These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
-----
Thus says Yahweh of hosts, elohe of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to Yahweh on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
--------------------
Verse one is included in this reading because it sets up the whole chapter. In it are words read as proper nouns, which become limiting in the reader’s reception of this announcement as personally meant for he or she to understand. When people hear about ancient names and places no longer around, the whole reading goes in one ear and out the other. Meanwhile, the priest, pastor, minister or preacher does little to explain why these words are sent by Yahweh, through His prophet Jeremiah, for them to be grasped individually as meaningful, at all times, in all places.
Because Hebrew has no capital letters (and only two vowels – aleph and yod), there is no distinction made in the words written that say, “This is a proper noun.” It is the translators who make Hebrew have capital letters, just as it is the translators who fill in the missing vowels. Once those translations come out as English to American Christians’ eyes and ears, the meanings behind the proper nouns are lost. This makes a translation confusing, requiring the student (disciple) of Scripture to seek out someone highly educated, who can fill in the blanks and explain the meaning of divine texts. However, as Jesus explained to the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes and high priests of the Temple and the synagogues of Judea and Galilee, those Big Brains knew nothing of value. Thus, the people seeking guidance were lost; and, it was for this reason Yahweh sent His Son to save the lost, who wanted to be found.
The capitalized translations found in verse one are actually words with meaning behind the names. Those meanings are as follows:
Jeremiah – “Yah Throws, Yah Loosens” or “Elevated Of Yah”
Jerusalem – “In Awe Of Peace” or “Teaching Peace”
Nebuchadnezzar – “Nebo, Protect Your Servant” or “A Prophet Is A Preservative Jar”
Babel (or Babylon) – “Gate Of God”
By knowing this, verse one can now literally be translated into English properly, as follows:
“and these the words this writing , which it sent ‘elevated of Yahweh’ this prophet ‘from teaching peace’ , to the remainder of the elders the captive , and to the priests and to the prophets and to all the people , whom it has removed ‘a prophet is a preservative jar’ ‘to teaching peace’ ‘it gate of god’ .”
In this verse, the Hebrew words “han·nā·ḇî” and “han·nə·ḇî·’îm” reflect both the singular and plural forms of “nabi,” meaning “a spokesman, speaker, prophet.” In the translation above, I have (as have other translators) used “prophet” (the singular of “Jeremiah”) and “prophets” (the plural of the “captives” taken holding that title). However, the word “spokesman” can be seen as more viable in the case of those of the Temple of Jerusalem, who did not have a marriage of spiritual commitment with Yahweh; so, they were not ‘elevated of Yahweh,’ as the name “Jeremiah” means.
Their “captivity” is then specifically pointed out as to whom “the words of this writing” are directed, because neither the “priests,” their “spokesmen,” nor “the people” were souls married to Yahweh, being incapable of Yahweh leading them away from “captivity.” This translation I present now makes it clear that everyone living today, calling himself or herself ‘Christian’ is just as clueless, because their souls are likewise incapable of hearing the voice of Yahweh guide them away from being “captives” of the worldly ways and wills.
When the reading then skips forward to verse four, we read, “thus says Yahweh of hosts the gods ‘he retains within [from Yahweh]’”. In this, each reader is informed that “these the words this writing” are “spoken” by “Yahweh.” Yahweh is greater than “a god” (“el”), as He is the Creator of “hosts” of immortal spirits, angels, souls and laws, where each reader is an eternal soul (one “el”) within a body of flesh. The Hebrew word written – “elohe” – is a masculine plural construct, which says “the elohim,” where the word “elohim” refers to the conjoined “gods” within one body of flesh, where there are two souls together as “the elohim Israel.” That means being a soul possessed by Yahweh’s Son’s soul – THE “Yahweh elohim” of Genesis 2 (Adam), whose divine soul placed in a body of flesh (in Eden) was made for the purpose of saving souls, with the word “Jesus” meaning “Yah[weh] Saves.” Thus, verse four begins by stating “these the words this writing” as “spoken by Yahweh” to all souls who will become His Son reborn, thereby saved from death and the captivity of reincarnation back into a fleshy prison.
The remainder of verse four then says this “writing of Yahweh” is addressed “to all who were exiles”, which means everyone today that lives as a soul in a body of flesh that has turned away from Yahweh. In that sense, the “exile” of each soul is due to one’s own actions. By understanding that, the first-person “I” in the construct that says, “I have removed,” implying “I have brought, carried, led, and appeared” as a representation of “I” – the self – is self-imposed “exile” from Yahweh. In that, each soul addressed has personally resisted “teaching peace” [Jerusalem] as a means for reaching its “gate of god” [Babylon]. Here, the meaning of the word “Babelah” is not referring to a heavenly gate, like the one envisioned as manned by Saint Peter, but the “threshold of self-importance,” where one “teaches” all the wrong things, promoting self as one of the “gods.” It is this selfishness that has (and always will) lead souls into a “captivity” that leaves a trail of tears.
