But 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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse flips the script on exile, teaching that our well-being is deeply intertwined with the flourishing of even difficult places. It's not just about enduring hardship, but actively seeking the "peace" or welfare of the community we're in, because their good is divinely linked to our own.
But 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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is writing a letter from Jerusalem to the exiles already living in Babylon, some years after Nebuchadnezzar's first invasion. These exiles are receiving false prophecies of a quick return, but God's message, delivered through Jeremiah, reveals they will be in Babylon for a long time, seventy years to be exact. This divine instruction urges them to settle into their new reality, build lives, and actively contribute to the well-being of the city that now holds them captive.
Imagine being ripped from everything you know and love, forced to live in a land that isn't yours, under foreign rule. That was the reality for the Israelites in Babylon. But Jeremiah's letter reveals God wasn't just punishing them; He was also working for them, even in their exile.
The exiles in Babylon were experiencing a tough season, but it wasn't because God had forgotten them. Jeremiah 29:4-6 clarifies that God sent them to Babylon as a form of discipline, but with a hidden purpose: to prevent further destruction and to allow them to establish themselves.
Discipline with a Purpose
When you're forced to live somewhere you don't want to be, with people you might not agree with, the last thing you feel like doing is praying for their success. Yet, that's exactly what God commanded His exiles to do.
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Jeremiah 29:7 delivers a counter-intuitive command: 'seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf.' This wasn't just about keeping their heads down; it was about actively pursuing the well-being of their captors and their new environment.
The Principle of Peaceful Coexistence
It sounds strange, doesn't it? That your own peace and well-being are somehow linked to the prosperity of the place and people you're stuck with? Jeremiah cuts through the resentment to reveal a profound truth.
The final clause of Jeremiah 29:7 is the key: 'for in its welfare you will find your welfare.' This wasn't just a suggestion; it was a divine principle for living faithfully in exile.
The Interconnectedness of Blessing
Understand the original words
golah · Hebrew Noun
A state of separation from one's homeland, often as a divine judgment for sin, which serves as a testing ground for faith and faithfulness to God in a foreign land.
shalom · Hebrew Noun
A comprehensive term encompassing peace, prosperity, health, completeness, and wholeness; it signifies God’s desire for the flourishing of his people even in difficult circumstances.
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
The supreme personal name of God in the Old Testament, representing His covenantal faithfulness, holiness, and self-existence.
Jeremiah’s instruction to seek the welfare of Babylon wasn't just about practical survival; it was a radical call to live out their faith, demonstrating God’s presence and purpose even in the heart of a foreign, conquering empire. This perspective contrasted sharply with the immediate, vengeful desires of many exiles.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar conquers Judah and deports a group of Israelites, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Another wave of exiles, including the prophet Ezekiel and King Jehoiachin, are taken to Babylon. Judah's political and religious leadership is severely impacted.
c. 587-586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and the First Temple, culminating in the largest deportation of Judeans to Babylon. This event solidifies the exilic experience for a generation.
c. 586-538 BC— this verse
Exile in Babylon
The majority of the Judean population lives in exile in and around Babylon. During this period, Jeremiah sends his letter with instructions on how to live in this new reality.
c. 539 BC
Fall of Babylon to Persia
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon. This event ushers in a new era and eventually leads to the decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Judah.
538 BC
Cyrus' Decree of Return
Cyrus issues a decree permitting the Jewish exiles to return to their homeland and rebuild the Temple. This marks the end of the Babylonian exile.
This passage directly echoes Jeremiah's command by instructing believers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them, showing a continuity of this principle of seeking the well-being of even adversaries.
Romans 13:1-7Paul's instruction to be subject to governing authorities, even pagan ones, reinforces Jeremiah's directive to seek the welfare of the existing political structures, as these authorities are established by God.
1 Timothy 2:1-2This passage provides a direct parallel, urging prayers for kings and all in authority, which aligns with Jeremiah's call to pray for the welfare of the city and its rulers, even in exile.
Ezra 6:10This verse demonstrates God's people, even in exile or foreign lands, praying and offering sacrifices for the welfare of the Persian king and his sons, mirroring the spirit of Jeremiah's instruction.
Luke 9:54-56Jesus' rebuke of the disciples who wanted to call down fire on a Samaritan village highlights a similar theme: a call to a higher, more redemptive way of interacting with those who are different or even hostile, much like Jeremiah's difficult command.
barnesJeremiah 29:7: "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."
Seek the peace of the city ... - Not only because their welfare for seventy years was bound up with that of Babylon, but because it would have degraded their whole moral nature to have lived as conspirators, banded together against the country that was for the time their home.
ellicottJeremiah 29:7: "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."
(7) And seek the peace of the city . . . —This was, we may believe, the hardest command of all. To refrain from all curses and imprecations, even from such as came from the lips of those who hung their harps on the willows by the waters of Babylon (Psalms 137), to pray for the peace and prosperity of the city where th…
This verse flips the script on exile, teaching that our well-being is deeply intertwined with the flourishing of even difficult places. It's not just about enduring hardship, but actively seeking the "peace" or welfare of the community we're in, because their good is divinely linked to our own.
Jeremiah is writing a letter from Jerusalem to the exiles already living in Babylon, some years after Nebuchadnezzar's first invasion. These exiles are receiving false prophecies of a quick return, but God's message, delivered through Jeremiah, reveals they will be in Babylon for a long time, seventy years to be exact. This divine instruction urges them to settle into their new reality, build lives, and actively contribute to the well-being of the city that now holds them captive.
Jeremiah is writing a letter from Jerusalem to the exiles already living in Babylon, some years after Nebuchadnezzar's first invasion. These exiles are receiving false prophecies of a quick return, but God's message, delivered through Jeremiah, reveals they will be in Babylon for a long time, seventy years to be exact. This divine instruction urges them to settle into their new reality, build lives, and actively contribute to the well-being of the city that now holds them captive.
"But 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." — This verse flips the script on exile, teaching that our well-being is deeply intertwined with the flourishing of even difficult places. It's not just about enduring hardship, but actively seeking the…
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Last reviewed October 2026