Jeremiah 29:20-32

English Standard Version

²⁰ Hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles ^(A)whom I sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon: ²¹ ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, ^(B)who are prophesying a lie to you in my name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall strike them down before your eyes. ^22 (C)Because of them ^(D)this curse shall be used by all the exiles from Judah in Babylon: “The Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, ^(E)whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire,” ²³ because they have done an outrageous thing in Israel, ^(F)they have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and ^(G)they have spoken in my name lying words that I did not command them. ^(H)I am the one who knows, ^(I)and I am witness, declares the Lord.’”

Shemaiah's False Prophecy

²⁴ To ^(J)Shemaiah of Nehelam you shall say: ²⁵ “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You have sent letters in your name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to ^(K)Zephaniah the son of ^(L)Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, ²⁶ ‘The Lord has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to have ^(M)charge in the house of the Lord ^(N)over every madman who prophesies, to put him in ^(O)the stocks and neck irons. ²⁷ Now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah ^(P)of Anathoth who is prophesying to you? ²⁸ For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, “Your exile will be long; ^(Q)build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their produce.”’”

^29 (R)Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. ^30 (S)Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ³¹ “Send to all the exiles, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord concerning ^(T)Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because ^(U)Shemaiah had prophesied to you ^(V)when I did not send him, and has made you trust in a lie, ³² therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I will punish ^(W)Shemaiah of Nehelam and his descendants. He shall not have anyone living among this people, ^(X)and he shall not see the good that I will do to my people, declares the Lord, ^(Y)for he has spoken rebellion against the Lord.’”