CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Jeremiah 29
Chapter 29 of 52
Chapter Overview
What happens in Jeremiah 29
Jeremiah sends a letter to the exiles in Babylon. He tells them to settle down, build houses, plant gardens, and seek the welfare of the city where they live. After seventy years, God will bring them home. This chapter contains the famous promise: 'I know the plans I have for you.' The chapter also warns against false prophets in Babylon.
Scripture
Jeremiah 29
Jeremiah's Letter to the Exiles
Study note
After King Jehoiachin, the queen mother, officials, and skilled workers are carried to Babylon, Jeremiah sends a letter to the exiles. He tells them to build houses, plant gardens, marry, and have families. They should settle in and seek the peace of the city where they live. He warns them not to listen to false prophets among them.
1 This is what the prophet Jeremiah's letter said. He sent it from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles. He also sent it to the priests, the prophets, and all the other people. These were the ones Nebuchadnezzar had carried from Jerusalem to Babylon. Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;
2 He sent the letter after King Jehoiachin, the queen mother, and the palace officials had been taken from Jerusalem. The leaders of Judah and Jerusalem were also taken. So were the craftsmen and metalworkers. (After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;)
3 Two men brought the letter to Babylon. They were Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah. King Zedekiah of Judah sent them to King Nebuchadnezzar. The letter said: By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying,
4 The Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, sends this word. It is for everyone he took from Jerusalem to Babylon. 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 homes and settle in. Plant gardens and eat what they produce." Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
6 "Get married and have sons and daughters. Find spouses for your children so they have families too. Grow your numbers there — don't shrink." 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 "Work for the peace and success of the city where I have sent you. Pray to the Lord for that city, because when it does well, you will do well too." 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 The Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says, "Don't let the prophets and fortune-tellers among you fool you. Don't pay attention to the dreams they encourage you to have." 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 "They are lying to you in my name. I never sent them," says the Lord. For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.
God's Plans for Hope and a Future
Study note
God promises that after seventy years in Babylon, he will visit his people and bring them home. This passage contains one of the most beloved verses in all of Scripture: 'Here is what I have in store for you — my plans are to do you good and not to bring you harm, to give you a future filled with hope.' When they seek God wholeheartedly, they will find him.
10 The Lord says, "After Babylon has been in power for seventy years, I will turn my attention back to you. I will keep my wonderful promise to bring you home." 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 "Here is what I have in store for you," says the Lord. "My plans are to do you good and not to bring you harm — to give you a future filled with hope." 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 "When that time comes, you will cry out to me in prayer, and I will listen." Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13 "And you shall seek me, and find me, when you search for me with all your heart." And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
14 "I will let you find me," says the Lord. "I will bring you back from captivity and gather you from every nation and every place where I have scattered you," says the Lord. "I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you away." 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.
Warning Against Those Who Stayed
Study note
God warns about those who remained in Jerusalem. The king on David's throne and the people still in the city will face sword, famine, and disease. God will make them like rotten figs because they refused to listen to his prophets.
15 "You may claim, 'The Lord has raised up prophets for us here in Babylon.'" Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon;
16 But the Lord speaks about the king on David's throne. He speaks about all the people still in Jerusalem. These are your kin who were not taken with you. Know that thus saith the LORD of the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;
17 The Lord of Armies says, "I will send war, famine, and disease against them. I will make them like figs so rotten they can't be eaten." Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
18 "I will chase them with war, starvation, and disease. I will make them a horror to every kingdom on earth — an object of cursing, shock, mockery, and disgrace everywhere I scatter them." And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:
19 "This is because they refused to listen to my words," says the Lord, "the messages I sent through my servants the prophets again and again. And you exiles haven't listened either," says the Lord. Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.
Judgment on False Prophets in Babylon
Study note
God pronounces judgment on two false prophets in Babylon, Ahab and Zedekiah, who prophesy lies. They will be handed over to Nebuchadnezzar and killed because they committed terrible sins and spoke lies in God's name.
20 So listen to the Lord's message, all you exiles I sent from Jerusalem to Babylon. Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:
21 The Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, speaks about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah. These men keep telling you lies in the Lord's name. The Lord says, "I will hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He will execute them before you." Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;
22 "Because of what happens to them, all the exiles from Judah in Babylon will use this curse. They will say, 'May the Lord treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire.'" And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;
23 "They brought this on themselves because they did terrible things in Israel. They slept with other men's wives and told lies in my name — things I never told them to say. I know everything, and I am a witness to it all," says the Lord. Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD.
The Message About Shemaiah
Study note
Shemaiah, another false prophet in Babylon, sends letters to Jerusalem trying to get Jeremiah arrested for telling the exiles to settle down. When Jeremiah hears about this, God gives him a message: Shemaiah and his descendants will be punished because he preached rebellion against the Lord.
24 The Lord told me to send this message to Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,
25 "The Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: You took it upon yourself to send letters to all the people in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the other priests. In your letter, you said," Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
26 "'The Lord made you priest to replace Jehoiada and put you in charge of the Temple. You are supposed to put any crazy person who claims to be a prophet in the stocks and neck clamps.'" The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks.
27 "'So why have you not done something about Jeremiah of Anathoth? He goes around acting like a prophet.'" Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you?
28 "Shemaiah complained that Jeremiah sent us this message in Babylon: 'You'll be there a long time. Build houses and settle in. Plant gardens and eat what they produce.'" For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
29 The priest Zephaniah read this letter out loud to the prophet Jeremiah. And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
30 Then the Lord gave Jeremiah this message: Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,
31 "Send this to all the exiles: 'The Lord says about Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Shemaiah prophesied to you even though I never sent him. He made you believe lies.'" Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:
32 "So the Lord says: 'I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. None of his family will survive among this people. He will never see the good things I will do for my people,' says the Lord, 'because he encouraged people to rebel against the Lord.'" Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the LORD; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD.
Key Themes
Themes in Jeremiah 29
Seeking the welfare of one's communityGod's plans for hope and a futurePatience during seasons of waitingBlooming where you are plantedPrayer for those in authority
Prophetic Connections
How this chapter points to Christ
Jeremiah 29:11-13 Romans 8:28
God's assurance to the exiles that he has plans for their welfare and a future filled with hope resonates with Paul's confidence that God works all things together for the good of those who love him.
Apply This Today
Living Jeremiah 29
God's plans for us include hope and a future, but they often involve patient waiting and faithful living in difficult circumstances. Rather than wishing away hard seasons, God calls us to invest in our communities, pray for those around us, and trust His timing for restoration.
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