Daniel Taken to Babylon

1 In the third year of ^(A)the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. ² And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of ^(B)the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to ^(C)the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, ^(D)and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.

⁴ “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ^5 (A)Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. ⁶ Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. ⁷ But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and ^(B)pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

¹⁰ “For thus says the Lord: ^(A)When seventy years are completed for Babylon, ^(B)I will visit you, ^(C)and I will fulfill to you my promise ^(D)and bring you back to this place. ^11 (E)For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare^[a] and not for evil, ^(F)to give you a future and a hope. ^12 (G)Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, ^(H)and I will hear you. ^13 (I)You will seek me and find me, when you seek me ^(J)with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you, declares the Lord, ^(K)and I will restore your fortunes and ^(L)gather you from all the nations and all the places ^(M)where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.