Jeremiah 36

1These are the words of the letter Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the elders of the captivity, and to the priests and false prophets.

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2(He sent it to Babylon for the captivity and for all the people, after the departure from Jerusalem of Jeconiah the king, the queen mother, the eunuchs, and every freeman, bondman, and craftsman.)

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3Jeremiah sent the letter to Babylon by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon, to the king of Babylon), saying,

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4Thus says the Lord God of Israel concerning the captivity which I caused to be carried away from Jerusalem:

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5Build houses and dwell in them. Plant gardens and eat their fruit.

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6Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands; and be multiplied and not diminished.

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7Seek the peace of the land into which I carried you captive. Pray to the Lord for them, for in its peace you shall have peace.

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8For thus says the Lord: Do not let the false prophets in your midst deceive you; and do not let your diviners persuade you, nor heed the dreams you dream.

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9For they prophesy wrongfully to you in My name, but I did not send them.

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10For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are about to be fulfilled in Babylon, I will visit you and confirm My words to you, to return your people to this place.

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11For I shall consider a plan of peace for you, to give you good things and not calamities.

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12Therefore, pray to Me, and I will hear you.

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13Seek Me, and you will find Me, because you seek Me with all your heart.

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14I will appear to you,

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15for you said, 'The Lord established prophets for us in Babylon.'

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16Thus says the Lord against Achiab and Zedekiah: Behold, I will deliver them into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he shall smite them in your sight.

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17They shall make of them a curse among all the captivity of Judah in Babylon, saying, 'May the Lord do to you as He did to Zedekiah and as He did to Achiab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire,'

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18because they committed lawlessness in Israel, committed adultery with the wives of their fellow-citizens, and spoke a word in My name which I did not command them; and I am a witness, says the Lord.

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19To Shemaiah the Nehelamite, you shall say,

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20'I did not send you in My name,' and to Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying,

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21'The Lord made you priest in the place of Jehoiada the priest, to be an overseer in the house of the Lord over every prophet and every man who is insane, and you shall put them in prison or into the dungeon.

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22Now therefore, why have you joined in mocking Jeremiah of Anathoth, who prophesied to you?

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23Did he not send you into Babylon for this purpose, saying, 'It is far off. Build a house and dwell in it, and plant a garden and eat its fruit.' '

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24Thus Zephaniah read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah.

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25Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,

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26'Send to the captivity, saying, 'Thus says the Lord concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah prophesied to you, although I did not send him, and causes you to trust in wrongdoings;

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27therefore, thus says the Lord: Behold, I will visit Shemaiah and his family. There shall not be a man of them in your midst to see the good things I will do for you. They shall not see it.' '

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