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| 29 | Jeremiah |
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These are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. | Jeremiah's letter to the Jews of Babylonia. Jr.29.1-23 |
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This was after King Jeconiah, and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem. | |
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The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said: | |
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"Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: | |
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Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. | |
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Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. | |
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But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to Yahweh on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. | |
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For thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream, | |
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for it is a lie which they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, says Yahweh. | |
| 10 |
"For thus says Yahweh: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfil to you my promise and bring you back to this place. | |
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For I know the plans I have for you, says Yahweh, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. | |
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Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. | |
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You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, | |
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I will be found by you, says Yahweh, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says Yahweh, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. | |
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"Because you have said, 'Yahweh has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,' - | |
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Thus says Yahweh concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your kinsmen who did not go out with you into exile: | |
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'Thus says Yahweh of hosts, Behold, I am sending on them sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like vile figs which are so bad they cannot be eaten. | |
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I will pursue them with sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, a terror, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, | |
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because they did not heed my words, says Yahweh, which I persistently sent to you by my servants the prophets, but you would not listen, says Yahweh.' - | |
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Hear the word of Yahweh, all you exiles whom I sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon: | |
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'Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying a lie to you in my name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall slay them before your eyes. | |
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Because of them this curse shall be used by all the exiles from Judah in Babylon: "Yahweh make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire," | |
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because they have committed folly in Israel, they have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and they have spoken in my name lying words which I did not command them. I am the one who knows, and I am witness, says Yahweh.' " | |
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To Shemaiah of Nehelam you shall say: | The letter to Shemaiah. Jr.29.24-32 |
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"Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel: You have sent letters in your name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, | |
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'Yahweh has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to have charge in the house of Yahweh over every madman who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and collar. | |
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Now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who is prophesying to you? | |
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For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, "Your exile will be long; build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their produce." '" | |
| 29 |
Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. | |
| 30 |
Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah: | |
| 31 |
"Send to all the exiles, saying, 'Thus says Yahweh concerning Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you when I did not send him, and has made you trust in a lie, | |
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therefore thus says Yahweh: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah of Nehelam and his descendants; he shall not have any one living among this people to see the good that I will do to my people, says Yahweh, for he has talked rebellion against Yahweh.' " | |
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