(KJV) Jeremiah 291

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⥃Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles

[1] Now2 these [are] the words of the letter3 that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders4 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;5 [2] (After that Jeconiah6 the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs7, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;) [3] By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan8, and Gemariah9 the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying, [4] Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom10 I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; [5] Build ye houses, and dwell [in them]; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;11 [6] Take ye12 wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives13 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. [7] And seek14 the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray15 unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

[8] For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Let16 not your prophets and your diviners, that [be] in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams17 which ye cause to be dreamed. [9] For they prophesy falsely18 unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the Lord.

[10] [¶]For thus saith the Lord, That after19 seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will20 visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. [11] For I know21 the thoughts22 that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end23. [12] Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.24 [13] And ye shall25 seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with26 all your heart. [14] And I will be27 found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn28 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.

[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;30 [17] Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold31, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like32 vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. [18] And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver33 them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse34, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them: [19] Because 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.35

[20] [¶]Hear36 ye therefore the word of the Lord, all ye37 of the captivity, whom38 I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon: [21] Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which39 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; [22] And of them shall be40 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 roasted41 in the fire; [23] Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have42 committed adultery with their neighbours’ wives, and have spoken lying43 words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I44 know, and [am] a witness, saith the Lord.

⥃The Message to Shemaiah

[24] [Thus] shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah45 the Nehelamite46, saying, [25] Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because47 thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that [are] at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah48 the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, [26] The Lord hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers49 in the house of the Lord, for every50 man [that is] mad, and maketh51 himself a prophet, that thou52 shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks. [27] Now therefore53 why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which54 maketh himself a prophet to you? [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.55 [29] And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.56

[30] [¶]Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying, [31] Send57 to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the Lord concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because58 that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie: [32] Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will punish59 Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall60 not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold61 the good that I will do for my people, saith the Lord; because he hath taught rebellion62 against the Lord.

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  1. Jer 29:1, Jeremiah sends a letter to the captives in Babylon to be quiet there, Jer 29:8, and not to believe the dreams of their prophets; Jer 29:10, and that they shall return with grace after seventy years; Jer 29:15, He foretells the destruction of the rest for their disobedience; Jer 29:20, He shews the fearful end of Ahab and Zedekiah, two lying prophets; Jer 29:24, Shemaiah writes a letter against Jeremiah; Jer 29:30, Jeremiah foretells his doom. ↩

  2. This transaction is supposed to have taken place in the first or second year of Zedekiah. ↩

  3. Jer 29:25-29; 2Chr 30:1-6; Esth 9:20; Acts 15:23; 2Cor 7:8; Gal 6:11; Heb 13:22; Rev. 2:1-3:22 ↩

  4. Jer 24:1-7, Jer 28:4 ↩

  5. Cir, am 3407, bc 597 ↩

  6. Jer 22:24-28, Coniah, Jer 27:20, Jer 28:4; 2Kgs 24:12-16; 2Chr 36:9-10, Jehoiachin ↩

  7. or, chamberlains, 2Kgs 9:32 *marg. 2Kgs 20:18; Dan 1:3-21 ↩

  8. Jer 26:24, Jer 39:14; 2Kgs 22:8; Ezek 8:11 ↩

  9. Jer 36:25; 2Kgs 22:12; 2Chr 34:20 ↩

  10. Jer 24:5; Isa 5:5, Isa 10:5-6, Isa 45:7, Isa 59:1-2; Amos 3:6 ↩

  11. Jer 29:10, Jer 29:28; Ezek 28:26 ↩

  12. Jer 16:2-4; Gen 1:27-28, Gen 9:7; 1Tim 5:14 ↩

  13. Gen 21:21, Gen 24:3-4, Gen 24:51, Gen 24:60, Gen 28:1-4, Gen 29:19, Gen 34:4; Judg 1:12-14, Judg 12:9, Judg 14:2; 1Cor 7:36-38 ↩

