Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles
1 This is the text of the letterthat Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exiles, the priests, the prophets, and all the people Nebuchadnezzarhad deported 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 left Jerusalem.
3 The letter was sent by Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiahwhom Zedekiah king of Judah had sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. The letter stated:
4 This is what theLordof Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 “Build houses and live in them.Plant gardens and eat their produce.
6 Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease.
7 Seek the welfare of the city I have deported you to. Pray to theLordon its behalf,for when it has prosperity, you will prosper.”
8 For this is what theLordof Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among youand your diviners deceive you,and don’t listen to the dreams you elicit from them,
9 for they are prophesying falsely to you in My name. I have not sent them.”This is theLord’s declaration.
10 For this is what theLordsays: “When 70 years for Babylon are complete,I will attend to you and will confirm My promise concerning you to restore you to this place.
11 For I know the plans I have for you”— this is theLord’s declaration — “plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
12 You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
13 You will seek Meand find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
14 I will be found by you” — this is theLord’s declaration — “and I will restore your fortunesand gather you from all the nations and places where I banished you” — this is theLord’s declaration. “I will restore you to the place I deported you from.”
15 You have said, “TheLordhas raised up prophets for us in Babylon! ”
16 But this is what theLordsays concerning the king sitting on David’s throneand concerning all the people living in this city — that is, concerning your brothers who did not go with you into exile.
17 This is what theLordof Hosts says: “I am about to send against them sword, famine, and plagueand will make them like rotten figs that are inedible because they are so bad.
18 I will pursue them with sword, famine, and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth — a curse and a desolation, an object of scorn and a disgrace among all the nationswhere I have banished them.
19 I will do this because they have not listened to My words” — this is theLord’s declaration — “that I sent to them with My servants the prophets time and time again.And you too have not listened.” This is theLord’s declaration.
20 Hear the word of theLord, all you exiles I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.
21 This is what theLordof Hosts, the God of Israel, says to Ahab son of Kolaiah and to Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, the ones prophesying a lie to you in My name:“I am about to hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes.
22 Based on what happens to them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will create a cursethat says, ‘May theLordmake you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire! ’
23 because they have committed an outragein Israel by committing adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have spoken a lie in My name, which I did not command them. I am He who knows, and I am a witness.” This is theLord’s declaration.
24 To Shemaiah the Nehelamite you are to say,
25 “This is what theLordof Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Youin your own name have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniahson of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying:
26 ‘TheLordhas appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada the priest to be the chief officerin the temple of theLord, responsible for every madmanwho acts like a prophet. You must confine him in the stocksand an iron collar.
27 So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who has been acting like a prophet among you?
28 For he has sent word to us in Babylon, claiming, “The exile will be long. Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce.” ’ ”
29 Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet.
A Message about Shemaiah
30 Then the word of theLordcame to Jeremiah:
31 “Send a message to all the exiles, saying: This is what theLordsays concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and made you trust a lie,
32 this is what theLordsays: I am about to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. There will not be even one of his descendants living among these people,nor will any ever see the good that I will bring to My people” — this is theLord’s declaration — “for he has preached rebellion against theLord.”
—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/JER/29-a4d1547ef9b490fd1f7b62dc9af11b9a.mp3?version_id=72—