The Book of Jeremiah
29: 1Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from
Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders of the captivity, and to the priests, and to
the prophets, and to all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away
captive from Jerusalem to Babylon, 29:2(after that Jeconiah the king, and the
queen-mother, and the eunuchs, and the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the
craftsmen, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem,) 29:3by 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,
29:4Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all the captivity, whom I
have caused to be carried away captive from Jerusalem unto Babylon: 29:5Build ye
houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 29:6Take 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; and multiply ye
there, and be not diminished. 29:7And seek the peace of the city whither I have
caused you to be carried away captive, and pray unto Jehovah for it; for in the
peace thereof shall ye have peace. 29:8For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of
Israel: Let not your prophets that are in the midst of you, and your diviners,
deceive you; neither hearken ye to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
29:9For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith
Jehovah. 29:10For thus saith Jehovah, 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. 29:11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith
Jehovah, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope in your latter end.
29:12And ye shall call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken
unto you. 29:13And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with
all your heart. 29:14And I will be found of you, saith Jehovah, and I will turn again
your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places
wither I have driven you, saith Jehovah; and I will bring you again unto the place
whence I caused you to be carried away captive. 29:15Because ye have said, Jehovah
hath raised us up prophets in Babylon; 29:16thus saith Jehovah concerning the king
that sitteth upon the throne of David, and concerning all the people that dwell in
this city, your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity; 29:17thus saith
Jehovah 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 bad.
29:18And I will pursue after them with the sword, with the famine, and with the
pestilence, and will deliver them to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms
of the earth, to be an execration, and an astonishment, and a hissing, and a
reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them; 29:19because they have
not hearkened to my words, saith Jehovah, wherewith I sent unto them my
servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear,
saith Jehovah. 29:20Hear ye therefore the word of Jehovah, all ye of the captivity,
whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon. 29:21Thus saith Jehovah of
hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and concerning
Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who 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; 29:22and of them shall be taken up a curse by all the
captives of Judah that are in Babylon, saying, Jehovah make thee like Zedekiah
and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire; 29:23because they have
wrought folly in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives,
and have spoken words in my name falsely, which I commanded them not; and I
am he that knoweth, and am witness, saith Jehovah. 29:24And concerning Shemaiah
the Nehelamite thou shalt speak, saying, 29:25Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, the
God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thine own name unto all
the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest,
and to all the priests, saying, 29:26Jehovah hath made thee priest in the stead of
Jehoiada the priest, that there may be officers in the house of Jehovah, for every
man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in the
stocks and in shackles. 29:27Now therefore, why hast thou not rebuked Jeremiah of
Anathoth, who maketh himself a prophet to you, 29:28forasmuch as he hath sent
unto us in Babylon, saying, The captivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in
them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them? 29:29And Zephaniah the priest
read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet. 29:30Then came the word of
Jehovah unto Jeremiah, saying, 29:31Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus
saith Jehovah concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because that Shemaiah hath
prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he hath caused you to trust in a lie;
29:32therefore thus saith Jehovah, 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 unto my people, saith Jehovah, because he hath
spoken rebellion against Jehovah.