29:1 Now these [are] the words of the letter that Jeremiah the
prophet sent from Jerusalem to the residue of the elders who
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;
29:2 (After Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs,
the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the
smiths, had departed from Jerusalem;)
29:3 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) saying,
29:4 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all
that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be
carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon;
29:5 Build ye houses, and dwell [in them]; and plant gardens,
and eat the fruit of them;
29:6 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.
29:7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to
be carried away captives, and pray to the LORD for it: for in
the peace of it ye shall have peace.
29:8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let
not your prophets and your diviners, that [are] in the midst of
you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause
to be dreamed.
29:9 For they prophesy falsely to you in my name: I have not
sent them, saith the LORD.
29:10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years shall be
accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good
word towards you, in causing you to return to this place.
29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith
the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an
expected end.
29:12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray to
me, and I will hearken to you.
29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search
for me with all your heart.
29:14 And I will be found by 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.
29:15 Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised up for us
prophets in Babylon;
29:16 [Know] that thus saith the LORD concerning the king that
sitteth upon the throne of David, and concerning all the people
that dwelleth in this city, [and] concerning your brethren that
are not gone forth with you into captivity;
29:17 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 bad.
29:18 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 a hissing, and a reproach, among all the
nations whither I have driven them:
29:19 Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the
LORD, which I sent to them by my servants the prophets, rising
early and sending [them]; but ye would not hear, saith the
LORD.
29:20 Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the
captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:
29:21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel,
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 Nebuchadrezzar king of
Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;
29:22 And concerning them shall be taken up a curse by all the
captivity of Judah who [are] in Babylon, saying, The LORD make
thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon
roasted in the fire;
29:23 Because they have committed villainy in Israel, and have
committed adultery with their neighbor's 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.
29:24 [Thus] shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite,
saying,
29:25 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel,
saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name to all the
people that [are] at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of
Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
29:26 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.
29:27 Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of
Anathoth, who maketh himself a prophet to you?
29:28 For therefore he sent to us [in] Babylon, saying, This
[captivity is] long: build ye houses, and dwell [in them]; and
plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
29:29 And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of
Jeremiah the prophet.
29:30 Then came the word of the LORD to Jeremiah, saying,
29:31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the
LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because Shemaiah hath
prophesied to you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to
trust in a lie:
29:32 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.
|