Prophet Jeremiah

Prophet Jeremiah

Posted by Chad Langdon on Sunday, November 26, 2017

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-14

NLT

[29] (1) Jeremiah wrote a letter from Jerusalem to the elders, priests, prophets, and all the people who had been exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar.
(4) This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: (5) “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. (6) Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! (7) And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” (8) This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let your prophets and fortune-tellers who are with you in the land of Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams, (9) because they are telling you lies in my name. I have not sent them,” says the LORD . (10) This is what the LORD says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. (11) For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD . “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (12) In those days when you pray, I will listen. (13) If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. (14) I will be found by you,” says the LORD . “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”

NRSV

[29] (1) These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
(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) Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they 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 pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. (8) For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let the prophets and the diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, (9) for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, says the Lord. (10) For thus says the Lord: Only when Babylon’s seventy years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. (11) For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. (12) Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. (13) When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, (14) I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.