Jeremiah 29

1  NOW THESE are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders in exile and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon.2  This was after King Jeconiah [also called Coniah and Jehoiachin] and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.3  [The letter was sent] by the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said:4  Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the captives whom I have caused to be carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:5  Build yourselves houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat the fruit of them.6  Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not be diminished.7  And seek (inquire for, require, and request) the peace and welfare of the city to which I have caused you to be carried away captive; and pray to the Lord for it, for in the welfare of [the city in which you live] you will have welfare.8  For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Let not your [false] prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you; pay no attention and attach no significance to your dreams which you dream or to theirs,9  For they prophesy falsely to you in My name. I have not sent them, says the Lord.10  For thus says the Lord, When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you and keep My good promise to you, causing you to return to this place.11  For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.12  Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you.13  Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14  I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will release you from captivity and gather you from all the nations and all the places to which I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I caused you to be carried away captive.15  [But as for those still in Jerusalem] because you have said, The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,16  Thus says the Lord concerning the king who sits upon the throne of David and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brethren who did not go forth with you into captivity--17  Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I am sending on them the sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like vile figs which are so bad they cannot be eaten.18  And I will pursue them with the sword, famine, and pestilence and will give them up to be tossed to and fro and to be a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, an astonishment, and a terror, a hissing and a reproach among all the nations to which I have driven them,19  Because they have not listened to and heeded My words, says the Lord, which I sent to them persistently by My servants the prophets; but you [exiles] would not listen [either], says the Lord. 20  Hear therefore the word of the Lord, all you exiles whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.21  Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you in My name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he will slay them [those false prophets whom you say I have raised up for you in Babylon] before your eyes! 22  And because of them, this curse shall be taken up and used by all from Judah who are in captivity in Babylon: The Lord make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire--23  Because they have committed folly in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have spoken words in My name falsely, which I had not commanded them. I am the One Who knows and I am witness, says the Lord.24  Also you shall say this concerning and to Shemaiah of Nehelam [among the exiles in Babylon]:25  Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have sent letters in your [own] name to all the people who are in Jerusalem and to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest and to all the priests, saying,26  The Lord has made you [Zephaniah] priest instead of Jehoiada the [deputy] priest, that you should have oversight in the house of the Lord over every madman who makes himself a prophet, that you should put him in the stocks and collar.27  Now therefore [continued the letter from Shemaiah in Babylon to Zephaniah in Jerusalem], why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who makes himself a prophet to you?28  For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, [This captivity of yours] is to be long; build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat the fruit of them.29  And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet.30  Then came the word of the Lord to Jeremiah:31  Send [this message] to all those in captivity, saying, Thus says the Lord concerning Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and has caused you to trust in a lie,32  Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah of Nehelam and his offspring. He will not have anyone [born] to dwell among this people, nor will he see the good that I will do to My people, says the Lord, because he has spoken and taught rebellion against the Lord.

Jeremiah 29

Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles

1 The prophet Jeremiah sent a letter to the exiles Nebuchadnezzar had carried off from Jerusalems to Babylon. It was addressed to the elders who were left among the exiles, to the priests, to the prophets, and to all the other people who were exiled in Babylon.t2 He sent it after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the palace officials,t the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had been exiled from Jerusalem.s

3 He sent it with Elasah son of Shaphans and Gemariah son of Hilkiah.s King Zedekiah of Judah had sent these men to Babylon to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.s The letter said:
4 “The Lord God of Israel who rules over allts says to all those he sentts into exile to Babylon from Jerusalem,s5 ‘Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they produce.6 Marry and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and allow your daughters get married so that they too can have sons and daughters. Grow in number; do not dwindle away.

7 Work to see that the city where I sent you as exiles enjoys peace and prosperity. Pray to the Lord for it. For as it prospers you will prosper.’
8 “For the Lord God of Israel who rules over allts says, ‘Do not let the prophets or those among you who claim to be able to predict the future by divinations deceive you. And do not pay any attention to the dreams that you are encouraging them to dream.

9 They are prophesying lies to you and claiming my authority to do so.ts But I did not send them. I, the Lord, affirm it!’t
10 “For the Lord says, ‘Only when the seventy years of Babylonian rules are over will I again take up consideration for you.t Then I will fulfill my gracious promise to you and restoret you to your homeland.ts11 For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord.t ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give yout a future filled with hope.t12 When you call out to me and come to me in prayer,t I will hear your prayers.t13 When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul,t

14 I will make myself available to you,’t says the Lord.t ‘Then I will reverse your plightt and will regather you from all the nations and all the places where I have exiled you,’ says the Lord.t ‘I will bring you back to the place from which I exiled you.’
15 “You say, ‘The Lord has raised up prophets of good newst for us here in Babylon.’16 But just listen to what the Lord has to say aboutts the king who occupies David’s throne and all your fellow countrymen who are still living in this city of Jerusalemt and were not carried off into exile with you.17 The Lord who rules over allt says, ‘I will bring war,t starvation, and disease on them. I will treat them like figs that are so rottents they cannot be eaten.18 I will chase after them with war,t starvation, and disease. I will make all the kingdoms of the earth horrified at what happens to them. I will make them examples of those who are cursed, objects of horror, hissing scorn, and ridicule among all the nations where I exile them.19 For they have not paid attention to what I said to them through my servants the prophets whom I sent to them over and over again,’t says the Lord.t ‘And you exilest have not paid any attention to them either,’ says the Lord.t

20 ‘So pay attention to what I, the Lord, have said,t all you exiles whom I have sent to Babylon from Jerusalem.’
21 “The Lord God of Israel who rules over allts also has something to say about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you and claiming my authority to do so.t ‘I will hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and he will execute them before your very eyes.22 And all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will use them as examples when they put a curse on anyone. They will say, “May the Lord treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab whom the king of Babylon roasted to death in the fire!”s

23 This will happen to them because they have done what is shamefult in Israel. They have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have spoken lies while claiming my authority.t They have spoken words that I did not command them to speak. I know what they have done. I have been a witness to it,’ says the Lord.”t

A Response to the Letter and a Subsequent Letter

24 The Lord told Jeremiah, “Tellt Shemaiah the Nehelamitet25 that the Lord God of Israel who rules over allts has a message for him.t Tell him,s ‘On your own initiativet you sent a lettert to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiahs and to all the other priests and to all the people in Jerusalem.s In your letter you said to Zephaniah,t26 “The Lord has made you priest in place of Jehoiada.t He has put you in charge in the Lord’s temple of controllings any lunatics who pretends to be a prophet.t And it is your duty to put any such person in the stockst with an iron collar around his neck.t27 You should have reprimanded Jeremiah from Anathoth who is pretending to be a prophet among you!t

28 For he has even sent a message to us here in Babylon. He wrote and told us,t “You will be there a long time. Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they produce.”’”s
29 Zephaniah the priest read that letter to the prophet Jeremiah.t30 Then the Lord spoke to Jeremiah.31 “Send a message to all the exiles in Babylon. Tell them, ‘The Lord has spoken about Shemaiah the Nehelamite. “Shemaiah has spoken to you as a prophet even though I did not send him. He is making you trust in a lie.t

32 Because he has done this,”t the Lord says, “I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his whole family. There will not be any of them left to experience the good things that I will do for my people. I, the Lord, affirm it! For he counseled rebellion against the Lord.”’”s