  14. Dan 4:27, Dan 6:4-5; Rom 13:1, Rom 13:5; 1Pet 2:13-17 ↩

  15. Ezra 6:10, Ezra 7:23; Dan 4:19; 1Tim 2:1-2 ↩

  16. Jer 14:14, Jer 23:21, Jer 27:14-15, Jer 28:15; Zech 13:4; Matt 24:4-5, Matt 24:24; Mark 13:5-6, Mark 13:22-23; Luke 21:8; Rom 16:18; 2Cor 11:13-15; Eph 4:14, Eph 5:6; 2Thess 2:3, 2Thess 2:9-11; 2Tim 3:13; 2John 1:7-9; Rev 13:14, Rev 19:20 ↩

  17. Jer 5:31; Mic 2:11; Luke 6:26; 2Pet 2:2-3 ↩

  18. Heb. in a lie, Jer 29:23, Jer 29:31, Jer 27:15 ↩

  19. Jer 25:12, Jer 27:7, Jer 27:22; 2Chr 36:21-23; Ezra 1:1-2; Dan 9:2; Zech 7:5 ↩

  20. Jer 24:6-7, Jer 32:42-44; Zeph 2:7 ↩

  21. Job 23:13; Ps 33:11, Ps 40:5; Isa 46:10-11, Isa 55:8-12; Mic 4:12; Zech 1:6; Zech 8:14-15 ↩

  22. Jer 3:12-19, Jer 30:18-22, 31:1-33:26; Isa. 40:1-46:13; Ezek 34:11-31; Ezek. 36:1-37:28, Ezek 39:1-29; Hos 2:14-23, Hos 3:5, Hos 14:2-9; Joel 2:28-32; Amos 9:8-15; Mic 5:4-7, Mic 7:14-20; Zeph 3:14-20; Zech 9:9-17, Zech 12:5-10; Zech 14:20-21; Rev 14:8-14 ↩

  23. Heb. end and expectation, Lam 3:26 ↩

  24. Jer 31:9, Jer 33:3; Neh 2:4-20; Ps 10:17, Ps 50:15, Ps 102:16-17; Isa 30:19, Isa 65:24; Ezek 36:37; Dan 9:3-19; Zech 13:9; Matt 7:7-8 ↩

  25. Lev 26:40-45; Deut 4:29-31, Deut 30:1-20; 1Kgs 8:47-50; 2Chr 6:37-39; Ps 91:15; Isa 55:6-7; Hos 5:15, Hos 6:1-3; Amos 5:4-6; Zeph 2:1-3; Luke 11:9-10 ↩

  26. Jer 3:10, Jer 24:7; Deut 30:2, Deut 30:10; 1Kgs 2:4; 2Kgs 23:3; 2Chr 22:9, 2Chr 31:21; Ps 119:2, Ps 119:10, Ps 119:58, Ps 119:69, Ps 119:145; Joel 2:12; Acts 8:37 ↩

  27. Deut 4:7; 1Chr 28:9; 2Chr 15:12-15; Ps 32:6, Ps 46:1; Isa 45:19, Isa 55:6; Rom 10:20 ↩

  28. Jer 16:14-15, Jer 23:3-8, Jer 24:5-7, Jer 30:3, Jer 30:10, Jer 31:8-14, Jer 32:37-44, Jer 33:7-26; Jer 46:27-28, Jer 50:4-5, Jer 50:19-20, Jer 50:33-34, Jer 51:10; Ps 126:1, Ps 126:4; Ezek 11:16-20; Ezek 34:1-31, 36:1-39:29; Amos 9:14; Mic 4:12; Zeph 3:20 ↩

  29. Jer 29:8-9, Jer 28:1-17; Ezek 1:1, Ezek 1:3 ↩

  30. Jer 29:3, Jer 24:2, Jer 38:2-3, Jer 38:17-23; Ezek. 6:1-9:11, Ezek 17:12-21, Ezek 21:9-27, Ezek 22:31; Ezek 24:1-14 ↩

  31. Jer 29:18, Jer 15:2-3, Jer 24:8-10, Jer 34:17-22, Jer 43:11, Jer 52:6; Ezek 5:12-17, Ezek 14:12-21; Luke 21:11, Luke 21:23 ↩

  32. Jer 24:1-3, Jer 24:8 ↩

  33. Jer 15:4, Jer 24:9, Jer 34:17; Lev 26:33; Deut 28:25, Deut 28:64; 2Chr 29:8; Ps 44:11; Ezek 6:8, Ezek 12:15, Ezek 22:15, Ezek 36:19; Amos 9:9; Zech 7:14; Luke 21:24 ↩