From this, we then read what Yahweh said. Verse five literally translates into English as this: “you all build houses and you all inhabit ; and you all plant orchards and consume their produce”. Because this is Yahweh speaking in words in a letter written by a true prophet, the words are solely meant to be spiritual directions, not material concerns. This then says “houses” are the bodies of flesh being “built” up (versus being torn down) as temples into which Yahweh’s Spirit and the soul of His Son can “dwell.” Rather than live in an outer world of deception, confusion and waywardness, each soul is then directed to remain within one’s soul-state, where Yahweh’s influence will “inhabit” their souls. It will then be from this divine inner presence that the seeds of ministry (‘teaching peace’) will be planted, where the “fruits” of those seeds “planted” will be the spiritual food of heaven – the truth of the Word. This “produce” will then be “consumed” by each soul, so each will become enlightened to the truth. This personal experience “builds” faith within each soul.
This then leads to us reading Yahweh say, “take wives , and you all bring forth sons and daughters and take for your sons wives , and it your daughters give to husbands so that they may bear sons and daughters ; that you may become great there in and not suffered to decrease .” In this, the Hebrew word translated as “take” (written twice) is “qə·ḥū,” rooted in “laqach,” which also implies marriage (translated 21 times in Scripture as either “married, marry, or marries.”). The masculinity of “sons and daughters” and “wives” and “husbands” becomes shortsighted, when one reads this as a command to ancient people, who physically were being told by Yahweh to do what is natural of human beings. The spiritual meaning is then what makes this command by Yahweh everlasting and directed to all who will read these words, throughout all times (even today when marriage has become corrupted to the point that “sons and daughters” are not even sure of those basic distinctions).
Yahweh is speaking to souls in spiritual terms. This means “take wives” is a command for themselves (souls in either male or female bodies of flesh) to realize that a soul imprisoned in a body of flesh is feminine, as its ‘jailer’s’ gender (the world of matter) governs each soul. To then “take wives” is a command to see self (a soul) as “wife” material for Yahweh. Each soul must “take” this submissive posture before Yahweh and hear His offer of divine marriage, then take that to heart. One must prepare one’s soul (regardless of one’s physical gender) to be Yahweh’s “wife.”
The divine marriage of a soul to Yahweh “brings forth” His Spirit of Baptismal cleansing; so, all past sins are erased and one’s soul-flesh is made virgin pure as His “wife.” This virginal state then prepares one’s soul to “bring forth sons and daughters,” where the soul of the Son (Adam-Jesus) makes one’s soul be reborn in the name of the Son, as a Son of man. The soul that marries Yahweh remains in one’s flesh, as the “daughter,” who is then submissive to the Son’s soul as its Lord. A body of flesh is then “brought forth as a son and daughter” set of souls. This, in essence, “takes for your sons wives,” where the greater relationship of Yahweh’s Spirit to one’s soul-flesh is mirrored in the inner union between two souls, both of which are the children of Yahweh, “brought forth” in divine marriage.
This spiritual rebirth in the name of Adam-Jesus (where the name “Jesus” means “Yah[weh] Saves) then leads one to follow one’s Lord (“husband” soul in the flesh) into ministry in the name of the Son. This attracts the “sons and daughters,” who will then “bear” the marriage proposal by Yahweh. Every marriage proposal means agreement to the Covenant, which lists the vows of commitment each and every soul must “take” in marriage. This spread of truth through ministry in the name of the Son will continue to bring souls in the flesh as “sons and daughters” to spiritual “wives” willing to “take” Yahweh’s proposal to heart and sacrifice self-will to serve Him. In return for this submission of commitment and love, the soul will be granted eternal life.
In verse seven, there are three words that focus on the root word “shalom,” meaning “peace,” but also “completeness, soundness, and welfare.”Seeing this, the whole of verse seven can be read in literal English translation as saying, “and seek the completeness the excitement,where I have removed you all there,and interpose from it to Yahweh for in its welfare he will come to pass you soundness.”Here, the word “peace” is not used in translation, because it is a nebulous word.To know the name “Jerusalem” means “teaching peace” is less understood than the alternative “cast out completeness.”The Jews of Judah and Jerusalem were far from being capable of “teaching peace,” because they were so incomplete as soul unmarried to Yahweh.Thus, Yahweh is saying to them they need to “seek excitement” (the alternative of a “city”) from within, not from following the influences of an outer collection of lost souls.To be “removed” from that influence, Yahweh will have set a soul engaged to be married alone with His Spirit.This then sets His Son’s soul as the presence that “interposes” between Yahweh and the outer influences to do evil,This allows the passover of Yahweh to cease the influence of the flesh over its imprisoned soul, bringing “welfare” and “soundness” to a soul returned to be one with Yahweh.