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.
Get married and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and husbands for your daughters, so they can have children too. This way your numbers will grow in that place, not decrease.
God is telling the exiled people to build families and settle down for the long term, planning for growth rather than just survival.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is part of a letter the prophet Jeremiah sent to the Jewish people who had been taken captive to Babylon around 597 BC. Many exiles thought they would return home quickly, but God was telling them through Jeremiah to prepare for a long stay of 70 years. He wanted them to establish normal life patterns rather than living in temporary survival mode.
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