Jeremiah 29

CLV(i) 1 And these [are] words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the remnant of the elders of the removal, and unto the priests, and unto the prophets, and unto all the people--whom Nebuchadnezzar removed from Jerusalem to Babylon, 2 After the going forth of Jeconiah the king, and the mistress, and the officers, heads of Judah and Jerusalem, and the artificer, and the smith, from Jerusalem--" 3 By the hand of Eleasah son of Shaphan, and Gemariah son of Hilkijah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon--to Babylon, saying, 4 `Thus said Yahweh of Hosts, Elohim of Israel, to all the removal that I removed from Jerusalem to Babylon, 5 Build you houses, and abide; and plant you gardens, and eat their fruit;" 6 Take you wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take for your sons wives, and your daughters give to husbands, and they bear sons and daughters; and multiply there, and you are not few;" 7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have removed you, and pray for it unto Yahweh, for in its peace you have peace." 8 `For thus said Yahweh of Hosts, Elohim of Israel, Let not your prophets who [are] in your midst, and your diviners, lift you up, nor hearken you unto their dreams, that you are causing [them] to dream;" 9 For with falsehood they are prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, an affirmation of Yahweh." 10 `For thus said Yahweh, Surely at the fulness of Babylon--seventy years--I inspect you, and have established towards you My good word, to bring you back unto this place." 11 For I have known the thoughts that I am thinking towards you--an affirmation of Yahweh; thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give to you posterity and hope." 12 `And you have called Me, and have gone, and have prayed unto Me, and I have hearkened unto you, 13 And you have sought Me, and have found, for you seek Me with all your heart;" 14 And I have been found of you--an affirmation of Yahweh; and I have turned back [to] your captivity, and have gathered you out of all the nations, and out of all the places whither I have driven you--an affirmation of Yahweh--and I have brought you back unto the place whence I removed you." 15 `Because you have said, Yahweh has raised up to us prophets in Babylon, 16 Surely thus said Yahweh concerning the king who is sitting on the throne of David, and concerning all the people that is dwelling in this city, your brethren who went not forth with you in the removal;" 17 Thus said Yahweh of Hosts, Lo, I am sending among them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and I have given them up as figs that [are] vile, that are not eaten for badness." 18 And I have pursued after them with sword, with famine, and with pestilence, and have given them for a trembling to all kingdoms of the earth, for a curse and for an astonishment, and for a hissing, and for a reproach among all the nations whither I have driven them, 19 Because that they have not hearkened unto My words--an affirmation of Yahweh--that I sent unto them by My servants the prophets, rising early and sending, and you hearkened not--an affirmation of Yahweh." 20 `And you, hear you a word of Yahweh, all you of the captivity that I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon, 21 Thus said Yahweh of Hosts, Elohim of Israel, concerning Ahab son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you in My name falsehood:Lo, I am giving them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he has smitten them before your eyes, 22 And taken from them has been a reviling by all the removed of Judah that [are] in Babylon, saying, Yahweh does set you as Zedekiah, and as Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted with fire;" 23 Because that they have done folly in Israel, and commit adultery with the wives of their neighbors, and speak a word in My name falsely that I have not commanded them, and I [am] He who knows and a witness--an affirmation of Yahweh." 24 `And unto Shemaiah the Nehelamite you do speak, saying, 25 Thus said Yahweh of Hosts, Elohim of Israel, saying, Because that you have sent in your name letters unto all the people who [are] in Jerusalem, and unto Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, and unto all the priests, saying, 26 Yahweh has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, for there being inspectors of the house of Yahweh, for every one mad and making himself a prophet, and you have put him unto the torture and unto the stocks." 27 And now, why have you not pushed against Jeremiah of Anathoth, who is making himself a prophet to you? 28 Because that he has sent unto us to Babylon, saying, It [is] long, build you houses, and abide; and plant you gardens, and eat their fruit.'" 29 And Zephaniah the priest reads this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet. 30 And there is a word of Yahweh unto Jeremiah, saying, 31 `Send unto all the removal, saying, Thus said Yahweh concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite, Because that Shemaiah prophesied to you, and I--I have not sent him, and he does cause you to trust on falsehood, 32 Therefore, thus said Yahweh, Lo, I am seeing after Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and after his seed, he has none dwelling in the midst of this people, nor does he look on the good that I am doing to My people--an affirmation of Yahweh--for apostasy he has spoken against Yahweh.'"