only as much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it out.
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