Jeremiah 29:24–32

²⁴To Shemaiah the Nehelamite you are to say, ²⁵“This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: You^C in your own name have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah^r son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying, ²⁶‘The Lord has appointed you priest in place of the priest Jehoiada to be the chief officer^s in the temple of the Lord, responsible for every madman^t who acts like a prophet. You must confine him in the stocks^u and an iron collar. ²⁷So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who has been acting like a prophet among you?^{v 28}For he has sent word to us in Babylon, claiming, “The exile will be long. Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce.” ’ ”^w

²⁹The priest Zephaniah read this letter in the hearing of the prophet Jeremiah.

A MESSAGE ABOUT SHEMAIAH

³⁰Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ³¹“Send a message to all the exiles, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and made you trust a lie,^{x 32}this is what the Lord says: I am about to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. There will not be even one of his descendants living among these people,^y nor will any ever see the good that I will bring to my people—this is the Lord’s declaration—for he has preached rebellion against the Lord.’ ”^z