Jeremiah 29:1-14

New American Standard Bible 1995

Message to the Exiles

29 Now these are the words of the ^(A)letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exile, the priests, the prophets and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. ² (This was after King ^(B)Jeconiah and the ^(C)queen mother, the court officials, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.) ³ The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of ^(D)Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying, ⁴ “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have ^(E)sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, ⁵ ‘^(F)Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their ^[a]produce. ⁶ Take ^(G)wives and ^[b]become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. ^7 (H)Seek the ^[c]welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and ^(I)pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its ^[d]welfare you will have ^[e]welfare.’ ⁸ For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Do not let your ^(J)prophets who are in your midst and your diviners ^(K)deceive you, and do not listen to ^[f](L)the dreams which ^[g]they dream. ⁹ For they ^(M)prophesy falsely to you in My name; ^(N)I have not sent them,’ declares the Lord.

¹⁰ “For thus says the Lord, ‘When ^(O)seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My ^(P)good word to you, to bring you back to this place. ¹¹ For I know the ^(Q)plans that I ^[h]have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for ^(R)welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a ^(S)hope. ¹² Then you will ^(T)call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will ^(U)listen to you. ¹³ You will ^(V)seek Me and find Me when you ^(W)search for Me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be ^(X)found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will ^(Y)restore your ^[i]fortunes and will ^(Z)gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will ^(AA)bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’