  34. Heb. for a curse, Jer 29:22, Jer 19:8, Jer 25:9, Jer 26:6, Jer 42:18; Deut 29:21-28; 1Kgs 9:7-8; 2Chr 7:19-22, 2Chr 29:8; Isa 65:15; Lam 2:15-16 ↩

  35. Jer 6:19, Jer 7:13, Jer 7:24-26, Jer 25:3-7, Jer 26:5, Jer 32:33, Jer 34:17, Jer 35:14-16, Jer 44:4-5; Zech 1:4-6, Zech 7:11-13; Heb 12:25 ↩

  36. Dr. Blayney thinks there were two letters written by the prophet to the captives in Babylon, and the first ends with this verse. That having heard, on the return of the embassy, that the captives had received his advice favourably, and because they were deceived by false prophets, who promised them a speedier deliverance, he therefore wrote a second letter, beginning with the Jer 29:15, and going on with the twenty-first, etc. (in which order these verses are read in the Septuagint), in which he denounces God's judgments on the three chief of those, Ahab, Zedekiah, and Shemaiah. ↩

  37. Ezek 3:11, Ezek 3:15 ↩

  38. Jer 24:5; Mic 4:10 ↩

  39. Jer 29:8-9, Jer 14:14-15; Lam 2:14 ↩

  40. Gen 48:20; Ruth 4:11; Isa 65:15; 1Cor 16:22 ↩

  41. Dan 3:6, Dan 3:21 ↩

  42. Jer 7:9-10, Jer 23:14, Jer 23:21; Ps 50:16-18; Zeph 3:4; 2Pet 2:10-19; Jude 1:8-11 ↩

  43. Jer 29:8-9, Jer 29:21 ↩

  44. Jer 13:27, Jer 16:17, Jer 23:23-24; Prov 5:21; Mal 2:14, Mal 3:5; Heb 4:13; Rev 1:5; Rev 3:14 ↩

  45. Jer 29:31-32 ↩

  46. or, dreamer, Jer 29:8 ↩

  47. 1Kgs 21:8-13; 2Kgs 10:1-7, 2Kgs 19:9, 2Kgs 19:14; 2Chr 32:17; Ezra 4:7-16; Neh 6:5, Neh 6:17; Neh 6:19; Acts 9:2 ↩

  48. Jer 29:29, Jer 21:1-2, Jer 37:3, Jer 52:24; 2Kgs 25:18-21 ↩

  49. Jer 20:1-2; 2Kgs 11:15, 2Kgs 11:18; Acts 4:1, Acts 5:24 ↩

  50. 2Kgs 9:11; Hos 9:7; Mark 3:21; John 10:20; Acts 26:11, Acts 26:24; 2Cor 5:13-15 ↩

  51. Jer 29:27; Deut 13:1-5; Zech 13:3-6; Matt 21:23; John 8:53, John 10:33 ↩

  52. Jer 20:1-2, Jer 38:6, Jer 38:28; 2Chr 16:10, 2Chr 18:26; Acts 5:18, Acts 16:24; 2Cor 11:33; Rev 2:10 ↩

  53. 2Chr 25:16; Amos 7:12-13; John 11:47-53; Acts 4:17-21, Acts 5:28, Acts 5:40 ↩

  54. Jer 29:26, Jer 43:2-3; Num 16:3; Matt 27:63; 2Tim 3:8 ↩

  55. Jer 29:1-10 ↩

  56. Jer 29:25 ↩

  57. Jer 29:20 ↩

  58. Jer 29:9, Jer 29:23, Jer 14:14-15, Jer 23:21, Jer 28:15-17; Ezek 13:8-16, Ezek 13:22-23; 2Pet 2:1 ↩

  59. Jer 20:6; Exod 20:5; Num 16:27-33; Josh 7:24-25; 2Kgs 5:27; Ps 109:8-15; Isa 14:20, Isa 14:22; Amos 7:17 ↩

  60. Jer 22:30, Jer 35:19; 1Sam 2:30-34 ↩

  61. Jer 29:10-14, Jer 17:6; 2Kgs 7:2, 2Kgs 7:19-20 ↩

  62. Heb. revolt, Jer 28:16 *marg. ↩