Jeremiah:29:1-23
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Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives ,
and to the priests ,
and to the prophets ,
and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon ;
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After that Jeconiah the king ,
and the queen ,
and the eunuchs ,
the princes of Judah and Jerusalem ,
and the carpenters ,
and the smiths ,
were departed from Jerusalem ;)
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By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan ,
and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah , (
whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon )
saying ,
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Thus saith the LORD of hosts ,
the God of Israel ,
unto all that are carried away captives ,
whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon ;
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Build ye houses ,
and dwell in them ;
and plant gardens ,
and eat the fruit of them ;
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Take ye wives ,
and beget sons and daughters ;
and take wives for your sons ,
and give your daughters to husbands ,
that they may bear sons and daughters ;
that ye may be increased there ,
and not diminished .
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And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives ,
and pray unto the LORD for it :
for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace .
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For thus saith the LORD of hosts ,
the God of Israel ;
Let not your prophets and your diviners ,
that be in the midst of you ,
deceive you ,
neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed .
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For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name :
I have not sent them ,
saith the LORD .
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For thus saith the LORD ,
That after seventy years be accomplished at 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 ,
saith the LORD ,
thoughts of peace ,
and not of evil ,
to give you an expected end .
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Then shall ye call upon me ,
and ye shall go and pray unto me ,
and I will hearken unto you .
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And ye shall seek me ,
and find me ,
when ye shall search for me with all your heart .
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And I will be found of you ,
saith the LORD :
and I will turn away your captivity ,
and I will gather you from all the nations ,
and from all the places whither I have driven you ,
saith the LORD ;
and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive .
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Because ye have said ,
The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon ;
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Know that thus saith the LORD of the king that sitteth upon the throne of David ,
and of all the people that dwelleth in this city ,
and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity ;
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Thus saith the LORD 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 evil .
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And I will persecute them with the sword ,
with the famine ,
and with the pestilence ,
and will deliver them 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 nations whither I have driven them :
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Because they have not hearkened to my words ,
saith the LORD ,
which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets ,
rising up early and sending them ;
but ye would not hear ,
saith the LORD .
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Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD ,
all ye of the captivity ,
whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon :
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Thus saith the LORD of hosts ,
the God of Israel ,
of Ahab the son of Kolaiah ,
and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah ,
which prophesy a lie unto 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 captivity of Judah which are in Babylon ,
saying ,
The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab ,
whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire ;
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Because they have committed villany in Israel ,
and have committed adultery with their neighbours '
wives ,
and have spoken lying words in my name ,
which I have not commanded them ;
even I know ,
and am a witness ,
saith the LORD .