Jer 29
1
Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem
to the residue of the elders of the captivity, and to the priests, and to the prophets,
and to all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem
to Babylon,
2
(after that Jeconiah the king, and the queen-mother, and the eunuchs, [and] the princes
of Judah and Jerusalem, and the craftsmen, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem,)
3
by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah
king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,) saying,
4
Thus says YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the captivity, whom I have caused
to be carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon:
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Build you houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
6
Take you wives, and engender sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and
give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply
you there, and be not diminished.
7
And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive,
and pray to YHWH for it; for in its peace shall you have peace.
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For thus says YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel: Let not your prophets that are in
the midst of you, and your diviners, deceive you; neither hearken you to your dreams
which you cause to be dreamed.
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For they prophesy falsely to you in my name: I have not sent them, says YHWH.
10
For thus says YHWH, After seventy years are accomplished for Babylon, I will visit
you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
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For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says YHWH, thoughts of peace, and
not of evil, to give you hope in your latter end.
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And you shall call upon me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will hearken to
you.
13
And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.
14
And I will be found of you, says YHWH, and I will turn again your captivity, and I
will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places wither I have driven
you, says YHWH; and I will bring you again to the place whence I caused you to be
carried away captive.
15
Because you have said, YHWH has raised us up prophets in Babylon;
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thus says YHWH concerning the king that sits upon the throne of David, and concerning
all the people that dwell in this city, your brethren that are not gone forth with
you into captivity;
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thus says YHWH of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and
the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are
so bad.
18
And I will pursue after them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence,
and will deliver them to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth,
to be an execration, and an astonishment, and a hissing, and a reproach, among all
the nations where I have driven them;
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because they have not hearkened to my words, says YHWH, wherewith I sent to them my
servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but you would not hear, says
YHWH.
20
Hear you therefore the word of YHWH, all you of the captivity, whom I have sent away
from Jerusalem to Babylon.
21
Thus says YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and
concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in my name: Behold,
I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall
slay them before your eyes;
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and of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captives of Judah that are in Babylon,
saying, YHWH make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted
in the fire;
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because they have wrought folly in Israel, and have committed adultery with their
neighbors` wives, and have spoken words in my name falsely, which I commanded them
not; and I am he who knows, and am witness, says YHWH.
24
And concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite you shall speak, saying,
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Thus speaks YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because you have sent letters
in your own name to all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son
of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
26
YHWH has made you priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that there may be officers
in the house of YHWH, for every man that is mad, and makes himself a prophet, that
you should put him in the stocks and in shackles.
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Now therefore, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who makes himself a
prophet to you,
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seeing that as he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, [The captivity] is long: build
you houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them?
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And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
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Then came the word of YHWH to Jeremiah, saying,
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Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus says YHWH concerning Shemaiah the
Nehelamite: Because that Shemaiah has prophesied to you, and I sent him not, and he
has caused you to trust in a lie;
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therefore thus says YHWH, Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed;
he shall not have a man to dwell among this people, neither shall he behold the good
that I will do to my people, says YHWH, because he has spoken rebellion against YHWH.