Jeremiah:29

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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 ; * (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 ; ) * By the hand of Elasah #El #asah # the son of Shaphan , and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah , (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon Babel #) saying , * Thus saith the LORD of hosts , the God of Israel Yisra #el #, unto all that are carried away captives , whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon ; * Build ye houses , and dwell in them ; and plant gardens , and eat the fruit of them ; * 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 . * 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 . * For thus saith the LORD of hosts , the God of Israel Yisra #el #; 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 . * For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name : I have not sent them , saith the LORD . * 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 . * 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 . * Then shall ye call upon me , and ye shall go and pray unto me , and I will hearken unto you . * And ye shall seek me , and find me , when ye shall search for me with all your heart . * And I will be found of you , saith the LORD : and I will turn away your captivity sh @, 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 . * Because ye have said , The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon ; * 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 ; * Thus saith the LORD of hosts ; Behold , I will send upon them the sword , the famine ra #ab #, and the pestilence , and will make them like vile figs t @#en #, that cannot be eaten , they are so evil . * And I will persecute them with the sword , with the famine ra #ab #, and with the pestilence , and will deliver them to be removed za # 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 : * 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 . * Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD , all ye of the captivity , whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon : * Thus saith the LORD of hosts , the God of Israel Yisra #el #, of Ahab #Ach #ab # the son of Kolaiah , and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah Ma #aseyah #, 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 ; * 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 #Ach #ab #, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire ; * Because they have committed villany in Israel Yisra #el #, 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 . * Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite , saying , * Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts , the God of Israel Yisra #el #, saying , Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem , and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest , and to all the priests , saying , * The LORD hath made thee priest 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 maketh himself a prophet , that thou shouldest put him in prison , and in the stocks . * Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth , which maketh himself a prophet to you ? * For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon , saying , This captivity is long : build ye houses , and dwell in them ; and plant gardens , and eat the fruit of them . * And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet . * Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah , saying , * Send to all them of the captivity , saying , Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite ; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you , and I sent him not , and he caused you to trust in a lie : * Therefore thus saith the LORD ; 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 for my people , saith the LORD ; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD .

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