Build ye houses, and dwell in them: and plant orchards, and eat the fruit of them.

Build ye houses, and abide; and plant ye gardens, and eat their fruit;

Go on building houses and living in them, and planting gardens and using the fruit of them;

'Build houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat their fruit.

Build houses and live in them. And plant gardens, and eat from their fruit.

AEdificate domos, et inhabitate; plantate hortos, et comedite fructus eorum;

Build ye houses - Prepare for a long continuance in your present captivity. Provide yourselves with the necessaries of life, and multiply in the land, that ye may become a powerful people.

Build ye houses, and dwell in them,.... Intimating hereby that they must not expect a return into their own land in any short time, but that they should continue many years where they were; suggesting also, that as they had ability, so they should have liberty, of building themselves houses; nor should they be interrupted by their enemies; nor would their houses be taken from them, when built; but they should dwell peaceably and quietly in them, as their own; which they might assure themselves of from the Lord, who gives these, and the following directions:
and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; and live as comfortably as you can in a foreign country; plant your gardens with vines and pomegranates, and all sorts of fruitful trees the country produces; and fear not the fruit being taken away from you; depend upon it, you shall eat the fruit of your own labour, and not be deprived of it.

Build . . . houses--In opposition to the false prophets' suggestions, who told the captives that their captivity would soon cease, Jeremiah tells them that it will be of long duration, and that therefore they should build houses, as Babylon is to be for long their home.