29 1 Jeremiah writeth unto them that were in captivity in Babylon. 10 He prophesieth their return after seventy years. 16 He prophesieth the destruction of the King and of the people that remain in Jerusalem. 21 He threateneth the prophets that seduce the people. 25 The death of Shemaiah is prophesied. 

Now these are the words of the [a]book that Jeremiah the Prophet sent from Jerusalem unto [b]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 Babel:

(After that Jeconiah the King, and the [c]Queen, and the eunuchs, the (A)princes of Judah, and of Jerusalem, and the workmen, and cunning men were departed from Jerusalem)

By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah [d]sent unto Babel to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel) saying,

Thus hath the Lord of hosts the God of Israel spoken unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have [e]caused to be carried away captives from Jerusalem unto Babel:

Build you houses to dwell in, and plant you gardens, and eat the fruits of them.

Take you wives, and beget sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters, that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.

And seek the prosperity of the city, whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and [f]pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall you have peace.

¶ For thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel, Let not your prophets, and your soothsayers that be among you, deceive you, neither give ear to your dreams, which you dream.

For they prophesy you a lie in my Name: I have not sent them, saith the Lord.

10 But thus saith the Lord, that after seventy years be accomplished at Babel, I will visit you, and perform my good promise toward you, and cause you to return to this place.

11 For I know the thoughts, that I have thought towards you, saith the Lord, even the thoughts of peace, and not of trouble, to give you an end, and your hope.

12 Then shall you cry unto me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hear you,

13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, because ye shall seek me with all [g]your heart.

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 cast you, saith the Lord, and will bring you again unto the place, whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

15 Because ye have said, The Lord hath raised us up [h]Prophets in Babel.

16 Therefore thus saith the Lord of the King, that sitteth upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwell in this city, your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity:

17 Even thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will send upon them the [i]sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile [j]figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so naughty.

18 And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence: and I will make them a terror to all kingdoms of the earth, and [k]a curse, and astonishment, and an hissing and a reproach among all the nations whither I have cast them,

19 Because they have not heard my words saith the Lord, which I sent unto them by my servants the Prophets, [l]rising up early, and sending them, but ye would not hear, saith the Lord.

20 ¶ Hear ye therefore the word of the Lord, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babel.

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 lies unto you in my Name, Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel, and he shall slay them before your eyes.

22 And all they of the captivity of Judah, that are in Babel, shall take up this curse against them, and say, The Lord make thee like Zedekiah, and like Ahab, whom the King of Babel burnt [m]in the fire,

23 Because they have committed [n]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 it, and testify it, saith the Lord.

24 ¶ Thou shalt also speak to Shemaiah the [o]Nehelamite, saying,

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,

26 The Lord hath made thee Priest, for [p]Jehoiada the Priest, that ye should be officers in the House of the Lord, for every man that raveth and maketh himself a Prophet, to put him in prison and in the stocks.

27 Now therefore why hast not thou reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which prophesieth unto you?

28 For, for this cause he sent unto us in Babel, saying, This captivity is long: build houses to dwell in, and plant gardens, and eat the fruits of them.

29 And Zephaniah the Priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the Prophet.

30 Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying,

31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the Lord of Shemaiah the Nehelamite, Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie,

32 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will visit Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man [q]to dwell among this people, neither shall he behold the good, that I will do for my people, saith the Lord, because he hath spoken rebelliously against the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 29:1 Or, letter.
  2. Jeremiah 29:1 For some died in the way.
  3. Jeremiah 29:2 Meaning, Jeconiah’s mother.
  4. Jeremiah 29:3 To entreat of some equal conditions.
  5. Jeremiah 29:4 To wit, the Lord, whose work this was.
  6. Jeremiah 29:7 The Prophet speaketh not this for the affection that he bare to the tyrant, but that they should pray for the common rest and quietness, that their troubles might not be increased, and that they might with more patience and less grief wait for the time of their deliverance, which God had appointed most certain: for else not only the Israelites, but all the world, yea, and the insensible creatures should rejoice when these tyrants should be destroyed, as Isa. 14:4.
  7. Jeremiah 29:13 When your oppression shall be great, and your afflictions cause you to repent your disobedience, and also when the seventy years of your captivity shall be expired, 2 Chron. 36:22; Ezra 1:1; Jer. 25:12; Dan. 9:2.
  8. Jeremiah 29:15 As Ahab, Zedekiah and Shemaiah.
  9. Jeremiah 29:17 Whereby he assureth them, that there shall be no hope of returning before the time appointed.
  10. Jeremiah 29:17 According to the comparison, Jer. 24:1, 2.
  11. Jeremiah 29:18 Read Jer. 26:6.
  12. Jeremiah 29:19 Read Jer. 7:13, 25:3 and 26:5.
  13. Jeremiah 29:22 Because they gave the people hope of speedy returning.
  14. Jeremiah 29:23 Which was adultery, and falsifying the word of God.
  15. Jeremiah 29:24 Or, dreamer.
  16. Jeremiah 29:26 Shemaiah the false prophet flattereth Zephaniah the chief Priest, as though God had given him the spirit and zeal of Jehoiada to punish whosoever trespassed against the word of God, of the which he would have made Jeremiah one, calling him a raver and a false prophet.
  17. Jeremiah 29:32 He and his seeds shall be destroyed, so that none of them should see the benefit of this deliverance.

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