Jeremiah sends a letter to the exiles in Babylon, telling them to build houses, plant gardens and seek the peace of the city. After seventy years God will visit them. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil.
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 ;
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 ;)
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 ,
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 ;
5 Build ye houses , and dwell in them; and plant gardens , and eat the fruit of them;
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 .
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 .
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 .
9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name : I have not sent them, saith the LORD .
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 .
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 .
12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all 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 driven you, saith the LORD ; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive .
15 Because ye have said , The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon ;
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 ;
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 .
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:
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 .
20 Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD , all ye of the captivity , whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon :
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 ;
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 ;
23 Because they have committed villany 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 .
24 Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the 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 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 .
27 Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth , which maketh himself a prophet to you?
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.
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 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 :
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 .