²⁴ "You are to say to Shemaiah of Nehelam: ²⁵ "This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: "Because you sent letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, to Maaseiah's son Zephaniah the priest and to all the priests ²⁶ The LORD made you a priest instead of Jehoiada the priest to serve in the LORD's Temple as an official against every crazy prophet, and to put him in stocks and restraints. ²⁷ And now, why didn't you rebuke Jeremiah from Anathoth who prophesies to you? ²⁸ So he sent a message to us in Babylon: "The exile will be long, so build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce.'"'"

²⁹ Then Zephaniah the priest read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet,