Jeremiah 29:15-32

New International Version

¹⁵You may say, “The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,” ¹⁶but this is what the Lord says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all the people who remain in this city, your fellow citizens who did not go with you into exile— ¹⁷yes, this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will send the sword, famine and plague^(A) against them and I will make them like figs^(B) that are so bad they cannot be eaten. ¹⁸I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrent^(C) to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse^[a]^(D) and an object of horror,^(E) of scorn^(F) and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them. ¹⁹For they have not listened to my words,”^(G) declares the Lord, “words that I sent to them again and again^(H) by my servants the prophets.^(I) And you exiles have not listened either,” declares the Lord.

²⁰Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles whom I have sent^(J) away from Jerusalem to Babylon. ²¹This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies^(K) to you in my name: “I will deliver them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will put them to death before your very eyes. ²²Because of them, all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the Lord treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned^(L) in the fire.’ ²³For they have done outrageous things in Israel; they have committed adultery^(M) with their neighbors’ wives, and in my name they have uttered lies—which I did not authorize. I know^(N) it and am a witness^(O) to it,” declares the Lord.

Message to Shemaiah

²⁴Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite, ²⁵“This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah^(P) son of Maaseiah, and to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah, ²⁶‘The Lord has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada to be in charge of the house of the Lord; you should put any maniac^(Q) who acts like a prophet into the stocks^(R) and neck-irons. ²⁷So why have you not reprimanded Jeremiah from Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you? ²⁸He has sent this message^(S) to us in Babylon: It will be a long time.^(T) Therefore build^(U) houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.’”

²⁹Zephaniah^(V) the priest, however, read the letter to Jeremiah the prophet. ³⁰Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ³¹“Send this message to all the exiles: ‘This is what the Lord says about Shemaiah^(W) the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I did not send^(X) him, and has persuaded you to trust in lies, ³²this is what the Lord says: I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants.^(Y) He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good^(Z) things I will do for my people, declares the Lord, because he has preached rebellion^(AA) against me.’”