Jeremiah 29:1-23

1Now these are the words of the 1letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exile, the priests, the prophets and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2(This was after King 2Jeconiah and the 3queen mother, the court officials, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.) 3The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of 4Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying, 4“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have 5sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, 5‘6Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their 7produce. 6Take 8wives and 9become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. 710Seek the 11welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and 12pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its 13welfare you will have 14welfare.’ 8For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Do not let your 15prophets who are in your midst and your diviners 16deceive you, and do not listen to 1718the dreams which 19they dream. 9For they 20prophesy falsely to you in My name; 21I have not sent them,’ declares the Lord.

10“For thus says the Lord, ‘When 22seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My 23good word to you, to bring you back to this place. 11For I know the 24plans that I 25have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for 26welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a 27hope. 12Then you will 28call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will 29listen to you. 13You will 30seek Me and find Me when you 31search for Me with all your heart. 14I will be 32found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will 33restore your 34fortunes and will 35gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will 36bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’

15“Because you have said, ‘The Lord has raised up 37prophets for us in Babylon’-- 16for thus says the Lord concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brothers who did 38not go with you into exile-- 17thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Behold, I am sending upon them the 39sword, famine and pestilence, and I will make them like 40split-open figs that cannot be eaten due to rottenness. 18I will pursue them with the sword, with famine and with pestilence; and I will 41make them a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a 42curse and a horror and a 43hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, 19because they have 44not listened to My words,’ declares the Lord, ‘which I sent to them again and again by 45My servants the prophets; but you did not listen,’ declares the Lord. 20You, therefore, hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles, whom I have 46sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.

21“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who are 47prophesying to you falsely in My name, ‘Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will slay them before your eyes. 22Because of them a 48curse will be 49used by all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon, saying, “May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon 50roasted in the fire, 23because they have 51acted foolishly in Israel, and 52have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have 53spoken words in My name falsely, which I did not command them; and I am He who 54knows and am a witness,” declares the Lord.’”