Jeremiah 29

1 This is the text of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets, and all the others Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

2 (This was after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had been exiled from Jerusalem.)

3 The letter was entrusted to Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It stated:

4 This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:

5 “Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce.

6 Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease.

7 Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

8 For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among you, and do not listen to the dreams you elicit from them.

9 For they are falsely prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, declares the LORD.”

10 For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place.

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.

12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

14 I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore you from captivity and gather you from all the nations and places to which I have banished you, declares the LORD. I will restore you to the place from which I sent you into exile.”

15 Because you may say, “The LORD has raised up for us prophets in Babylon,”

16 this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all the people who remain in this city, your brothers who did not go with you into exile—

17 this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will send against them sword and famine and plague, and I will make them like rotten figs, so bad they cannot be eaten.

18 I will pursue them with sword and famine and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse, a desolation, and an object of scorn and reproach among all the nations to which I banish them.

19 I will do this because they have not listened to My words, declares the LORD, which I sent to them again and again through My servants the prophets. And neither have you exiles listened, declares the LORD.”

20 So hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.

21 This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you lies in My name: “I will deliver them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes.

22 Because of them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!’

23 For they have committed an outrage in Israel by committing adultery with the wives of their neighbors and speaking lies in My name, which I did not command them to do. I am He who knows, and I am a witness, declares the LORD.”

24 You are to tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite that

25 this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “In your own name you have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests. You said to Zephaniah:

26 ‘The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada, to be the chief officer in the house of the LORD, responsible for any madman who acts like a prophet—you must put him in stocks and neck irons.

27 So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you?

28 For he has sent to us in Babylon, claiming: Since the exile will be lengthy, build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat their produce.’”

29 (Zephaniah the priest, however, had read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.)

30 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:

31 “Send a message telling all the exiles what the LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you—though I did not send him—and has made you trust in a lie,

32 this is what the LORD says: ‘I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good that I will bring to My people, declares the LORD, for he has preached rebellion against the LORD.’”

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.

1 These are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the remnant of the ancients that were carried away, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon.

2 After that king Jechaniah and the queen were departed, with the officers and princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters and smiths that were at Jerusalem,

3 By Eleazah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon unto Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying:

4 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all the captives whom I have brought away from Jerusalem to Babylon:

5 Build houses, and dwell therein: plant gardens, and eat the fruit thereof;

6 Take wives, and beget sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give husbands to your daughters, that they may beget sons and daughters: multiply yourselves there, that ye be not few.

7 Seek the good of the city whither I have led you away, and pray unto the LORD for it: for if it prosper, it prospereth you also.

8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not the prophets that are with you, nor the diviners, deceive you, neither hearken ye to your dreams which dream you;

9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name. I have not sent them, saith the LORD.

10 For thus saith the LORD; When seventy years are expired in Babylon, then will I visit you, and will raise up my gracious word against you, and bring you again into this place.

11 For I know the thoughts that I have toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of sorrow; that I may give you the end that ye wait for.

12 And ye shall call upon me, and go and entreat me, and I will hear you.

13 Ye shall seek me, and ye shall find me. For if ye shall seek me with all your heart,

14 Then will I be found of you, saith the LORD, and will turn away your captivity, and gather you out of all nations, and out of all places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and will bring you again into this place, from whence I sent you away.

15 For ye think that the LORD hath raised up prophets unto you at Babylon.

16 For thus saith the LORD concerning the king that sitteth upon David's throne, and concerning all the people that dwell in this city, even concerning your brethren that are not gone forth captive with you;

17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send sword and famine and pestilence among them, and will deal with them as with the evil figs, because one is afraid to eat;

18 And I will go after them with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence: and I will not suffer them to dwell in any kingdom upon the earth; and they shall be a curse, and a wonder, and a scorn, and a derision, among all nations, whither I will cast them out,

19 Because they hearkened not unto my words, saith the LORD, who have always sent unto you my servants the prophets; but ye would not hearken, saith the LORD.

20 But all ye that are carried away captives, whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon, hear the word of the LORD.

21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, against Ahab the son of Colaiah, and against Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy falsely unto you in my name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall smite them before your eyes,

22 And they shall make a curse of them among all the captives of Judah that are at Babylon, saying, The LORD do unto thee as Zedekiah and Ahab did, whom the king of Babylon roasted with fire,

23 Because they committed folly in Israel, and committed adultery with other women, and preached falsely in my name, which I commanded them not. These things know I, and bear witness, saith the LORD.

24 And against Shemaiah of Nehalam shalt thou say:

25 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Because thou hast sent letters by thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and unto Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and unto all the priests, saying: 26: The LORD hath made thee a priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to be overseers in the house of the LORD over all madmen and diviners, to put them in prison and in stocks.

27 Why then dost thou not punish Jeremiah of Anathoth, who prophesied unto you?

28 Because he sent unto us to Babylon, saying, It shall be for a long time: build ye houses to dwell in, and plant gardens to eat the fruit thereof.

29 For Zephaniah the priest had read the same epistle, and had caused Jeremiah the prophet to hear it.

30 Therefore the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, saying:

31 Send unto all the captives, and say unto them, Thus saith the LORD against Shemaiah of Nehalam, Because Shemaiah knoweth you, and I sent him not, and ye trust in lies,

32 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will visit Shemaiah of Nehalam with his seed, and none of his shall remain among this people, and shall not see the good that I will do unto my people, saith the LORD: for he hath turned them away from the LORD with his speech.