“Captivity”
LONG STORY SHORT

2 Kings 17:7 All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God,
who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They
worshiped other gods

1. EXILE TO BABYLON
Jeremiah 29:4-7 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried
into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: (5) “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. (6) Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. (7) Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

Jeremiah 29:10 This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.”
Jeremiah 29:11-14 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (12) Then you will
call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. (13) You will seek me and
find me when you seek me with all your heart. (14) I will be found by you,” declares the
LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and
places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the
place from which I carried you into exile.”

2. RETURN TO JERUSALEM
Ezra 6:15-16 The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. (16) Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles - celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.
Nehemiah 8:5-6 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. (6) Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

Ezekiel 36:24-28 “For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries
and bring you back into your own land. (25) I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be
clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. (26) I will give you a
new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (27) And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be
careful to keep my laws. (28) Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be
my people, and I will be your God.