Jeremiah 29
Jeremiah's Letter to
the Captives |
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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
Nebuchadnez'zar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to
Babylon;
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(after that Jeconi'ah the king, and the
queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the
carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;) 2 Kgs.
24.12-16 · 2
Chr. 36.10
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by the hand of Ela'sah the son of
Shaphan, and Gemari'ah the son of Hilki'ah, (whom Zedeki'ah king of
Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnez'zar 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 2 Chr. 36.21 · Jer. 25.11 · Dan. 9.2 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. Deut. 4.29
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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 a 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 Kolai'ah, and of
Zedeki'ah the son of Ma-asei'ah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my
name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrez'zar
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 Zedeki'ah and like Ahab,
whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;
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because they have committed villainy in
Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors' 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.
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Thus shalt thou also speak to
Shemai'ah the Nehel'amite, saying,
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Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou
hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at
Jerusalem, and to Zephani'ah the son of Ma-asei'ah the priest, and
to all the priests, saying,
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The LORD hath made
thee priest in the stead of Jehoi'ada 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.
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Now therefore why hast thou not reproved
Jeremiah of An'athoth, which maketh himself a prophet to
you?
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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.
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And Zephani'ah the priest read this
letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
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Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,
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31 |
Send to all them of the captivity,
saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning
Shemai'ah the Nehel'amite; Because that Shemai'ah hath prophesied
unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a
lie:
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therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemai'ah the Nehel'amite,
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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