ירמיהו פרק כט:ד-ז
(ד) כֹּה אָמַר יְקֹוָק צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְכָל הַגּוֹלָה אֲשֶׁר הִגְלֵיתִי מִירוּשָׁלִַם בָּבֶלָה:
(ה) בְּנוּ בָתִּים וְשֵׁבוּ וְנִטְעוּ גַנּוֹת וְאִכְלוּ אֶת פִּרְיָן:
(ו) קְחוּ נָשִׁים וְהוֹלִידוּ בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת וּקְחוּ לִבְנֵיכֶם נָשִׁים וְאֶת בְּנוֹתֵיכֶם תְּנוּ לַאֲנָשִׁים וְתֵלַדְנָה בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת וּרְבוּ שָׁם וְאַל תִּמְעָטוּ:
(ז) וְדִרְשׁוּ אֶת שְׁלוֹם הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר הִגְלֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם שָׁמָּה וְהִתְפַּלְלוּ בַעֲדָהּ אֶל יְקֹוָק כִּי בִשְׁלוֹמָהּ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם שָׁלוֹם:
Thus said the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, to the whole community which I exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them, plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take 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. Multiply there, do not decrease. And seek the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you and pray to the Lord in its behalf; for in its prosperity you shall prosper. [JPS translation]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. What types of behaviors are the Jews supposed to engage in in exile? Why are these the behaviors listed?
2. Why do we seek the welfare of the cities in which we live? Why is this commanded to us, and not assumed to be obvious?
3. How is this text a model for cultural diversity? How is it a model for coexistence?
Time Period: Biblical (early ancestors to 165 BCE)