“1 Now these [are] the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet
sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried
away captives, 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 carpenters, and the
smiths, were 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 unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying, 4
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are
carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from
Jerusalem unto Babylon; 5 Build ye houses, and dwell [in them]; and
plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; 6 Take ye 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; that ye
may be increased there, and not diminished. 7 And seek the peace of the
city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray
unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.”
“8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your
prophets and your diviners, that [be] in the midst of you, deceive you,
neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. 9 For they
prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the
LORD. 10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be
accomplished at 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, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and
not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye 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], when ye shall search for me with all your
heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn
away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and
from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I
will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried
away captive.”
“15 Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in
Babylon; 16 [Know] that thus saith the LORD of the king that sitteth
upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this
city, [and] of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into
captivity; 17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon
them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like
vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. 18 And I will
persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence,
and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to
be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among
all the nations whither I have driven them: 19 Because they have not
hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my
servants the prophets, rising up early and sending [them]; but ye would
not hear, saith the LORD. 20 Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all
ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon: 21 Thus
saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah,
and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my
name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king
of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes; 22 And of them
shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which [are] in
Babylon, saying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom
the king of Babylon roasted in the fire; 23 Because they have committed
villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours’
wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not
commanded them; even I know, and [am] a witness, saith the LORD.”
“24 [Thus] shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,
25 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God 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 The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of
Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the
LORD, for every man [that is] mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that
thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks. 27 Now therefore
why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a
prophet to you? 28 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. 29 And Zephaniah the priest
read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet. 30 Then came the
word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, 31 Send to all them of the
captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the
Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent
him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie: 32 Therefore thus saith
the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed:
he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he
behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the LORD; because he
hath taught rebellion against the LORD.” (Jeremiah 29:1-32 AV)