Jeremiah 29:15-32

English Standard Version

¹⁵ “Because you have said, ‘The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,’ ¹⁶ thus says the Lord concerning ^(A)the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your kinsmen who did not go out with you into exile: ¹⁷ ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, behold, I am sending on them ^(B)sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like ^(C)vile figs that are so rotten they cannot be eaten. ¹⁸ I will pursue them with ^(D)sword, famine, and pestilence, ^(E)and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, ^(F)to be a curse, a terror, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations ^(G)where I have driven them, ¹⁹ because they did not pay attention to my words, declares the Lord, ^(H)that I persistently sent to you by my servants the prophets, but you would not listen, declares the Lord.’ ²⁰ Hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles ^(I)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, ^(J)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 (K)Because of them ^(L)this curse shall be used by all the exiles from Judah in Babylon: “The Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, ^(M)whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire,” ²³ because they have done an outrageous thing in Israel, ^(N)they have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and ^(O)they have spoken in my name lying words that I did not command them. ^(P)I am the one who knows, ^(Q)and I am witness, declares the Lord.’”

Shemaiah's False Prophecy

²⁴ To ^(R)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 ^(S)Zephaniah the son of ^(T)Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, ²⁶ ‘The Lord has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to have ^(U)charge in the house of the Lord ^(V)over every madman who prophesies, to put him in ^(W)the stocks and neck irons. ²⁷ Now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah ^(X)of Anathoth who is prophesying to you? ²⁸ For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, “Your exile will be long; ^(Y)build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their produce.”’”

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