29:1
Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from
Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives,
and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom
Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;
29:2
(After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes
of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed
from Jerusalem;)
29:3
By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah,
(whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon) saying,
29:4
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried
away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto
Babylon;
29:5
Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit
of them;
29:6
Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons,
and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters;
that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
29:7
And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried
away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall
ye have peace.
29:8
For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets
and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken
to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
29:9
For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith
the LORD.
(29:10) "Thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at
Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing
you to return to this place." How long was the Babylonian captivity?
29:10
For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at
Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing
you to return to this place.
29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts
of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
29:12
Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will
hearken unto you.
29:13
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all
your heart.
29:14
And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your
captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the
places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again
into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
29:15
Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon;
29:16
Know that thus saith the LORD of the king that sitteth upon the throne of
David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, and of your
brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;
29:17Thus saith the LORD of
hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the
pestilence, and will
make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
(29:17-19) God will send his usual blessings upon
his people: "the sword, the famine, and the pestilence." He "will make them like vile
figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil." Why will he do this? Because they didn't listen to his prophets.
(God hates figs.) What the Bible says about figs
(29:17) "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence,
and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil."
(29:18) "And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver
them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing."
(29:19) "Because they have not hearkened to my words, aith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets."
29:18And I will
persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence,
and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an
astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations
whither I have driven them.
29:19Because they have not hearkened to my words,
saith the LORD, which I sent
unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but
ye would not hear, saith the LORD.
29:20
Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I
have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:
29:21Thus saith the LORD
of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the
son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto 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;
(29:21-22) God will deliver Ahab and Zedekiah into
the hands of Nebuchadrezzar "and he shall slay them before your eyes" and Ahab will be "roasted
in the fire."
(29:21) "Thus saith the LORD ... of Ahab ... and of Zedekiah ... which prophesy a lie unto 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."
(29:22) "The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire."
29:22
And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which
are in Babylon, saying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of
Babylon roasted in the fire;
29:23
Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery
with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which
I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD.
29:24
Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,
29:25
Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou
hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and
to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
29:26
The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that
ye should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man that is mad,
and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in
the stocks.
29:27
Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which
maketh himself a prophet to you?
29:28
For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long:
build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of
them.
29:29
And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the
prophet.
29:30
Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,
29:31
Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning
Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and
I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:
(29:32) "Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah ...
and his seed ... because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD."
God will punish the children of Shemaiah for their father's false prophecy. Does God punish children for their fathers sins?
29:32Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the
Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this
people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith
the LORD; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD.
