Now these are the words of the letterthatJeremiah the prophetsentfromJerusalemunto the residue of the elderswhichwerecarriedawaycaptives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the peoplewhomNebuchadnezzar had carriedawaycaptivefromJerusalem to Babylon;
(AfterthatJeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, weredepartedfromJerusalem;)
By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whomZedekiahking of JudahsentuntoBabylon to Nebuchadnezzarking of Babylon) saying,
Take ye wives, and begetsons and daughters; and takewives for yoursons, and giveyourdaughters to husbands, thatthey may bearsons and daughters; that ye may be increasedthere, and not diminished.
And seek the peace of the citywhither I havecaused you to be carriedawaycaptives, and prayunto the LORD for it: for in the peacethereofshall ye havepeace.
For thussaith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not yourprophets and yourdiviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neitherhearken to yourdreamswhich ye cause to be dreamed.
For thussaith the LORD, Thatafterseventyyears be accomplished at Babylon I willvisit you, and perform my goodwordtoward you, in causing you to return to thisplace.
And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I willturnawayyourcaptivity, and I willgather you from all the nations, and from all the placeswhither I havedriven you, saith the LORD; and I willbring you againinto the placewhence I caused you to be carriedawaycaptive.
Knowthatthussaith the LORD of the kingthatsittethupon the throne of David, and of all the peoplethatdwelleth in thiscity, and of yourbrethrenthat are not goneforthwith you intocaptivity;
Thussaith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I willsenduponthem the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and willmakethemlikevilefigs, thatcannot be eaten, they are so evil.
And I willpersecutethemwith the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and willdeliverthem to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nationswhither I havedriventhem:
Becausetheyhave not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sentuntothem by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sendingthem; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.
Thussaith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, whichprophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I willdelivertheminto the hand of Nebuchadrezzarking of Babylon; and he shallslaythembeforeyoureyes;
And of themshall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judahwhich are in Babylon, saying, The LORDmaketheelikeZedekiah and likeAhab, whom the king of Babylonroasted in the fire;
Becausetheyhavecommittedvillany in Israel, and havecommittedadulterywiththeirneighbours’wives, and havespokenlyingwords in my name, which I have not commandedthem; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD.
Thusspeaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Becausethouhastsentletters in thy nameunto all the peoplethat are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
The LORDhathmadetheepriest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man that is mad, and makethhimself a prophet, thatthoushouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks.
For therefore he sentunto us in Babylon, saying, Thiscaptivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plantgardens, and eat the fruit of them.
Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thussaith the LORDconcerningShemaiah the Nehelamite; BecausethatShemaiahhathprophesiedunto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:
Thereforethussaith the LORD; Behold, I willpunishShemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwellamongthispeople; neithershall he behold the goodthat I will do for my people, saith the LORD; because he hathtaughtrebellionagainst the LORD.