Jeremiah 29:24-32

Message to the Exiles

²⁴Now you shall speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying, ²⁵“This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to the priest Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying, ²⁶“The Lord has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to be the overseer of the house of the Lord for every insane person who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and in the iron collar. ²⁷So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who prophesies to you, ²⁸seeing that he has sent word to us in Babylon, saying, ‘The exile will be long; build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their produce’?” ’ ”

²⁹Now Zephaniah the priest read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet. ³⁰Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, ³¹“Send word to all the exiles, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: “Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, although I did not send him, and he has made you trust in a lie,” ³²therefore this is what the Lord says: “Behold, I am going to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants; he will not have anyone living among this people, and he will not see the good that I am going to do for My people,” declares the Lord, “because he has spoken falsely against the Lord.” ’ ”