Jeremiah writes to the exiles in Babylon
Jeremiah sent a letter to the elders carried away with Jehoiachin, telling them to build homes, plant gardens, raise families, and seek Babylon's welfare. After seventy years God would bring them back, for His plans were for their welfare and future hope (Jeremiah 29:1-14).
1This is the text of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets, and all the others Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2(This was after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had been exiled from Jerusalem.) 3The letter was entrusted to Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It stated:
