THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES Old Testament Prophecy - Angelfire

Jeremiah 36 A
1 These are the words of the book which Jeremiah sent forth from Jerusalem to the
elders of the exile, to the priests, and to the false prophets, as a letter to Babylon for
the exile and pertaining to all the people, 2 after Jeconiah the king, the queen, the
eunuchs, and every freeman, person in bondage, and craftsman came out of Jerusalem,
3 by the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah
king of Judah sent forth to the king of Babylon in Babylon, saying, 4 "So said the Lord
God of Israel regarding the exile which I exiled from Jerusalem: 5 `Build and inhabit
houses; plant parks B and eat their fruits. 6 Take wives and produce sons and daughters
as children; take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands. Multiply and
do not be diminished. 7 Seek for the peace of the land into which I exiled you there, and
pray to the Lord concerning them, for in its peace there will be peace for you.´ 8 For so
said the Lord: `Do not let the false prophets who are among you persuade you, do not
let your diviners persuade you, and do not listen to your dreams which you are
dreaming. 9 For they are prophesying unrighteous things to you in my name; I did not
send them forth.´ 10 For so said the Lord: `When seventy years are about to be fulfilled
at Babylon, I will inspect you and confirm my words regarding you so as to return your
people to this place. 11 I will devise for you a plan of peace so as not to give you these
wicked things. 12 Pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 Seek me, and you will find me,
for you will seek me with your entire heart, 14 and I will appear to you.´
15 Since you said, `The Lord installed prophets for us in Babylon,´ 21 so said the Lord
regarding Ahiab and regarding Zedekiah: `Behold, I am giving them into the hands of
the king of Babylon, and he will attack them in front of your eyes. 22 They will receive
from them a curse in all the exile of Judah in Babylon, saying, "May the Lord do to you
as he did to Zedekiah and as he did to Ahiab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the
fire, 23 on account of the lawlessness which they performed in Israel." They committed
adultery with the wives of their fellow citizens and issued a word in my name which I
did not order for them. I am the witness,´ says the Lord.
24 `To Shemaiah the Elamite you will say, 25 "I did not send you forth in my name."´
To Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, he said, 26 `The Lord gave you as a priest in
place of Jehoiada the priest to preside in the house of the Lord over every man who
prophesies and every man who raves; you will give them to the guardhouse and to the
trapdoor. 27 Now why did you join in reviling C Jeremiah who is from Anathoth, who
prophesied to you? 28 Did he not send forth to you in Babylon because of this, when he
said, "It is far away. Build and inhabit houses; plant gardens and eat their fruit"?´"
29 Zephaniah read the scroll in the ears of Jeremiah. 30 The word of the Lord was
directed at Jeremiah, saying, 31 "Send forth to the exile, saying, `So said the Lord
regarding Shemaiah the Elamite: "Since Shemaiah prophesied to you even though I did
not send him forth and made you trust in unrighteous acts," 32 because of this, so said
A 36 = 29 MT (no LXX manuscript includes vv. 16-20)
B paradeisos, elsewhere "paradise"
C join in reviling VA ¦ revile S ¦ not rebuke by means of