Jeremiah 29

Matthew(i) 1 This is the copye of the lettre, that Ieremye the Prophete sent from Ierusalem vnto the presoners: the Senatours, priestes, prophetes, and al the people, whome Nabuchodozor had led vnto Babylon: 2 after the tyme that kynge Iechoniah, and his Quene, hys chamberlaynes the princes of Iuda & Ierusalem the worckemaysters of Ierusalem were departed thyther. 3 Whiche lettre Elasah the sonne of Saphan and Gamariah the sonne of Helkiah dyd beare, whome Zedekiah the kynge of Iuda sente vnto Babylon to Nabuchodonosor the kynge of Babylon: these were the wordes of Ieremyes lettre. 4 Thus hathe the Lorde of hostes the God of Israell spoken vnto all the presonners, that were led from Ierusalem vnto Babilon: 5 buyld you houses to dwell therein: plante you gardens, that ye maye enioye the frutes thereof: 6 take you wyues, to beare you sonnes & doughters: prouyde wyues for youre sonnes, and husbandes for youre doughters, that they maye get sonnes and doughters, and that ye maye multyplye there. Laboure not to be fewe, 7 but seke after peace & prosperite of the citie, where in ye be presoners, and praye vnto God for it: For in the peace thereof, shall youre peace be. 8 For thus sayth the Lorde of hostes the God of Israell: Let not those prophetes and sothsayers that be amonge you dysceyue you: and beleue not youre owne dreames. 9 For why, they preach you lyes in my name, and I haue not sente them, sayeth the Lorde. 10 But thus sayeth the Lorde: When ye haue fulfylled .lxx. yeares at Babylon, I wil bring you home, & of myne owne goodnes I wyll carye you hyther agayne vnto this place. 11 For I knowe what I haue deuysed for you sayeth the Lorde. My thoughtes are to geue you peace, and not trouble (whiche I geue you all redye) & that ye might haue hope agayn. 12 Ye shal crye vnto me, ye shall go & call vpon me, & I shall heare you. 13 Ye shall seke me & fynde me, Yea, yf so be that ye seke me with your whole herte, 14 I wyl be founde of you (sayeth the Lord) & wil delyuer you out of preson, & gather you together agayne oute of all places, wherein I haue scatred you, sayeth the Lord: & wil bring you agayne to the same place, from whence I caused you to be caryed awaye captyue. 15 But where as ye say, that God hath raysed you vp Prophetes at Babylon: 16 Thus hath the Lorde spoken (concernyng the kyng that sytteth in the stole of Dauid, and all the people that dwell in thys cytye, youre brethren that are not gone with you into captyuyte) 17 Thus (I saye) speaketh the Lorde of hoostes: Beholde I wyll sende a swearde, honger and pestilence vpon them, and wyll make them like vntymelye fyges, that maye not be eaten for bytternes. 18 And I wyll persecute them wyth the swearde, with honger and death. I wyll delyuer them vp to be vexed of all Kyngedomes, to be cursed, abhorred, laughed to scorne, and put to confusyon of all the people, amonge whome I haue scatred them: 19 and that because they haue not bene obedyent vnto my commaundementes (sayeth the Lorde) whiche I sente vnto them by my seruauntes the prophetes. I stode vp earlye, and sent vnto them, but they wolde not heare, sayeth the Lorde. 20 Heare therfore the worde of the Lorde, all ye presonners, whome I sent from Ierusalem vnto Babylon: 21 Thus hath the Lorde of hoostes the God of Israell spoken, of Ahab the sonne of Colaiah, and of Zedekiah the sonne of Maasiah, whiche prophecye lyes vnto you in my name: Beholde I wyll delyuer them into the hande of Nabuchodonozor the kynge of Babylon, that he maye slaye them before youre eyes. 22 And all the presonners of Iuda that are in Babylon, shall take vpon them thys terme of cursynge, and saye: Now God do vnto the, as he dyd vnto Zedekiah & Ahab, whome the kynge of Babylon rosted in the fyre, 23 because they synned shamefullye in Israell. For they haue not only defyled their neighbours wyues, but also preached lieng wordes in my name, whiche I haue not commaunded them. Thys I testifye, and assure, sayeth the Lorde. 24 But as for Semeiah the Nehelamyte thou shalte speake vnto him: 25 Thus sayeth the Lorde of hoostes the God of Israell: Because thou haste sealed letters vnder thy name, vnto all the people that is at Ierusalem, and to Sophoniah the sonne of Maasiah the priest, yea and sente them to al the priestes: wherein thou wrytest thus vnto hym: 26 The Lorde hath ordened the to be prieste in steade of Iehoiada the prieste, that thou shuldest be the chefe in the house of the Lorde aboue all Prophetes and preachers, and that thou myghteste put them in preson, or in the stockes, 27 How happeneth it then, that thou haste not reproued Ieremye of Anathoth, whiche neuer leaueth of hys prophecyenge, 28 And besyde all thys, he hath sente vs worde vnto Babylon, and tolde vs planelye, that oure captyuyte shall longe endure: that we shuld buylde vs houses to dwel there in, and to plante vs gardens, that we mighte enioye the frutes thereof. 29 Whiche lettre Sophoniah the prieste dyd rede, and let Ieremye the Prophet heare it. 30 Then came the worde of the Lorde vnto Ieremye, sayenge: 31 Sende worde to all them that be in captiuite, on thys maner: Thus hath the Lorde spoken concernynge Semeiah the Nehelamite: Because that Semeiah hath prophecyed vnto you wythoute my commyssyon, & broughte you into a false hope, 32 therfor thus the Lorde doeth certyfye you: Beholde, I wyll vpset Semeiah the Nehelamite, and hys sede: so that none of hys shall remayne amonge thys people, and none of them shall se the good, that I wyl do for thys people, saith the Lorde, For he hath preached falsely of the Lorde.