JEREMIAH 29

[당찬 엄마]

A Letter to the Exiles

   1 This is the text of the letter that the prophet

Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving

elders among the exiles and to the priests, the

prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar

had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

2 (This was after King Jehoiachin and the queen

mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah

and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans

had gone into exile from Jerusalem.)   3 He entrusted

the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah

son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to

King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:

   4 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of

Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from

Jerusalem to Babylon:   5 "Build houses and settle

down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.

6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives

for your sons and give your daughters in

marriage, so that they too may have sons and

daughters. Increase in number there; do not

decrease.   7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity

of the city to which I have carried you into exile.

Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you

too will prosper."   8 Yes, this is what the LORD

Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Do not let the

prophets and diviners among you deceive you.

Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them

to have.   9 They are prophesying lies to you in my

name. I have not sent them," declares the LORD.

10 This is what the LORD says: "When seventy

years are completed for Babylon, I will come to

you and fulfill my good promise to bring you

back to this place.   11 For I know the plans I have

for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you

and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and

a future.   12 Then you will call on me and come

and pray to me, and I will listen to you.   13 You will

seek me and find me when you seek me with all

your heart.   14 I will be found by you," declares

the LORD," and will bring you back from captivity.

I will gather you from all the nations and

places where I have banished you," declares the

LORD," and will bring you back to the place from

which I carried you into exile."

15 You may say, "The LORD has raised up prophets

for us in Babylon,"   16 but this is what the LORD

says about the king who sits on David's throne

and all the people who remain in this city, your

fellow citizens who did not go with you into exile--

17 yes, this is what the LORD Almighty says: "I

will send the sword, famine and plague against

them and I will make them like figs that are so

bad they cannot be eaten.   18 I will pursue them

with the sword, famine and plague and will make

them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth,

a curse and an object of horror, of scorn and

reproach, among all the nations where I drive

them.   19 For they have not listened to my words,"

declares the LORD, "words that I sent to them

again and again by my servants the prophets.

And you exiles have not listened either," declares

the LORD.

20 Therefore, hear the word of the LORD, all you

exiles whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to

Babylon.   21 This is what the LORD Almighty, the

God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah

and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are

prophesying lies to you in my name: "I will deliver

them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of

Babylon, and he will put them to death before

your very eyes.   22 Because of them, all the exiles

from Judah who are in Babylon will use this

curse: 'May the LORD treat you like Zedekiah and

Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned in the

fire.'   23 For they have done outrageous things in 

Israel; they have committed adultery with their

neighbors' wives, and in my name they have

uttered lies--which I did not authorize. I know it

and am a witness to it," declares the LORD.

Message to Shemaiah

   24 Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite,   25 "This is what

the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You sent

letters in your own name to all the people in

Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah,

and to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah,

26 'The LORD has appointed you priest in place of

Jehoiada to be in charge of the house of the LORD;

you should put any maniac who acts like a prophet

into the stocks and neck-irons.   27 So why have you

not reprimanded Jeremiah from Anathoth, who

poses as a prophet among you?   28 He has sent this

message to us in Babylon: It will be a long time.

Therefore build houses and settle down; plant

gardens and eat what they produce.' "

   29 Zephaniah the priest, however, read the letter

to Jeremiah the prophet.   30 Then the word of the

LORD came to Jeremiah:   31 "Send this message to all

the exiles: 'This is what the LORD says about

Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has

prophesied to you, even though I did not send him,

and has persuaded you to trust in lies,   32 this is what

the LORD says: I will surely punish Shemaiah the

Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no

one left among this people, nor will he see the good

things I will do for my people, declares the LORD,

because he has preached rebellion against me.' "