1 Following is the text of the letter Yirmeyahu the prophet sent from Yerushalayim to the leaders remaining in exile, as well as to thecohanim, the prophets and all the people N’vukhadnetzar had carried off captive from Yerushalayim to Bavel.
2 This was after Y’khanyah the king, the queen mother, the officers, the leaders of Y’hudah and Yerushalayim, and the artisans and skilled workers had left Yerushalayim.
3 The letter was entrusted to El‘asah the son of Shafan and G’maryah the son of Hilkiyah; Tzidkiyah king of Y’hudah sent them to Bavel, to N’vukhadnetzar king of Bavel. The letter said:
4 “Here is whatAdonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el, says to all those in exile, whom I have caused to be carried off captive from Yerushalayim to Bavel:
5 ‘Build yourselves houses, and live in them. Plant gardens, and eat what they produce.
6 Choose women to marry, and have sons and daughters. Choose wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage to men, so that they can have sons and daughters — increase your numbers there, don’t decrease.
7 Seek the welfare of the city to which I have caused you to go in exile, and pray toAdonaion its behalf; for your welfare is bound up in its welfare.’
8 For this is whatAdonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el, says: ‘Don’t let your prophets who are living among you and your diviners deceive you, and don’t pay attention to the dreams you urge them to dream.
9 For they are prophesying falsely in my name; I have not sent them,’ saysAdonai.
10 “For here is whatAdonaisays: ‘After Bavel’s seventy years are over, I will remember you and fulfill my good promise to you by bringing you back to this place.
11 For I know what plans I have in mind for you,’ saysAdonai,‘plans for well-being, not for bad things; so that you can have hope and a future.
12 When you call to me and pray to me, I will listen to you.
13 When you seek me, you will find me, provided you seek for me wholeheartedly;
14 and I will let you find me,’ saysAdonai. ‘Then I will reverse your exile. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have driven you,’ saysAdonai, ‘and bring you back to the place from which I exiled you.’
15 “You say thatAdonaihas raised up prophets for you in Bavel.
16 But here is whatAdonaisays about the king occupying David’s throne and about all the people living in this city, your kinsmen who did not go into exile with you —
17 thus saysAdonai-Tzva’ot: ‘I will attack them with sword, famine and plague; I will make them like bad figs, so bad they are inedible.
18 I will pursue them with sword, famine and plague and make them an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth; and they will bring on themselves cursing, astonishment, ridicule and reproach among all the nations where I have driven them;
19 because they have not paid attention to my words,’ saysAdonai, ‘which I sent to them through my servants the prophets. I sent them frequently, but you refused to listen,’ saysAdonai.
20 “So pay attention now to the word ofAdonai, all of you in exile, whom I sent away from Yerushalayim to Bavel.
21 Here is whatAdonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el, says about Ach’av the son of Kolayah and Tzidkiyahu the son of Ma‘aseiyah, who prophesy lies to you in my name: ‘I will hand them over to N’vukhadretzar king of Bavel, and he will put them to death before your eyes.
22 In fact, all those exiled from Y’hudah who are in Bavel will take up this formula for cursing: “MayAdonaimake you like Tzidkiyahu and Ach’av, whom the king of Bavel roasted in the fire!”
23 because they have done vile things in Isra’el, committing adultery with their neighbors’ wives and speaking words in my name, falsely, which I did not order them to say. For I am he who knows; I am witness to this,’ saysAdonai.
24 “To Sh’ma‘yah the Nechelami you are to communicate this message:
25 ‘This is a word fromAdonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el, because of the letters you sent in your own name to all the people in Yerushalayim, including Tz’fanyah the son of Ma‘aseiyah thecohenand all thecohanim.
26 Your letter said, “Adonaihas made youcohenin place of Y’hoyada thecohen, in order to have officials inAdonai’s house who will arrest any crazy person who makes himself out to be a prophet, so that you can restrain him in stocks and collar.
27 So why haven’t you rebuked Yirmeyahu of ‘Anatot, who makes himself out to be a prophet for you?
28 He even sends word to us in Bavel saying that the exile will last a long time; so build houses and live in them, plant gardens and eat what they produce.”
29 Tz’fanyah thecohenread this letter to Yirmeyahu the prophet, and afterwards
30 the word ofAdonaicame to Yirmeyahu,
31 instructing him to send to all those in exile this message: “Here is whatAdonaisays about Sh’ma‘yah the Nechelami: ‘This Sh’ma‘yah has prophesied to you, even though I did not send him, and has caused you to put your trust in a lie.
32 Because of this,’Adonaisays, ‘I will punish Sh’ma‘yah the Nechelami and his offspring. He will not have a man to live among this people, and he will not see the good I am planning to do for my people,’ saysAdonai, ‘because he has preached rebellion againstAdonai.’”’”