3. The letter was carried by Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah had sent to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. The letter said:
4. This is the Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel’s God, to all the exiles I’ve taken from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5. “Build houses and make yourselves at home.“Put in gardens and eat what grows in that country.
6. “Marry and have children. Encourage your children to marry and have children so that you’ll thrive in that country and not waste away.
7. “Make yourselves at home there and work for the country’s welfare.“Pray for Babylon’s well-being. If things go well for Babylon, things will go well for you.”
8-9. Yes. Believe it or not, this is the Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel’s God: “Don’t let all those so-called preachers and know-it-alls who are all over the place there take you in with their lies. Don’t pay any attention to the fantasies they keep coming up with to please you. They’re a bunch of liars preaching lies—and claiming I sent them! I never sent them, believe me.” God’s Decree!
12. “When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen.
29. The priest Zephaniah read that letter to the prophet Jeremiah.
30-32. Then God told Jeremiah, “Send this Message to the exiles. Tell them what God says about Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Shemaiah is preaching lies to you. I didn’t send him. He is seducing you into believing lies. So this is God’s verdict: I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his whole family. He’s going to end up with nothing and no one. No one from his family will be around to see any of the good that I am going to do for my people because he has preached rebellion against me.” God’s Decree.