²⁰ Hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.^{(A) 21} This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to Ahab son of Kolaiah and to Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, the ones prophesying a lie to you in My name:^(B) “I am about to hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes. ²² Based on what happens to them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will create a curse^(C) that says, ‘May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!’^{(D) 23} because they have committed an outrage^(E) in Israel by committing adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have spoken a lie in My name, which I did not command them. I am He who knows, and I am a witness.” This is the Lord’s declaration.

²⁴ To Shemaiah the Nehelamite you are to say, ²⁵ “This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: You^[a] in your own name have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah^(F) son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying: ²⁶ ‘The Lord has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada the priest to be the chief officer^(G) in the temple of the Lord, responsible for every madman^(H) who acts like a prophet. You must confine him in the stocks^(I) and an iron collar. ²⁷ So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who has been acting like a prophet among you?^{(J) 28} For he has sent word to us in Babylon, claiming, “The exile will be long. Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce.”’”^(K)