Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Common English Bible

A season for everything

3 There’s a season for everything
    and a time for every matter under the heavens:
²    a time for giving birth and a time for dying,
    a time for planting and a time for uprooting what was planted,
³    a time for killing and a time for healing,
    a time for tearing down and a time for building up,
⁴    a time for crying and a time for laughing,
    a time for mourning and a time for dancing,
⁵    a time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones,
    a time for embracing and a time for avoiding embraces,
⁶    a time for searching and a time for losing,
    a time for keeping and a time for throwing away,
⁷    a time for tearing and a time for repairing,
    a time for keeping silent and a time for speaking,
⁸    a time for loving and a time for hating,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

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Jeremiah 29:1-14

Common English Bible

Disturbing hope: Settle down in Babylon

29 The prophet Jeremiah sent a letter from Jerusalem to the few surviving elders among the exiles, to the priests and the prophets, and to all the people Nebuchadnezzar had taken to Babylon from Jerusalem. ²The letter was sent after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the government leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, and the craftsmen and smiths had left Jerusalem. ³It was delivered to Babylon by Elasah, Shaphan’s son, and Gemariah, Hilkiah’s son—two men dispatched to Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar by King Zedekiah.

⁴The Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, proclaims to all the exiles I have carried off from Jerusalem to Babylon: ⁵Build houses and settle down; cultivate gardens and eat what they produce. ⁶Get married and have children; then help your sons find wives and your daughters find husbands in order that they too may have children. Increase in number there so that you don’t dwindle away. ⁷Promote the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because your future depends on its welfare.

⁸The Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, proclaims: Don’t let the prophets and diviners in your midst mislead you. Don’t pay attention to your dreams. ⁹They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I didn’t send them, declares the Lord.

¹⁰The Lord proclaims: When Babylon’s seventy years are up, I will come and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. ¹¹I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the Lord; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope. ¹²When you call me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. ¹³When you search for me, yes, search for me with all your heart, you will find me. ¹⁴I will be present for you, declares the Lord, and I will end your captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have scattered you, and I will bring you home after your long exile,^[a] declares the Lord.