15 This is what the Lord says:
(A)A voice is heard in (B)Ramah,
Lamenting and bitter weeping.
Rachel is weeping for her children;
She (C)refuses to be comforted for her children,
Because (D)they are no more.”

16 This is what the Lord says:

(E)Restrain your voice from weeping
And your eyes from tears;
For your (F)work will be rewarded,” declares the Lord,
“And they will (G)return from the land of the enemy.
17 There is (H)hope for your future,” declares the Lord,
“And your children will return to their own territory.
18 I have certainly heard Ephraim (I)grieving,
‘You have (J)disciplined me, and I was corrected,
Like an untrained (K)calf;
(L)Bring me back that I may be restored,
For You are the Lord my God.
19 For after I turned back, I (M)repented;
And after I was instructed, I [a](N)slapped my thigh;
I was (O)ashamed and also humiliated
Because I bore the shame of my youth.’
20 Is (P)Ephraim My dear son?
Is he a delightful child?
Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him,
I certainly still remember him;
Therefore My [b](Q)heart yearns for him;
I will certainly (R)have mercy on him,” declares the Lord.

21 “Set up roadmarks for yourself,
Place guideposts for yourself;
(S)Direct your [c]mind to the highway,
The way by which you went.
(T)Return, O virgin of Israel,
Return to these your cities.
22 How long will you waver,
You (U)rebellious daughter?
For the Lord has created a new thing on the earth:
A woman will shelter a man.”

23 This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Once again they will speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities when I (V)restore their fortunes,

‘The Lord bless you, O (W)place of righteousness,
O (X)holy hill!’

24 Judah and all its cities will (Y)live together in it, the farmers and those who travel with flocks. 25 (Z)For I give plenty of water to the weary ones, and [d]refresh everyone who languishes.” 26 At this I (AA)awoke and looked, and my (AB)sleep had been pleasant to me.

A New Covenant

27 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will (AC)sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of mankind and the seed of animals. 28 And just as I have (AD)watched over them to (AE)uproot them, tear them down, ruin, destroy, and bring disaster on them, so I will watch over them to (AF)build and to plant them,” declares the Lord.

29 “In those days they will no longer say,
(AG)The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
[e]But it is the children’s teeth that have become blunt.’

30 But (AH)everyone will die for his own wrongdoing; each person who eats the sour grapes, his own teeth will become blunt.

31 (AI)Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a (AJ)new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the (AK)covenant which I made with their fathers on the day I (AL)took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My (AM)covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. 33 “For (AN)this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord: “(AO)I will put My law within them and write it on their heart; and (AP)I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 They will (AQ)not teach again, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all (AR)know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will (AS)forgive their wrongdoing, and their (AT)sin I will no longer remember.”

35 This is what the Lord says,
He who (AU)gives the sun for light by day
And the [f]fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,
Who (AV)stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
(AW)The Lord of armies is His name:
36 (AX)If [g]this fixed order departs
From Me,” declares the Lord,
“Then the descendants of Israel also will (AY)cease
To be a nation before Me [h]forever.”
37 This is what the Lord says:
(AZ)If the heavens above can be measured
And the foundations of the earth searched out below,
Then I will also (BA)reject all the descendants of Israel
For everything that they have done,” declares the Lord.

38 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the (BB)city will be rebuilt for the Lord from the (BC)Tower of Hananel to the (BD)Corner Gate. 39 The (BE)measuring line will go out farther straight ahead, to the hill Gareb; then it will turn to Goah. 40 And (BF)the entire valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook (BG)Kidron to the corner of the (BH)Horse Gate toward the east, shall be (BI)holy to the Lord; it will not be uprooted or overthrown ever again.”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 31:19 I.e., in regret
  2. Jeremiah 31:20 Lit inward parts
  3. Jeremiah 31:21 Lit heart
  4. Jeremiah 31:25 Lit fill
  5. Jeremiah 31:29 I.e., the children suffer for the fathers’ sins
  6. Jeremiah 31:35 Lit statutes
  7. Jeremiah 31:36 Lit these statutes
  8. Jeremiah 31:36 Lit all the days

