²⁴ You shall also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying, ²⁵ Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: You have sent letters in your name to all the people who are at Jerusalem, ^(A)to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, ²⁶ “The Lord has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, so that there should be ^(B)officers in the house of the Lord over every man who is ^(C)demented and considers himself a prophet, that you should ^(D)put him in prison and in the stocks. ²⁷ Now therefore, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who makes himself a prophet to you? ²⁸ For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, ‘This captivity is long; build houses and dwell in them, and plant gardens and eat their fruit.’ ”

²⁹ Now Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. ³⁰ Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying: ³¹ Send to all those in captivity, saying, Thus says the Lord concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, ^(E)and I have not sent him, and he has caused you to trust in a ^(F)lie— ³² therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his ^[a]family: he shall not have anyone to dwell among this people, nor shall he see the good that I will do for My people, says the Lord, ^(G)because he has taught rebellion against the Lord.