These are the Sermons of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah the Priest, one of them that dwelt at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:

"For from the least unto the most, they hang all upon covetousness: and from the prophet unto the priest, they go all about with falsity and lies.

Wherefore, I will give their wives unto aliens, and their fields to destroyers. For from the lowest to the highest, they follow all filthy lucre: and from the Prophet unto the priest, they deal all with lies.

When Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, chief in the house of the LORD, heard Jeremiah preach so steadfastly:

These are the words that the LORD spake unto Jeremiah, what time as king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashhur the son of Malchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, priest, saying,

If this people, either any prophet or priest ask thee, and say, 'What is the burden of the LORD?' Thou shalt say unto them, 'What burden? I will cast you from me, sayeth the LORD, because ye yourselves are a burden.'

And the prophet, priest, or people that useth this term, 'the burden of the LORD' - him will I visit, and his house also.

Thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel: Because thou hast sealed letters under thy name unto all the people that is at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, yea and sent them to all the priests: wherein thou writest thus unto him:

'The LORD hath ordained thee to be priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, that thou shouldest be the chief in the house of the LORD above all prophets, and preachers, and that thou mightest put them in prison, or in the stocks.

Which letter Zephaniah the priest did read, and let Jeremiah the prophet hear it.

Nevertheless Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the Priest to the Prophet Jeremiah, saying, "O pray thou unto the LORD our God for us."

The chief Captain also took Seraiah the high priest, and Zephaniah that was chief next him, and the three keepers of the treasury.