Now these are the words
of the aletter
which
Jeremiah
the prophet
sent
from Jerusalem
to the rest
of the elders
of the exile
, the priests
, the prophets
and all
the people
whom
Nebuchadnezzar
had taken
into exile
from Jerusalem
to Babylon
.
(This was after King
aJeconiah
and the bqueen
mother
, the court
officials
, the princes
of Judah
and Jerusalem
, the craftsmen
and the smiths
had departed
from Jerusalem
.)
The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah
the son
of Shaphan
, and Gemariah
the son
of aHilkiah
, whom
Zedekiah
king
of Judah
sent
to Babylon
to Nebuchadnezzar
king
of Babylon
, saying
,
"Thus says
the LORD
of hosts
, the God
of Israel
, to all
the exiles
whom
I have asent
into exile
from Jerusalem
to Babylon
,
` aBuild houses
and live
in them; and plant
gardens
and eat
their 1produce
.
`Take awives
and 1become
the fathers
of sons
and daughters
, and take
wives
for your sons
and give
your daughters
to husbands
, that they may bear
sons
and daughters
; and multiply
there
and do not decrease
.
` aSeek the 1welfare
of the city
where
I have sent
you into exile
, and bpray
to the LORD
on its behalf
; for in its 1welfare
you will have
1welfare
.'
"For thus says
the LORD
of hosts
, the God
of Israel
, `Do not let your aprophets
who
are in your midst
and your diviners
bdeceive
you, and do not listen
to 1 cthe dreams
which
2they dream
.
`For they aprophesy falsely
to you in My name
; bI have not sent
them,' declares
the LORD
.
"For thus says
the LORD
, `When
aseventy
years
have been
completed
for Babylon
, I will visit
you and fulfill
My bgood
word
to you, to bring
you back
to this
place
.
`For I know the aplans
that I 1have
for you,' declares
the LORD
, `plans
for bwelfare
and not for calamity
to give
you a future
and a chope
.
`Then you will acall upon Me and come
and pray
to Me, and I will blisten
to you.
`You will aseek Me and find
Me when
you bsearch
for Me with all
your heart
.
`I will be afound by you,' declares
the LORD
, `and I will brestore
your 1fortunes
and will cgather
you from all
the nations
and from all
the places
where
I have driven
you,' declares
the LORD
, `and I will dbring
you back
to the place
from where
I sent
you into exile
.'
"Because you have said
, `The LORD
has raised
up aprophets
for us in Babylon
'--
for thus says
the LORD
concerning
the king
who sits
on the throne
of David
, and concerning
all
the people
who dwell
in this
city
, your brothers
who
did anot go
with you into exile
--
thus says
the LORD
of hosts
, `Behold
, I am sending
upon them the asword
, famine
and pestilence
, and I will make
them like bsplit-open
figs
that cannot
be eaten
due
to rottenness
.
`I will pursue them with the sword
, with famine
and with pestilence
; and I will amake
them a terror
to all
the kingdoms
of the earth
, to be a bcurse
and a horror
and a chissing
, and a reproach
among all
the nations
where
I have driven
them,
because they have anot listened
to My words
,' declares
the LORD
, `which
I sent
to them again
and again
by bMy servants
the prophets
; but you did not listen
,' declares
the LORD
.
"You, therefore, hear the word
of the LORD
, all
you exiles
, whom
I have asent
away
from Jerusalem
to Babylon
.
"Thus says
the LORD
of hosts
, the God
of Israel
, concerning
Ahab
the son
of Kolaiah
and concerning
Zedekiah
the son
of Maaseiah
, who are aprophesying
to you falsely
in My name
, `Behold
, I will deliver
them into the hand
of Nebuchadnezzar
king
of Babylon
, and he will slay
them before your eyes
.
`Because of them a acurse
will be 1used
by all
the exiles
from Judah
who
are in Babylon
, saying
, "May the LORD
make
you like Zedekiah
and like Ahab
, whom
the king
of Babylon
broasted
in the fire
,
because they have aacted
foolishly
in Israel
, and bhave committed
adultery
with their neighbors'
wives
and have cspoken
words
in My name
falsely
, which
I did not command
them; and I am He who dknows
and am a witness
," declares
the LORD
.' "
To aShemaiah the Nehelamite
you shall speak
, saying
,
"Thus says
the LORD
of hosts
, the God
of Israel
, `Because
you have sent
aletters
in your own name
to all
the people
who
are in Jerusalem
, and to bZephaniah
the son
of Maaseiah
, the priest
, and to all
the priests
, saying
,
"The LORD has made
you priest
instead
of Jehoiada
the priest
, to be the 1 aoverseer
in the house
of the LORD
over every
bmadman
who cprophesies
, to dput
him in the stocks
and in the iron
collar
,
now then, why
have you not rebuked
Jeremiah
of aAnathoth
who prophesies
to you?
"For he has asent to us in Babylon
, saying
, `The exile will be blong
; cbuild
houses
and live
in them and plant
gardens
and eat
their 1produce
.' ""'
aZephaniah the priest
read
this
letter
1to Jeremiah
the prophet
.
Then came the word
of the LORD
to Jeremiah
, saying
,
"Send to aall
the exiles
, saying
, `Thus
says
the LORD
concerning
bShemaiah
the Nehelamite
, "Because
Shemaiah
has cprophesied
to you, although I did not send
him, and he has dmade you trust
in a lie
,"
therefore thus
says
the LORD
, "Behold
, I am about to apunish
Shemaiah
the Nehelamite
and his 1descendants
; he will bnot have
anyone
living
among
this
people
, cand he will not see
the good
that I am about to do
to My people
," declares
the LORD
, "because
he has 2 dpreached
rebellion
against
the LORD
.""'