This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and live in them.(A) Plant gardens and eat their produce. Find wives for yourselves, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease.(B) Pursue the well-being[a] of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf,(C) for when it thrives, you will thrive.”

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Footnotes

  1. 29:7 Or peace

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried(A) into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build(B) houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.(C) Also, seek(D) the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray(E) to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

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Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;

Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;

Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.

And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

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