Jeremiah 29:12
“Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
Part of Jeremiah's letter to the exiles in Babylon, this verse follows God's promise of a future and a hope, describing the renewed relationship of prayer that awaits them.
What Does Jeremiah 29:12 Mean?
God promises that when His people call and pray to Him, He will listen. The verse comes right after God's famous assurance of plans for welfare and a future. Here He describes how that future unfolds in relationship: the people will call, they will come and pray, and God will hear. The three movements -- calling, coming to pray, and being heard -- show prayer as a real two-way exchange. God does not merely permit prayer; He commits Himself to listen. "I will hearken unto you" is a personal pledge from God to attend to His people's voice.
This promise was spoken to exiles in Babylon, far from the temple, in a foreign land where they might have assumed God could not be reached. God assures them otherwise: even in exile, prayer connects them to Him. The verse dismantles the fear that distance, failure, or circumstance can put God out of earshot. For the reader, it is an invitation to actually pray, with confidence that the God who promised to listen does so. The next verse will add the heart-condition that makes this seeking find its goal.
In the Original Language
"Call upon" is qara, to call out or cry to. "Hearken" is shama, to hear with attention and to respond -- God pledges not just to register but to genuinely heed their prayer.
Cross References
“And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”
- Psalms 50:15
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:”
- Matthew 7:7
“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:”
- 1 John 5:14
Application
Pray with confidence that God truly listens, knowing no distance, failure, or hard circumstance can put your voice beyond His hearing.