Jeremiah29

Jeremiah sends a letter to the Jewish exiles in Babylon, instructing them to settle, build, marry, and seek the peace of their captor city, for their own welfare. He warns against false prophets and promises their return to Jerusalem after seventy years, affirming the LORD's plans for their peace and a hopeful future. Meanwhile, judgment is pronounced upon false prophets in Babylon and those remaining in Jerusalem who reject the LORD's word.

Jeremiah Sends a Letter to the Exiles

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And these are words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the remnant of the elders of the removal, and unto the priests, and unto the prophets, and unto all the people--whom Nebuchadnezzar removed from Jerusalem to Babylon,
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After the going forth of Jeconiah the king, and the mistress, and the officers, heads of Judah and Jerusalem, and the artificer, and the smith, from Jerusalem--
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By the hand of Eleasah son of Shaphan, and Gemariah son of Hilkijah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon--to Babylon, saying,

Instructions for Life in Exile

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`Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, to all the removal that I removed from Jerusalem to Babylon,
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Build ye houses, and abide; and plant ye gardens, and eat their fruit;
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Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take for your sons wives, and your daughters give to husbands, and they bear sons and daughters; and multiply there, and ye are not few;
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And seek the peace of the city whither I have removed you, and pray for it unto Jehovah, for in its peace ye have peace.

Warning Against False Hope and Promise of Return

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`For thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, Let not your prophets who are in your midst, and your diviners, lift you up, nor hearken ye unto their dreams, that ye are causing them to dream;
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For with falsehood they are prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, an affirmation of Jehovah.
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`For thus said Jehovah, Surely at the fulness of Babylon--seventy years--I inspect you, and have established towards you My good word, to bring you back unto this place.

Plans for a Hope and a Future

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For I have known the thoughts that I am thinking towards you--an affirmation of Jehovah; thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give to you posterity and hope.
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`And ye have called Me, and have gone, and have prayed unto Me, and I have hearkened unto you,
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And ye have sought Me, and have found, for ye seek Me with all your heart;
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And I have been found of you--an affirmation of Jehovah; and I have turned back to your captivity, and have gathered you out of all the nations, and out of all the places whither I have driven you--an affirmation of Jehovah--and I have brought you back unto the place whence I removed you.

Judgment on Jerusalem and False Prophets

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`Because ye have said, Jehovah hath raised up to us prophets in Babylon,
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Surely thus said Jehovah concerning the king who is sitting on the throne of David, and concerning all the people that is dwelling in this city, your brethren who went not forth with you in the removal;
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Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, Lo, I am sending among them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and I have given them up as figs that are vile, that are not eaten for badness.
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And I have pursued after them with sword, with famine, and with pestilence, and have given them for a trembling to all kingdoms of the earth, for a curse and for an astonishment, and for a hissing, and for a reproach among all the nations whither I have driven them,
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Because that they have not hearkened unto My words--an affirmation of Jehovah--that I sent unto them by My servants the prophets, rising early and sending, and ye hearkened not--an affirmation of Jehovah.
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`And ye, hear ye a word of Jehovah, all ye of the captivity that I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon,
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Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, concerning Ahab son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you in My name falsehood: Lo, I am giving them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he hath smitten them before your eyes,
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And taken from them hath been a reviling by all the removed of Judah that are in Babylon, saying, Jehovah doth set thee as Zedekiah, and as Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted with fire;
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Because that they have done folly in Israel, and commit adultery with the wives of their neighbours, and speak a word in My name falsely that I have not commanded them, and I am He who knoweth and a witness--an affirmation of Jehovah.

The Condemnation of Shemaiah the Nehelamite

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`And unto Shemaiah the Nehelamite thou dost speak, saying,
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Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, saying, Because that thou hast sent in thy name letters unto all the people who are in Jerusalem, and unto Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, and unto all the priests, saying,
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Jehovah hath made thee priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, for there being inspectors of the house of Jehovah, for every one mad and making himself a prophet, and thou hast put him unto the torture and unto the stocks.
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And now, why hast thou not pushed against Jeremiah of Anathoth, who is making himself a prophet to you?
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Because that he hath sent unto us to Babylon, saying, It is long, build ye houses, and abide; and plant ye gardens, and eat their fruit.'
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And Zephaniah the priest readeth this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
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And there is a word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah, saying,
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`Send unto all the removal, saying, Thus said Jehovah concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite, Because that Shemaiah prophesied to you, and I--I have not sent him, and he doth cause you to trust on falsehood,
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Therefore, thus said Jehovah, Lo, I am seeing after Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and after his seed, he hath none dwelling in the midst of this people, nor doth he look on the good that I am doing to My people--an affirmation of Jehovah--for apostasy he hath spoken against Jehovah.'
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