Jeremiah 36

1 This is the letter Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the elders, priests, false prophets, and all the people living in exile in Babylon.

2 This was after King Jeconiah, the queen, the eunuchs, and every free man, prisoner, and craftsman had left Jerusalem.

3 It went by the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Babylon at Babylon. It said:

4 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the exiles I sent away from Jerusalem:”

5 “Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce.”

6 “Take wives and father sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands. Increase, and do not decrease.”

7 “Seek the peace of the land where I sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord for its people, because in its peace you will find peace.”

8 “This is what the Lord says: Do not let the false prophets among you persuade you, and do not let your diviners persuade you. Do not listen to the dreams you dream,”

9 “for what they prophesy to you in my name is wrong. I did not send them.”

10 “For this is what the Lord says: When Babylon’s seventy years are about to be completed, I will attend to you and confirm my words to you, bringing your people back to this place.”

11 “I will devise for you a plan of peace and not disaster, to give you these things.”

12 “Pray to me, and I will listen to you.”

13 “Seek me and you will find me, because you will seek me with your whole heart.”

14 “and I will appear to you.”

15 “But you said, The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon.”

21 “This is what the Lord says about Ahab and Zedekiah: Look, I will hand them over to the king of Babylon, who will strike them down before your eyes.”

22 “From them a curse will be taken up among all the exiles of Judah in Babylon: May the Lord do to you as he did to Zedekiah and to Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire.”

23 “This is because of the lawlessness they committed in Israel: they committed adultery with their fellow citizens’ wives, and they spoke a word in my name that I did not command them. I am witness, says the Lord.”

24 “And to Shemaiah the Nehelamite you are to say:”

25 “I did not send you in my name. And to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, say:”

26 “The Lord has made you priest in place of Jehoiada the priest, to be the officer in the Lord’s house over every man who prophesies and every man who raves; you are to put him in prison and into the pit.”

27 “Why then have you joined in reviling Jeremiah of Anathoth, who prophesied to you?”

28 “Was it not for this that he sent word to you in Babylon, saying, It is a long time — build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit?”

29 Zephaniah read the book in the hearing of Jeremiah.

30 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,

31 “Send to the exiles, saying, This is what the Lord says about Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Since Shemaiah prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and made you trust in what is wrong,”

32 “Therefore, this is what the Lord says: Look, I will call Shemaiah and his family to account. None of his people will remain among you to see the good I will do for you. They will not see it.”