Jeremiah 29

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1 And words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the residue of the elders of the settlers and to the priests, and the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar brought from Jerusalem to Babylon, -
2 after the king came out from Jerusalem Jeconiah and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths -
3 through Eleasu, the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon:
4 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the captives whom I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 Build ye houses, and dwell [in them], and plant gardens and eat their fruit;
6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and their daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there, and do not decrease;
7 And seek the peace of the city to which I have carried you, and pray for him to the Lord; 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, which is among you, and your diviners; and do not listen to your dreams which you dream;
9 they prophesy falsely unto you in my name; I have not sent them, saith the LORD.
10 For thus saith the LORD, when accomplished at Babylon for seventy years, I will visit you, and perform my good word about you, to bring you back to this place.
eleven For [only] I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.
12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will hearken unto you;
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
14 And I will be found by you, says the Lord, and will bring you back from captivity and gather you from all the nations and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD, and will bring you back to the place where the captive.

15 You say, `The Lord hath raised us up prophets in Babylon. '
16 Thus says the LORD concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people living in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity -
17 so says [about them] the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will send upon them the sword, famine and pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that there can not be so evil [them];
18 And I will persecute them with the sword, famine and pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them,
19 because they have not listened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent to them my servants the prophets, rising early and sending, but they would not hear, saith the LORD.
20 And you, all the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon, hear the word of the Lord:
21 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you in my name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and he shall slay them before your eyes.
22 And it shall be taken from them by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, a curse: 'The LORD make thee something like Zedekiah and Ahab,' that the king of Babylon roasted in the fire
23 for what they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives and in my name have spoken lies, which I have not commanded them; I know it and am a witness, saith the LORD.

24 And Shemaiah the Nehelamite say:
25 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, and wrote:
26 The LORD hath made thee priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man, prophesy and Fury, and that you put him in prison and in the stocks:
27 why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah Anafofskomu prophet to you?
28 For it to us in Babylon sent to say captivity is long: build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. "
29 Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet,
thirty Then came the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:
31 Send to all the exiles, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because that Shemaiah has prophesied to you, and I sent him not, and you are encouraged false -
32 Therefore thus saith the Lord: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his seed; It does not have a man to dwell among this people, and he will not see the good that I will do unto my people, saith the Lord; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD.

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