29NOW 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.H1697H5612H3414H5030H7971H3389H3499H2205H1473H3548H5030H5971H5019H1540H3389H8942This 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.H310H3204H4428H1377H5631H8269H3063H3389H2796H4525H3318H33893[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:H3027H501H1121H8227H1587H1121H2518H6667H4428H3063H7971H894H5019H4428H894H5594Thus 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:H559H3068H6635H430H3478H1473H1540H3389H8945Build yourselves houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat the fruit of them.H1129H1004H3427H5193H1593H398H65296Take 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.H3947H802H3205H1121H1323H3947H802H1121H5414H1323H582H3205H1121H1121H7235H45917And 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.H1875H7965H5892H1540H6419H3068H7965H79658For 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,H559H3068H6635H430H3478H5030H7080H7130H5377H8085H2472H24929For they prophesy falsely to you in My name. I have not sent them, says the Lord.H5012H8267H8034H7971H5002H306810For 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.H559H3068H6310H7657H8141H4390H894H6485H6965H2896H1697H7725H472511For 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.H3045H4284H2803H5002H3068H4284H7965H7451H5414H8615H31912Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear {and} heed you.H7121H1980H6419H808513Then 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.H1245H4672H1875H382414I 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.H4672H5002H3068H7725H7622H7622H6908H1471H4725H5080H5002H3068H7725H4725H154015[But as for those still in Jerusalem] because you have said, The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,H559H3068H6965H5030H89416Thus 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--H559H3068H4428H3427H3678H1732H5971H3427H5892H251H3318H147317Thus 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.H559H3068H6635H7971H2719H7458H1698H5414H8182H8384H398H745518And 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,H7291H310H2719H7458H1698H5414H2189H2113H4467H776H423H8047H8322H2781H1471H508019Because 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.H8085H1697H5002H3068H7971H5650H5030H7925H7971H8085H5002H306820Hear therefore the word of the Lord, all you exiles whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.H8085H1697H3068H1473H7971H3389H89421Thus 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!H559H3068H6635H430H3478H256H1121H6964H6667H1121H4641H5012H8267H8034H5414H3027H5019H4428H894H5221H586922And 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--H3947H7045H1546H3063H894H559H3068H7760H6667H256H4428H894H7033H78423Because 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.H6213H5039H3478H6213H5003H7453H802H1696H8267H1697H8034H6680H3045H5707H5002H306824Also you shall say this concerning {and} to Shemaiah of Nehelam [among the exiles in Babylon]:H559H8098H5161H55925Thus 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,H559H3068H6635H430H3478H559H7971H5612H8034H5971H3389H6846H1121H4641H3548H3548H55926The 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.H3068H5414H3548H3077H3548H6496H1004H3068H376H7696H5012H5414H4115H672927Now 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?H1605H3414H6069H501228For 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.H7971H894H559H1931H752H1129H1004H3427H5193H1593H398H652929And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet.H6846H3548H7121H5612H241H3414H503030Then came the word of the Lord to Jeremiah:H1697H3068H3414H55931Send [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,H7971H1473H559H559H3068H8098H5161H8098H5012H7971H982H826732Therefore 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.H559H3068H6485H8098H5161H2233H376H3427H8432H5971H7200H2896H6213H5971H5002H3068H1696H5627H3068
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