Shemaiah's False Prophecy

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

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