Jeremiah 29:28

KJV1611 – Modern English

For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, 'This captivity is long; build houses and dwell in them, and plant gardens and eat their fruit.'

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

כִּ֣י עַל־כֵּ֞ן שָׁלַ֥ח אֵלֵ֛ינוּ בָּבֶ֥ל לֵאמֹ֖ר אֲרֻכָּ֣ה הִ֑יא בְּנ֤וּ בָתִּים֙ וְשֵׁ֔בוּ וְנִטְע֣וּ גַנּ֔וֹת וְאִכְל֖וּ אֶת־פְּרִיהֶֽן׃

Transliteration

Kî ʿal-kēn šālaḥ ʾēlênû Bābel lēʾmōr ʾărukkâ hîʾ bənû bāttîm wə-šēbû wə-niṭʿû gannôt wə-ʾiklû ʾet-pərîhen

Grammar Details

• *Kî*: conjunction - for/because
• *ʿal*-*kēn*: preposition + adverb - therefore
• *šālaḥ*: perfect, 3rd masculine singular - he sent
• *ʾēlênû*: preposition + 1st person common plural suffix - to us
• *Bābel*: proper noun - Babylon
• *lēʾmōr*: preposition + infinitive construct - saying
• *ʾărukkâ*: adjective, feminine singular - long
• *hîʾ*: 3rd person feminine singular independent pronoun - it
• *bənû*: imperative, masculine plural - build
• *bāttîm*: noun, masculine plural - houses
• *wə-šēbû*: conjunction + imperative, masculine plural - and dwell
• *wə-niṭʿû*: conjunction + imperative, masculine plural - and plant
• *gannôt*: noun, feminine plural - gardens
• *wə-ʾiklû*: conjunction + imperative, masculine plural - and eat
• *ʾet*: direct object marker
• *pərîhen*: noun, masculine singular construct + 3rd person feminine plural suffix - their fruit

Word Meanings

• *ʿal*-*kēn*: therefore/for this reason
• *ʾărukkâ*: long/prolonged/extended
• *bānâ*: build/construct
• *yāšab*: dwell/sit/remain
• *nāṭaʿ*: plant/establish
• *ʾākal*: eat/consume

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  For he has sent us to Babylon saying, 'The exile will be long. Build houses and settle down, plant gardens and eat their produce.'

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  forasmuch as he hath sent unto us in Babylon, saying, [The] [captivity] is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them?

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And beside all this, he hath sent vs worde vnto Babilon, and tolde vs planely, that oure captiuyte shal longe endure: that we shulde buylde vs houses to dwell therin, & to plante vs gardens, that we might enioye the frutes therof.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  For, for this cause hee sent vnto vs in Babel, saying, This captiuitie is long: buyld houses to dwell in, and plant gardens, and eate the fruites of them.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And beside all this, he hath sent vs worde vnto Babylon, and tolde vs playnely that our captiuitie shall long endure, that we should builde vs houses to dwel therin, and to plant vs gardens, that we may enioy the fruites therof.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  For therefore he sent unto us [in] Babylon, saying, This [captivity is] long: build ye houses, and dwell [in them]; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  because he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, [The captivity] is long: build you houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them?

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

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

• American Standard Version (1901)

  forasmuch as he hath sent unto us in Babylon, saying, `The captivity' is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them?

• American Standard Version (1901)

  forasmuch as he hath sent unto us in Babylon, saying, [The captivity] is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them?

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  For he has sent to us in Babylon saying, The time will be long: go on building houses and living in them, and planting gardens and using the fruit of them.

• World English Bible (2000)

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

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  For he has even sent a message to us here in Babylon. He wrote and told us,“You will be there a long time. Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they produce.”’”

Referenced Verses

• Jer 29:5 : 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit.
• Jer 29:10 : 10 For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
• Jer 29:1 : 1 These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders who were taken captive, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken captive from Jerusalem to Babylon.