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          DASV: Jeremiah 29    

1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet
sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders in exile, and
to priests, prophets, and all the people, Nebuchadnezzar had
carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon.
2 This was after Jehoiachin the king, the queen mother, eunuchs,
officials of Judah and Jerusalem, craftsmen, and metal workers
had been deported from Jerusalem.
3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan,
and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah
had sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. The
letter said:
4 "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to all the
exiles, whom I had carried away captive from Jerusalem to
Babylon:
5 Build houses,
           and live in them;
     plant gardens,
           and eat their produce.
6 Take wives,
     and have sons and daughters;
      take wives for your sons,
     and give your daughters to husbands,
      that they may have sons and daughters;
     multiply there,
     and do not decrease.
7 Seek the welfare of the city
     where I have had you carried away as exiles,
           and pray to the LORD for it;
     for when it prospers,
           you also will prosper."

8 For this is what the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel says:
"Let not your prophets and diviners that are in your
midst, deceive you; do not listen to the dreams you
are prompting them to dream.
9 They prophesy falsely to you in my name. I have not sent
them," says the LORD.
10 For this is what the LORD says, "After seventy
years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you,
and fulfill my promise to you by bringing you back
to this place.
11 For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD,
"plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, to give
you a future and a hope.
12 You will call on me and you will come and pray to me,
and I will listen to you.
13 You will seek me and find me, when you search
for me with all your heart.
14 Then I will be found by you," says the LORD, "and
I will restore your fortunes and regather you from all
the nations, and from all the places I have exiled you,"
says the LORD; "and I will bring you back to the place
from where I exiled you into captivity."

15 Because you claim, "The LORD has raised up prophets in
Babylon for us."
16 This is what the LORD says concerning the king who
sits on the throne of David, and all the people that
live in this city, your relatives who have not gone with
you into exile:
17 "This is what the LORD of hosts says, "I will send on
them the sword, famine, and plague, and will make them
like rotten figs, that are so bad they cannot be eaten.
18 I will pursue after them with the sword, famine, and
plague, and I will make the kingdoms of the earth appalled
at what happens to them. They will be used when people
want to curse others, a terror, an object of ridicule
hissing and contempt among all the nations where I have
driven them.
19 For they have not listened to my words," says the
LORD, "when I repeatedly sent to them my servants the
prophets, but you would not listen," says the LORD.
20 So listen to the word of the LORD, all you exiles
whom I have deported from Jerusalem to Babylon.
21 This is what the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel
says concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and Zedekiah
the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in my
name: "I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar
king of Babylon; he will kill them before your eyes.
22 Their situation will be taken up as a curse by all
the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, 'May
the LORD make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom
the king of Babylon roasted in the fire.'
23 For they have preformed folly in Israel, and have
committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and
have spoken lies in my name, which I never ordered
them to say. I am aware of what they have done and
am a witness to it," says the LORD.

24 Now tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite,
25 "This is what the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel
says, You have sent letters in your own name to all
the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the
son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests,
saying,
26 'The LORD has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the
priest, so that there may be officers in the house of
the LORD, so that anyone who acts crazy and pretends
to be a prophet you should put in the stocks with an
iron neck-collar.'
27 Now therefore, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of
Anathoth, who pretends to be your prophet?
28 He has sent a message to us in Babylon, saying,
'The exile will last a long time.
     Build houses,
           and live in them;
     plant gardens,
           and eat their produce.'"

29 Zephaniah the priest read this letter to Jeremiah
the prophet.
30 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying,
31 Send to all the exiles, saying, "This is what the
LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Since
Shemaiah has prophesied to you, and I did not send
him, and he has caused you to trust in a lie,
32 therefore this is what the LORD says, I will
punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his descendants.
None of his descendants will live among this people,
nor will he see the good that I will do to my
people," says the LORD, "because he has spoken
rebellion against the LORD."

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