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Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophetsent 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;
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(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;)
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By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiahking of Judahsent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzarking of Babylon) saying,
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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;
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Take ye wives, and begetsons and daughters; and takewives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bearsons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
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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.
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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.
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For thus saith the LORD, That afterseventyyears be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my goodword toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
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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.
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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;
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Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vilefigs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
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And I will persecutethem 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:
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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.
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Thus 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 Nebuchadrezzarking of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;
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And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon,saying, The LORDmake thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylonroasted in the fire;
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Because they have committedvillany in Israel, and have committedadultery with their neighbours'wives, and have spokenlyingwords in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness,saith the LORD.
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Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite,saying,
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Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel,saying, Because thou hast sentletters 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,
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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.
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For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon,saying, This captivity is long:build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plantgardens, and eat the fruit of them.
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Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah,saying,
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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:
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Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punishShemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwellamong this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people,saith the LORD; because he hath taughtrebellion against the LORD.