\\INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 29\\

Thus chapter contains a letter of Jeremiah to the captives in Babylon;
and gives an account of another sent from thence by Shemaiah to the
people at Jerusalem; and is closed with threatening him with punishment
for so doing. Jeremiah's letter concerns both the captives at Babylon,
and the people left at Jerusalem, The persons to whom and by whom it
was sent, and the time of writing and sending it, are mentioned in
\\#Jer 29:1-3\\; and though the prophet was the amanuensis, God was the
author of it, as well as of their captivity, \\#Jer 29:4\\; the contents
of, it, respecting the captives, are advices to them to provide for
their comfortable settlement in Babylon, and not think of returning
quickly, by building houses, planting gardens, marrying, and giving in
marriage, \\#Jer 29:5,6\\; and to seek and pray for the prosperity of
the place where they were; in which their own was concerned, \\#Jer 29:7\\;
to give no heed to their false prophets and diviners, \\#Jer 29:8,9\\; and
to expect a return to Jerusalem at the end of seventy years; which they
might be assured of, since God had resolved upon it in his own mind,
\\#Jer 29:10,11\\; and especially if they called upon him, prayed to him,
and sought him heartily, \\#Jer 29:12-14\\; the other part of the letter
respects the Jews in Jerusalem; concerning whom the captives are
directed to observe, that both the king and people should suffer much
by sword, famine, pestilence, and captivity, with the reason of it,
\\#Jer 29:15-19\\; particularly it is foretold, that Ahab and Zedekiah,
two lying prophets, should be made an example of vengeance; and a
proverbial curse should be taken of them, because of their villany,
lewdness, and lies, \\#Jer 29:20-23\\; next follows some account of
Shemaiah's letter from Babylon, to the people and priests at Jerusalem,
stirring them up against Jeremiah the prophet; which came to be known,
by the priests reading it to him, \\#Jer 29:24-29\\; upon which Shemaiah
is threatened with punishment, and his seed after him, \\#Jer 29:30-32\\.