29
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.” ’ ”