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This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the elders among the exiles, to the priests, to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
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This was after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths had gone out from Jerusalem.
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The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said:
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“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:
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Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit;
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take wives and father sons and daughters; take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they may bear sons and daughters, and multiply there, and do not decrease!
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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.
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For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream!
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For they are prophesying falsely to you in My name. I did not send them, declares the LORD.
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For thus says the LORD: When seventy years for Babylon are completed, I will attend to you, and I will fulfill My promise to you by bringing you back to this place.
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For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for peace and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
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Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you;
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you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
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I will let you find Me, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. —
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Indeed, you say: The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon. —
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Truly, thus says the LORD concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brothers who did not go out with you into exile:
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Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will send sword, famine, and pestilence among them, and I will make them like rotten figs, so bad that they cannot be eaten.
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I will pursue them with sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse, an astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them,
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because they have not listened to My words, says the LORD, which I sent to them again and again by My servants the prophets; but you would not listen, says the LORD.
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But hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon!
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Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who prophesy falsely to you in My name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and he shall strike them down before your very eyes,
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so that because of them a curse shall be used by all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon, saying: May the LORD deal with you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!
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because they have done folly in Israel, have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken in My name lying words that I did not command them. I Myself know it and bear witness to it, says the LORD.”
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And to Shemaiah of Nehelam you shall say:
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“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying:
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The LORD has made you priest in place of Jehoiada the priest, so that you should be overseer in the house of the LORD over every madman who makes himself out to be a prophet, and to put him in the stocks and in chains around his neck.
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Now then, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who makes himself out to be a prophet among you?
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For he has sent word to us in Babylon, saying: Your exile will be long. Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit!”
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This letter was read in the hearing of the prophet Jeremiah by the priest Zephaniah.
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Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying:
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“Send a message to all those exiles: Thus says the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and has made you trust in a lie,
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therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants; none of his family shall remain among this people to see the good that I will do for My people, says the LORD, because he has urged rebellion against the LORD.”
📜🏡🌿 Summary of Jeremiah 29 – A Letter to the Exiles: Living, Hoping, and Waiting for the Lord
Jeremiah 29 is an open letter from the prophet Jeremiah to the exiles in Babylon. Instead of rebelling or waiting for a quick release, God tells them to build lives, marry, and pray for the welfare of the city where they live. Hananiah’s prophecy (Jeremiah 28) is refuted: not 2 years, but 70 years they will remain there. Yet God promises a beautiful restoration after that time. The most well-known verse in this chapter is Jeremiah 29:11, the promise that God knows His plans for His people. On the other hand, God also rebukes and condemns the false prophets who spread false hope in the midst of exile.
📌 1. The Letter to the Exiles (verses 1–3)
“These are the words of the letter sent by Jeremiah…”
➡️ Jeremiah sent an official letter from Jerusalem to the elders, priests, prophets, and the people who had been carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.
🎯 This is God’s word for people in suffering, not to destroy, but to comfort and shape.
📌 2. The Command to Settle and Live Among Them (verses 4–7)
“Build houses and live in them… seek the welfare of the city.”
➡️ God tells them not to be restless or rebel, but to live normally, prosper, and pray for Babylon.
🎯 Believers must continue to be a blessing, even in a place that is foreign and less than ideal.
📌 3. The Deception of the False Prophets (verses 8–9)
“Do not listen to the prophets and the diviners…”
➡️ Many “prophets” said that the exile would soon end — the Lord called them liars.
🎯 False comfort does not help; only truth saves.
📌 4. Promise of Restoration after 70 Years (verses 10–14)
“For I know the plans that I have concerning you…”
➡️ The Lord promised return and restoration after seventy years had been completed.
➡️ “Plans for peace and not for disaster.”
🎯 The Lord never loses sight of our lives, even when we feel ourselves in exile.
📌 5. The Lord Will Be Found by Those Who Seek Him (verses 12–14)
“You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart.”
➡️ In the midst of suffering, relationship with the Lord can be restored and strengthened.
🎯 The Lord longs for a deep relationship with His people, not merely outward deliverance.
📌 6. Judgment on the Deceivers (verses 15–23)
“Because they have acted shamefully and spoken lies in My name…”
➡️ The Lord pronounced judgment on Ahab, Zedekiah, and Shemaiah, false prophets in Babylon who sinned and led others astray.
➡️ They would be publicly punished and become a warning to all the nations.
🎯 Spiritual and moral falsehood will be exposed and judged by the Lord.
📖 Main Teaching
- In suffering, the Lord is still at work and planning good
- Submitting to the Lord’s process is wiser than rejecting reality
- The Lord calls His people to be a blessing in a foreign land
- True hope comes from the Lord’s promise, not from empty fine-sounding words
- Closeness to the Lord is available to anyone who seeks Him earnestly
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
📖 Romans 8:28
“God works together in all things for good…”
➡️ In line with Jeremiah 29:11 — even exile can contain God’s good purpose.
📖 Hebrews 11:13–16
“They lived in a foreign land…”
➡️ Believers are called sojourners in this world — still being witnesses and bearers of hope.
📖 1 Peter 2:11–12
“Live as foreigners… so that people may see your good deeds.”
➡️ Jeremiah 29:7 in New Testament form: be a blessing to an unspiritual environment.
📖 Matthew 7:15
“Beware of false prophets…”
➡️ As in Jeremiah’s day, Jesus also warned about the danger of spiritual deception.
🕊️ “Seek the welfare of the city… and pray for it.” – Jeremiah 29:7
🕊️ “For I know the plans that I have for you…” – Jeremiah 29:11
🕊️ “You will seek Me and find Me…” – Jeremiah 29:13
🕊️ “They have spoken lies in My name.” – Jeremiah 29:23
