NOW these are the words of the cepher that Yirmeyahu the prophet sent from Yerushalayim unto the remnant of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nevukadne'tstsar had carried away captive from Yerushalayim to Babel;
(After that Yekonyahu the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Yahudah and Yerushalayim, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Yerushalayim;)
By the hand of El'asah the son of Shaphan, and Gemaryahu the son of Chilqiyahu, (whom Tsidqiyahu king of Yahudah sent unto Babel to Nevukadne'tstsar king of Babel) saying,
Thus says Yahuah Tseva'oth, the Elohai of Yashar'el, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Yerushalayim unto Babel;
Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
Take ye women, and beget sons and daughters; and take women for your sons, and give your daughters to men, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto El-Yahuah for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
For thus says Yahuah Tseva'oth, the Elohai of Yashar'el; 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 prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, says Yahuah.
For thus says Yahuah, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babel I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says Yahuah, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
And I will be found of you, says Yahuah: 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, says Yahuah; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
Because ye have said, Yahuah has raised us up prophets in Babel;
Know that thus says Yahuah of the king that sits upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwell in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;
Thus says Yahuah Tseva'oth; 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.
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 a hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:
Because they have not hearkened to my words, says Yahuah, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, says Yahuah.
Hear ye therefore the Word of Yahuah, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Yerushalayim to Babel:
Thus says Yahuah Tseva'oth, the Elohai of Yashar'el, of Ach'av the son of Qolayah, and of Tsidqiyahu the son of Ma`aseyahu, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nevukadne'tstsar king of Babel; and he shall slay them before your eyes;
And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Yahudah which are in Babel, saying, Yahuah make you like Tsidqiyahu and like Ach'av, whom the king of Babel roasted in the fire;
Because they have committed villany in Yashar'el, and have broken wedlock with their neighbors' women, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, says Yahuah.
Thus shall you also speak to Shema'yahu the Nechelamiy, saying,
Thus speaks Yahuah Tseva'oth, the Elohai of Yashar'el, saying, Because you have sent cepheriym in your name unto all the people that are at Yerushalayim, and to Tsephanyahu the son of Ma`aseyahu the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
Yahuah has made you priest in the stead of Yahuyada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of Yahuah, for every man that is mad, and makes himself a prophet, that you should put him in prison, and in the stocks.
Now therefore why have you not reproved Yirmeyahu of Anathoth, which makes himself a prophet to you?
For therefore he sent unto us in Babel, saying, This captivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
And Tsephanyahu the priest read this cepher in the ears of Yirmeyahu the prophet.
Then came the Word of Yahuah unto El-Yirmeyahu, saying,
Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus says Yahuah concerning Shema'yahu the Nechelamiy; Because that Shema'yahu has prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:
Therefore thus says Yahuah; Behold, I will punish Shema'yahu the Nechelamiy, 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, says Yahuah; because he has taught rebellion against Yahuah.