You asked

what were the exiles actually being told in jeremiah 29?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Jeremiah 29:7

“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.”

This verse is part of a letter from the prophet Jeremiah to the Jewish people who had been taken into exile in Babylon after Jerusalem was conquered by King Nebuchadnezzar. It was written to offer guidance and a vision for their life in a foreign land, correcting false prophets who promised a quick return.

How might seeking the well-being of a place we feel forced to be in, rather than resisting it, change our own experience?

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Read alongside it

Jeremiah 29:11
This famous verse follows Jeremiah 29:7, speaking of God's plans for their future, building on the idea of thriving in their present circumstance.
1 Peter 2:13-17
The apostle Peter later echoes a similar idea for Christians, encouraging them to be good citizens even under foreign rule.

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