15 This is what the Lord says:

“A voice is heard in Ramah,(A)
    mourning and great weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children
    and refusing to be comforted,(B)
    because they are no more.”(C)

16 This is what the Lord says:

“Restrain your voice from weeping
    and your eyes from tears,(D)
for your work will be rewarded,(E)
declares the Lord.
    “They will return(F) from the land of the enemy.
17 So there is hope(G) for your descendants,”
declares the Lord.
    “Your children(H) will return to their own land.

18 “I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:
    ‘You disciplined(I) me like an unruly calf,(J)
    and I have been disciplined.
Restore(K) me, and I will return,
    because you are the Lord my God.
19 After I strayed,(L)
    I repented;
after I came to understand,
    I beat(M) my breast.
I was ashamed(N) and humiliated
    because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’(O)
20 Is not Ephraim my dear son,
    the child(P) in whom I delight?
Though I often speak against him,
    I still remember(Q) him.
Therefore my heart yearns for him;
    I have great compassion(R) for him,”
declares the Lord.

21 “Set up road signs;
    put up guideposts.(S)
Take note of the highway,(T)
    the road that you take.
Return,(U) Virgin(V) Israel,
    return to your towns.
22 How long will you wander,(W)
    unfaithful(X) Daughter Israel?
The Lord will create a new thing(Y) on earth—
    the woman will return to[a](Z) the man.”

23 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity,[b](AA) the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: ‘The Lord bless(AB) you, you prosperous city,(AC) you sacred mountain.’(AD) 24 People will live(AE) together in Judah and all its towns—farmers and those who move about with their flocks.(AF) 25 I will refresh the weary(AG) and satisfy the faint.”(AH)

26 At this I awoke(AI) and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.

27 “The days are coming,”(AJ) declares the Lord, “when I will plant(AK) the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals. 28 Just as I watched(AL) over them to uproot(AM) and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster,(AN) so I will watch over them to build and to plant,”(AO) declares the Lord. 29 “In those days people will no longer say,

‘The parents(AP) have eaten sour grapes,
    and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’(AQ)

30 Instead, everyone will die for their own sin;(AR) whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.

31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
    “when I will make a new covenant(AS)
with the people of Israel
    and with the people of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant(AT)
    I made with their ancestors(AU)
when I took them by the hand
    to lead them out of Egypt,(AV)
because they broke my covenant,
    though I was a husband(AW) to[c] them,[d]
declares the Lord.
33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
    after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds(AX)
    and write it on their hearts.(AY)
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.(AZ)
34 No longer will they teach(BA) their neighbor,
    or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know(BB) me,
    from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive(BC) their wickedness
    and will remember their sins(BD) no more.”

35 This is what the Lord says,

he who appoints(BE) the sun
    to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
    to shine by night,(BF)
who stirs up the sea(BG)
    so that its waves roar(BH)
    the Lord Almighty is his name:(BI)
36 “Only if these decrees(BJ) vanish from my sight,”
    declares the Lord,
“will Israel(BK) ever cease
    being a nation before me.”

37 This is what the Lord says:

“Only if the heavens above can be measured(BL)
    and the foundations of the earth below be searched out
will I reject(BM) all the descendants of Israel
    because of all they have done,”
declares the Lord.

38 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this city will be rebuilt(BN) for me from the Tower of Hananel(BO) to the Corner Gate.(BP) 39 The measuring line(BQ) will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. 40 The whole valley(BR) where dead bodies(BS) and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley(BT) on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate,(BU) will be holy(BV) to the Lord. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 31:22 Or will protect
  2. Jeremiah 31:23 Or I restore their fortunes
  3. Jeremiah 31:32 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac / and I turned away from
  4. Jeremiah 31:32 Or was their master