21. This is what the Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, proclaims concerning Ahab, Kolaiah’s son, and Zedekiah, Maaseiah’s son, who are prophesying lies to you in my name: I will hand them over to Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar, and he will slay them before your very eyes.
22. Because of them, all the Judean exiles in Babylon will use this curse: "The Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, who were burned alive by the king of Babylon."
23. They committed a horrible scandal in Israel—adultery with their neighbors’ wives and deceit spoken in my name, with which I had nothing to do. Yet I’m still aware of it and am witness to it, declares the Lord.
24. Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite,
25. This is what the Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, proclaims: You sent letters on your own accord to all the people in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah, Maaseiah’s son, and to the rest of the priests.
26. You said to Zephaniah: The Lord has appointed you priest in charge of the Lord’s temple instead of Jehoiada. You are responsible for putting every madman who prophesies into stocks and neck irons.
27. So why haven’t you threatened Jeremiah of Anathoth, who pretends to be a prophet among you?
28. He has sent a letter telling those of us in Babylon: "You are going to be there a long time, so build houses and settle down, plant gardens and eat what they produce."
29. The priest Zephaniah read this letter to the prophet Jeremiah.
30. Then the Lord’s word came to Jeremiah:
31. Send word to all the exiles: The Lord proclaims concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah prophesied to you when I didn’t send him, and because he convinced you to believe a lie,
32. I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants, declares the Lord. Not one member of this people will be around to see the good that I have in store for my people, declares the Lord, for he incited rebellion against me.