Message to the Exiles

1 Now these are the words of the aletter 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 aJeconiah and the bqueen 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 aHilkiah, 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 asent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon,

5 ‘aBuild houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their 1produce.

6 ‘Take awives and 1become 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 ‘aSeek the 1welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and bpray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its 1welfare you will have 1welfare.’

8 “For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Do not let your aprophets who are in your midst and your diviners bdeceive you, and do not listen to 1cthe dreams which 2they dream.

9 ‘For they aprophesy falsely to you in My name; bI have not sent them,’ declares the Lord.

10 “For thus says the Lord, ‘When aseventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My bgood word to you, to bring you back to this place.

11 ‘For I know the aplans that I 1have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for bwelfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a chope.

12 ‘Then you will acall upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will blisten to you.

13 ‘You will aseek Me and find Me when you bsearch for Me with all your heart.

14 ‘I will be afound by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will brestore your 1fortunes and will cgather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will dbring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’