Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from the book of
Jeremiah, chapter 29. Now these are the words
of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent
from Jerusalem to the remainder of the elders
who were carried away captive, to the priests,
the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar
had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon.
This happened after Jeconiah the king, the queen
mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and
Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smith had departed
from Jerusalem. The letter was sent by the hand
of Elasa the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the
son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent
to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,
saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God
of Israel, to all who were carried away captive,
whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem
to Babylon. Build houses and dwell in them. Plant
gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget
sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons
and give your daughters to husbands, so that
they may bear sons and daughters, that you may
be increased there and not diminished. and seek
the peace of the city where I have caused you
to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord
for it, for in its peace you will have peace.
For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,
Do not let your prophets and your diviners who
are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to
your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. For
they prophesy falsely to you in my name. I have
not sent them, says the Lord. For thus says the
Lord, After seventy years are completed at Babylon,
I will visit you and perform my good work toward
you and cause you to return to this place. For
I know the thoughts that I think toward you,
says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil,
to give you a future and a hope. Then you will
call upon me and go and pray to me, and I will
listen to you, and you will seek me and find
me. when you search for me with all your heart.
I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I
will bring you back from your captivity. I will
gather you from all the nations and from all
the places where I have driven you, says the
Lord, and I will bring you to the place from
which I cause you to be carried away captive.
Because you have said the Lord has raised up
prophets for us in Babylon, Therefore thus says
the Lord concerning the king who sits on the
throne of David, concerning all the people who
dwell in this city, and concerning your brethren
who have not gone out with you into captivity.
Thus says the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will send
on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence,
and will make them like rotten figs that cannot
be eaten. They are so bad. And I will pursue
them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence.
And I will deliver them to trouble among all
the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, an
astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach among
all the nations where I have driven them. Because
they have not heeded my words, says the Lord,
which I sent to them by my servants, the prophets,
rising up early and sending them. Neither would
you heed, says the Lord. Therefore, hear the
word of the Lord, all you of the captivity. whom
I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon. Thus says
the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning
Ahab the son of Coliah, and Zedekiah the son
of Masiah, who prophesy a lie to you in my name.
Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall
slay them before your eyes. And because of them
a curse shall be taken up by all the captivity
of Judah, who are in Babylon, saying, The Lord
make you like Zedekiah and Ahab. whom the king
of Babylon roasted in the fire, because they
have done disgraceful things in Israel, have
committed adultery with their neighbors' wives,
and have spoken lying words in my name, which
I have not commanded them. Indeed, I know and
am a witness, says the Lord. You shall also speak
to Shemaiah the Nealamite, saying, Thus speaks
the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying,
You have sent letters in your name to all the
people who are at Jerusalem. to Zephaniah the
son of Masiah the priest, and to all the priests,
saying, The Lord has made you priest instead
of Jehoiada the priest, so that there should
be officers in the house of the Lord over every
man who is demented and considers himself a prophet,
that you should put him in prison and in the
stocks. Now therefore, why have you not rebuked
Jeremiah of Anatoth, who makes himself a prophet
to you? For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying,
This captivity is long. Build houses and dwell
in them, and plant gardens and eat their fruit.
Now Zephaniah the priest read this letter in
the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. Then the
word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, Send
to all those in captivity, saying, Thus says
the Lord concerning Shemaiah the Nealamite, Because
Shemaiah has prophesied to you, and I have not
sent him, and he has caused you to trust in a
lie. Therefore, thus says the Lord, behold, I
will punish Shemaiah the Nealamite and his family.
He shall not have anyone to dwell among these
people, nor shall he see the good that I will
do for my people, says the Lord, because he has
taught rebellion against the Lord. I hope you
enjoyed today's reading as much as I did, and
I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow to
continue on our journey. God bless you and have
a great day.