WEBVTT

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Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're

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taking this journey together to read the Bible

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in a year. Today's reading is from the book of

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Jeremiah, chapter 29. Now these are the words

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of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent

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from Jerusalem to the remainder of the elders

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who were carried away captive, to the priests,

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the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar

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had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon.

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This happened after Jeconiah the king, the queen

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mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and

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Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smith had departed

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from Jerusalem. The letter was sent by the hand

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of Elasa the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the

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son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent

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to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,

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saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God

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of Israel, to all who were carried away captive,

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whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem

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to Babylon. Build houses and dwell in them. Plant

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gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget

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sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons

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and give your daughters to husbands, so that

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they may bear sons and daughters, that you may

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be increased there and not diminished. and seek

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the peace of the city where I have caused you

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to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord

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for it, for in its peace you will have peace.

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For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,

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Do not let your prophets and your diviners who

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are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to

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your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. For

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they prophesy falsely to you in my name. I have

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not sent them, says the Lord. For thus says the

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Lord, After seventy years are completed at Babylon,

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I will visit you and perform my good work toward

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you and cause you to return to this place. For

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I know the thoughts that I think toward you,

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says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil,

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to give you a future and a hope. Then you will

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call upon me and go and pray to me, and I will

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listen to you, and you will seek me and find

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me. when you search for me with all your heart.

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I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I

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will bring you back from your captivity. I will

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gather you from all the nations and from all

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the places where I have driven you, says the

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Lord, and I will bring you to the place from

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which I cause you to be carried away captive.

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Because you have said the Lord has raised up

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prophets for us in Babylon, Therefore thus says

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the Lord concerning the king who sits on the

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throne of David, concerning all the people who

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dwell in this city, and concerning your brethren

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who have not gone out with you into captivity.

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Thus says the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will send

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on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence,

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and will make them like rotten figs that cannot

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be eaten. They are so bad. And I will pursue

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them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence.

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And I will deliver them to trouble among all

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the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, an

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astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach among

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all the nations where I have driven them. Because

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they have not heeded my words, says the Lord,

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which I sent to them by my servants, the prophets,

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rising up early and sending them. Neither would

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you heed, says the Lord. Therefore, hear the

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word of the Lord, all you of the captivity. whom

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I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon. Thus says

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the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning

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Ahab the son of Coliah, and Zedekiah the son

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of Masiah, who prophesy a lie to you in my name.

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Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of

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Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall

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slay them before your eyes. And because of them

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a curse shall be taken up by all the captivity

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of Judah, who are in Babylon, saying, The Lord

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make you like Zedekiah and Ahab. whom the king

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of Babylon roasted in the fire, because they

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have done disgraceful things in Israel, have

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committed adultery with their neighbors' wives,

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and have spoken lying words in my name, which

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I have not commanded them. Indeed, I know and

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am a witness, says the Lord. You shall also speak

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to Shemaiah the Nealamite, saying, Thus speaks

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the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying,

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You have sent letters in your name to all the

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people who are at Jerusalem. to Zephaniah the

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son of Masiah the priest, and to all the priests,

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saying, The Lord has made you priest instead

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of Jehoiada the priest, so that there should

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be officers in the house of the Lord over every

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man who is demented and considers himself a prophet,

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that you should put him in prison and in the

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stocks. Now therefore, why have you not rebuked

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Jeremiah of Anatoth, who makes himself a prophet

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to you? For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying,

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This captivity is long. Build houses and dwell

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in them, and plant gardens and eat their fruit.

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Now Zephaniah the priest read this letter in

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the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. Then the

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word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, Send

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to all those in captivity, saying, Thus says

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the Lord concerning Shemaiah the Nealamite, Because

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Shemaiah has prophesied to you, and I have not

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sent him, and he has caused you to trust in a

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lie. Therefore, thus says the Lord, behold, I

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will punish Shemaiah the Nealamite and his family.

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He shall not have anyone to dwell among these

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people, nor shall he see the good that I will

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do for my people, says the Lord, because he has

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taught rebellion against the Lord. I hope you

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enjoyed today's reading as much as I did, and

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I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow to

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continue on our journey. God bless you and have

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a great day.