¹Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the residue of the elders of the captivity , and to the priests , to the prophets , and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon,

²(after Jeconiah the king , the queen mother , the eunuchs , the princes of Judah and Jerusalem , the craftsmen , and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem ),

³by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah , (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon). It said:

²⁴Concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite you shall speak, saying,

²⁵“The LORD of Armies , the God of Israel , says , ‘Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are at Jerusalem , and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah , the priest , and to all the priests , saying,

²⁶“The LORD has made you priest in the place of Jehoiada the priest , that there may be officers in the LORD ’s house , for every man who is crazy and makes himself a prophet , that you should put him in the stocks and in shackles.

²⁷Now therefore , why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth , who makes himself a prophet to you ,

²⁸because he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, The captivity is long . Build houses , and dwell in them . Plant gardens , and eat their fruit ?”’”

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

³⁰Then the LORD ’s word came to Jeremiah , saying ,

³¹“Send to all of the captives , saying, ‘The LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite : “Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you , and I didn’t send him , and he has caused you to trust in a lie ,”

³²therefore the LORD says , “Behold , I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his offspring . He will not have a man to dwell amongst this people . He won’t see the good that I will do to my people ,” says the LORD , “because he has spoken rebellion against the LORD .”’”