These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders of the exile, the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent 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;

This was sent after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalworkers were deported from Jerusalem.

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;)

The letter was delivered by Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom King Zedekiah of Judah had sent to Babylon to King Nebuchadnezzar, and it said:

By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying,

This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:

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;

Build houses and settle in them. Plant gardens and eat their fruit.

Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;

Take wives and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage so they may have sons and daughters. Multiply there, and do not decrease.

Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives 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.

Seek the welfare of the city where I have exiled you and pray to the LORD on its behalf, because its welfare determines your welfare.

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.

This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Do not let the prophets or diviners among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that you are dreaming.

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.

For they are prophesying falsely in my name. I have not sent them, declares the LORD.

For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.

This is what the LORD says: When seventy years for Babylon are complete, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.

For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

For I know the plans I have for you—this is the LORD's declaration—plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

I will be found by you—this is the LORD's declaration—and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you—this is the LORD's declaration. I will bring you back to the place from which I exiled you.

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.

Because you have said, 'The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,'

Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon;

this is what the LORD says to the king who sits on David's throne and to all the people who remain in this city—your own brothers who were not taken with you into exile—

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;

this is what the LORD of Armies says: 'I am about to send against them the sword, famine, and plague, and I will make them like rotten figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten.'

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

I will pursue them with sword, famine, and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse and an object of astonishment, scorn, and ridicule among all the nations where I have banished them.

And I will persecute them 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:

I will do this because they have not listened to my words—this is the LORD's declaration—that I sent to them again and again through my servants the prophets. And you also have not listened—this is the LORD's declaration.

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.

So hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.

Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:

This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying a lie to you in my name: 'I am about to hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes.'

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 Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;

Because of them, all the exiles of Judah in Babylon will use this curse: 'May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire.'

And of them shall be 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 roasted in the fire;

For they have done outrageous things in Israel, committing adultery with their neighbors' wives and speaking lies in my name, things I did not command them to do. I am the one who knows and the one who witnesses this, declares the LORD.

Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD.

To Shemaiah the Nehelamite, you shall say:

Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,

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 in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying:

Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters 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,

The LORD has appointed you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to be in charge of the house of the LORD for every madman who acts as a prophet, and you should put such a person in the stocks and neck-irons.

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.

Now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who has been prophesying to you?

Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you?

For he has sent us to Babylon saying, 'The exile will be long. Build houses and settle down, plant gardens and eat their produce.'

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.

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

And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.

Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying:

Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,

Send this message to all the exiles: This is what the LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite—Shemaiah has prophesied to you though I did not send him, and he has made you trust in a lie.

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:

Therefore, this is what the LORD says: I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will not have anyone dwelling among this people, nor will he see the good that I will do for my people, declares the LORD, because he has spoken rebellion against the LORD.

Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the LORD; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD.