Jer 29:1 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;
Jer 29:2 (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;)
Jer 29:3 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,
Jer 29:4 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;
Jer 29:5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the
fruit of them;
Jer 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.
Jer 29:7 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.
Jer 29:8 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.
Jer 29:9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them,
saith the Lord.
Jer 29:10 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.
Jer 29:11 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.
Jer 29:12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I
will hearken unto you.
Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with
all your heart.
Jer 29:14 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.
Jer 29:15 Because ye have said, The Lord hath raised us up prophets in Babylon;
Jer 29:16 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;
Jer 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 evil.
Jer 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 an hissing, and a reproach, among
all the nations whither I have driven them:
Jer 29:19 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.
Jer 29:20 Hear ye therefore the word of the Lord, all ye of the captivity, whom
I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:
Jer 29:21 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;
Jer 29:22 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;
Jer 29:23 Because they have committed villainy 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.
Jer 29:24 Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,
Jer 29:25 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,
Jer 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.
Jer 29:27 Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which
maketh himself a prophet to you?
Jer 29:28 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.
Jer 29:29 And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the
prophet.
Jer 29:30 Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying,
Jer 29:31 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:
Jer 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.