Jer 36
1
And these are the words of the book which Jeremias sent from Jerusalem to the elders
of the captivity, and to the priests, and to the false prophets, even an epistle to
Babylon for the captivity, and to all the people;
2
(after the departure of Jechonias the king and the queen, and the eunuchs, and every
freeman, and bondman, and artificer, out of Jerusalem;)
3
by the hand of Eleasan son of Saphan, and Gamarias son of Chelcias, (whom Sedekias
king of Juda sent to the king of Babylon to Babylon) saying,
4
Thus said the Lord God of Israel concerning the captivity which I caused to be carried
away from Jerusalem;
5
Build you houses, and inhabit them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruits thereof;
6
and take you wives, and engender sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons,
and give your daughters to husbands, and be multiplied, and be not diminished.
7
And seek the peace of the land into which I have carried you captive, and you shall
pray to the Lord for Gr. them the people: for in its peace you shall have peace.
8
For thus says the Lord; Let not the false prophets that are among you persuade you,
and let not your diviners persuade you, and hearken not to your dreams which you dream.
9
For they prophesy to you unrighteous words in my name; and I sent them not.
10
For thus said the Lord; When seventy years shall be on the point of being accomplished
at Babylon, I will visit you, and will confirm my words to you, to bring back your
people to this place.
11
And I will devise for you a device of peace, and not evil, to bestow upon you these
good things.
12
And do you pray to me, and I will hearken to you: and do you earnestly seek me, and
you shall find me;
13
for you shall seek me with your whole heart.
14
And I will appear to you:
15
whereas you said, The Lord has appointed for us prophets in Babylon:
16
17
18
19
20
21
Thus says the Lord concerning Achiab, and concerning Sedekias; Behold, I will deliver
them into the hands of the king of Babylon; and he shall smite them in your sight.
22
And they shall Gr. take make of them a curse in all the captivity of Juda in Babylon, saying, The Lord do
to you as he did to Sedekias, and as he did to Achiab, whom the king of Babylon fried
in the fire;
23
because of the iniquity which they wrought in Israel, and because they committed adultery
with the wives of their fellow-citizens; and spoke a word in my name, which I did
not command them to speak, and I am witness, says the Lord.
24
And to Samaeas the Ælamite you shall say,
25
I sent you not in my name: and to Sophonias the priest the son of Maasaeas say you,
26
The Lord has made you priest in the place of Jodae the priest, to be ruler in the
house of the Lord over every prophet, and to every madman, and you shall put them
in prison, and into the dungeon.
27
And now wherefore have you reviled together Jeremias of Anathoth, who prophesied to
you?
28
Did he not send for this purpose? for in the course of this month he sent to you to
Babylon, saying, It is far off: build you houses, and inhabit them; and plant gardens,
and eat the fruit of them.
29
And Sophonias read the book in the ears of Jeremias.
30
Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremias, saying,
31
Send to the captivity, saying, Thus says the Lord concerning Samaeas the Ælamite,
Since Samaeas has prophesied to you, and I sent him not, and he has made you to trust
in iniquity,
32
therefore thus says the Lord; Behold, I will visit Samaeas, and his family: and there
shall not be a man of them in the midst of you to see the good which I will do to
you: they shall not see it.