This is the text of the letter that Jeremiah - the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests , ... the prophets , ... and all the others - Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
( This was after King Jeconiah , the queen mother , the court officials , the officials of Judah and Jerusalem , the craftsmen , and the metalsmiths had been exiled from Jerusalem. )
The letter was entrusted to Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah , whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon .... It stated :
This is what the LORD of Hosts , the God of Israel , says to all the exiles - who were carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon :
“ Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat - their produce.
Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives - for your sons and give your daughters in marriage , so that they too may have sons and daughters. Multiply there ; do not decrease.
Seek - the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. - - Pray to the LORD on its behalf , for if it prospers , ... will prosper. ”
For this is what the LORD of Hosts , the God of Israel , says : “ Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners - among you , and do not listen to the dreams - you elicit from them ....
For they are falsely prophesying ... in My name ; I have not sent them , declares the LORD. ”
For this is what the LORD says : “ When ... Babylon’s seventy years are complete , I will attend to you and confirm My promise ... - - to restore you to this place.
For I know - the plans - I have for you , declares the LORD , plans to prosper you and not to harm you , to give a future and a hope.
Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me , and I will listen to you.
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
I will be found declares the LORD , and I will restore you - from captivity and gather you from all the nations ... and places to which I have banished you , - - declares the LORD. I will restore - you to the place from which I sent you into exile.”
Because you may say , “ The LORD has raised up prophets in Babylon ,”
- this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all the people who remain in this city , your brothers who did not go with you into exile —
this is what the LORD of Hosts ... says : “ I will send sword - and famine - and plague , and I will make them like rotten figs , so bad - they cannot be eaten.
I will pursue them with sword and famine and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth — a curse , a desolation , and an object of scorn and reproach among all the nations to which I banish them ....
I will do this because - they have not listened to My words , declares the LORD , which I sent to them again and again ... through My servants the prophets. And neither have you (exiles) listened , declares the LORD. ”
- So hear the word of the LORD , all you exiles - I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.
This is what the LORD of Hosts , the God of Israel , says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah , who are prophesying lies ... in My name : “ I will deliver them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon , and he will kill them before your very eyes.
Because all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse ... : ‘ May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab , whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire !’
For - they have committed an outrage in Israel by committing adultery with the wives of their neighbors and speaking ... lies in My name , which I did not command them (to do). I am He who knows , and I am a witness , declares the LORD. ”
You are to tell - Shemaiah the Nehelamite that
this is what the LORD of Hosts , the God of Israel , says - - - : “ In your own name you have sent out letters to all the people - of Jerusalem , to the priest Zephaniah - son of Maaseiah , and to all the priests. You said (to Zephaniah -) :
‘ The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada , - to be the chief officer in the house of the LORD , responsible for any madman ... who Acts - like a prophet — you must put him in stocks ... and neck irons.
So now , why have you not rebuked Jeremiah - of Anathoth , who poses as a prophet
For ... ... he has sent to us (in) Babylon , claiming : Since the exile will be lengthy , build houses and settle down ; plant gardens and eat their produce. ’”
( Zephaniah - the priest - , however, had read this letter (to) Jeremiah - the prophet. )
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah - : ...
“ Send a message telling all the exiles what the LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because - Shemaiah has prophesied though I did not send him — and has made you trust - in a lie ,
- this is what the LORD says : ‘ vvv I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite ... and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people , nor will he see the good that I will bring to My people , declares the LORD , for he has preached rebellion against the LORD.’”