Jeremiah 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. 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.
The instruction was part of letters sent to the Hebrew captives in Babylon, assuring them that the promised return from captivity was sure while making clear that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. They had been caused to be carried to Babylon and sent there by God, and were therefore to accept temporary exile under Babylon's temporary rule and submit quietly to their situation. They were commanded to seek the peace and welfare of the city where they had been taken and were living, and to pray to the Lord for it.
Their own peace and well-being were bound up with the city's peace, so that peace for the city would mean peace for them. They were to live this out by continuing their daily work and building settled lives and peaceful homes among their conquerors and captors. They were not to expect an immediate return or deliverance or to seek a premature revolt or deliverance. The counsel warned against rebellion, revolt, and unrest, since provoking the Chaldean authorities would bring greater suffering and loss of liberty, while peaceful conduct would protect the exiles' welfare and liberties.