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.’”

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24 Now you shall speak to (A)Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying, 25 “This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Because you have sent (B)letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to (C)the priest Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying, 26 “The Lord has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to be the [a](D)overseer of the house of the Lord for every (E)insane person who (F)prophesies, to (G)put him in the stocks and in the iron collar. 27 So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of (H)Anathoth who prophesies to you, 28 seeing that he has (I)sent word to us in Babylon, saying, ‘[b]The exile will be (J)long; (K)build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their [c]produce’?”’”

29 Now (L)Zephaniah the priest read this letter [d]to Jeremiah the prophet. 30 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, 31 “Send word to (M)all the exiles, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says concerning (N)Shemaiah the Nehelamite: “Because Shemaiah has (O)prophesied to you, although I did not send him, and he has (P)made you trust in a lie,” 32 therefore this is what the Lord says: “Behold, I am going to (Q)punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his [e]descendants; he will (R)not have anyone living among this people, (S)and he will not see the good that I am going to do for My people,” declares the Lord, “because he has (T)spoken falsely against the Lord.”’”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 29:26 Lit overseers
  2. Jeremiah 29:28 Lit It
  3. Jeremiah 29:28 Lit fruit
  4. Jeremiah 29:29 Lit in the ears of
  5. Jeremiah 29:32 Lit seed