Jeremiah 29:4-7
“Thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, to all the captives whom I have caused to be carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon: ‘Build houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them. Take wives, and father sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there, and don’t be diminished. Seek the shalom of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to Yahweh for it; for in its shalom you will have shalom.’”
The prophet Jeremiah writes a letter from Jerusalem to the Jewish people who have been exiled to Babylon after the first deportation. His advice here is a direct challenge to other voices among the exiles who were promising a quick return home.
What does it mean to commit to the well-being of a place where you feel you don't belong?