Jeremiah 29:4–14
Bible verses · Also called: Jeremiah 29:4-14, Jer 29:4–14, Jeremiah's letter to the exiles
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4 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;
5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
6 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.
7 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.
8 For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the Lord.
10 For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
14 And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
The text is the New Korean Revised Version (1998), shown under a licence from the Korean Bible Society. Wording may differ slightly from the Korean Revised Version and the Revised New Korean Standard Version. Read in the Korean Revised Version
Part of Jeremiah's letter to the exiles in Babylon, containing the exhortation to settle in the land of exile and seek the peace of the city, along with the promise of return after seventy years. Verse 11 is widely quoted as a verse of encouragement, though some caution that it should be read in its context.
Context
Chapter 29 of Jeremiah is a letter that Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the exiles in Babylon (29:1–3). Its recipients were those taken captive when Nebuchadnezzar carried away King Jeconiah (Jehoiachin) together with officials and craftsmen, an event commonly dated to 597 BC. At the time, prophecies of an imminent return were circulating; in chapter 28, Hananiah prophesied that the exiles would return within two years. The letter corrects such expectations. Verses 4–7 instruct the exiles to build houses, marry, settle down, and pray for "the peace of the city." Verses 8–9 warn them not to be deceived by false prophets and diviners, nor to heed dreams. Verses 10–14 contain the promise that "after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you" and bring them back.
Interpretation
- Contextual reading: Many commentators note that "you" is plural and therefore read these words as addressed to the exilic community as a whole. They likewise take the "peace" and "expected end" (rendered "hope" in many versions) of verse 11 to refer to the restoration that would come at the end of a long exile.
- Personal-application reading: Many sermons and devotional books apply verse 11 to God's good purposes for the future of the individual believer, on the premise that God's providence and faithfulness remain the same for believers today.
- Sojourner-community reading: Verse 7 is taken as grounds for believers to seek the welfare of the society in which they live. Some also connect it with 1 Peter, which addresses believers as "strangers scattered" abroad.
- Views on the seventy years: One view takes the period as running from about 605 BC to the decree of Cyrus in 538 BC; another, from the destruction of the temple in 586 BC to its rebuilding around 516 BC; and a third regards it as a round number signifying a long period.
Questions of Application
There is no clear doctrinal dispute among denominations over this passage. However, some point out that isolating verse 11 and using it as a guarantee of passing exams or business success amounts to quoting it out of context, since the promise stands within a rebuttal of false prophecies of a speedy restoration and is given only after seventy years of waiting. This criticism is sometimes raised alongside critiques of prosperity theology. Those who support personal application hold that because even a promise given to a community reveals God's unchanging character, it may also be applied to individuals. The word "thoughts" in verse 11 is often rendered "plans" in modern English translations.
In the Korean Church
Verse 11 commonly appears on New Year Scripture cards and in words of encouragement for graduations and entrance exams. Verse 13 is frequently used as the theme verse for prayer meetings. Verse 7 is cited in discussions of the church's public role and of immigrant life in Korean diaspora churches.
Related Passages
- Jeremiah 25:11–12
- Daniel 9:1–3
- 2 Chronicles 36:21–23
- Isaiah 55:6–7
- 1 Peter 2:11
See also 8
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