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Promises of Deliverance

30 The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Write down for the record everything I have said to you, Jeremiah. For the time is coming when I will restore the fortunes of my people of Israel and Judah. I will bring them home to this land that I gave to their ancestors, and they will possess it again. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

This is the message the Lord gave concerning Israel and Judah. This is what the Lord says:

“I hear cries of fear;
    there is terror and no peace.
Now let me ask you a question:
    Do men give birth to babies?
Then why do they stand there, ashen-faced,
    hands pressed against their sides
    like a woman in labor?
In all history there has never been such a time of terror.
    It will be a time of trouble for my people Israel.[a]
    Yet in the end they will be saved!
For in that day,”
    says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
“I will break the yoke from their necks
    and snap their chains.
Foreigners will no longer be their masters.
    For my people will serve the Lord their God
and their king descended from David—
    the king I will raise up for them.

10 “So do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant;
    do not be dismayed, Israel,”
    says the Lord.
“For I will bring you home again from distant lands,
    and your children will return from their exile.
Israel will return to a life of peace and quiet,
    and no one will terrorize them.
11 For I am with you and will save you,”
    says the Lord.
“I will completely destroy the nations where I have scattered you,
    but I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you, but with justice;
    I cannot let you go unpunished.”

12 This is what the Lord says:
“Your injury is incurable—
    a terrible wound.
13 There is no one to help you
    or to bind up your injury.
    No medicine can heal you.
14 All your lovers—your allies—have left you
    and do not care about you anymore.
I have wounded you cruelly,
    as though I were your enemy.
For your sins are many,
    and your guilt is great.
15 Why do you protest your punishment—
    this wound that has no cure?
I have had to punish you
    because your sins are many
    and your guilt is great.

16 “But all who devour you will be devoured,
    and all your enemies will be sent into exile.
All who plunder you will be plundered,
    and all who attack you will be attacked.
17 I will give you back your health
    and heal your wounds,” says the Lord.
“For you are called an outcast—
    ‘Jerusalem[b] for whom no one cares.’”

18 This is what the Lord says:
“When I bring Israel home again from captivity
    and restore their fortunes,
Jerusalem will be rebuilt on its ruins,
    and the palace reconstructed as before.
19 There will be joy and songs of thanksgiving,
    and I will multiply my people, not diminish them;
I will honor them, not despise them.
20     Their children will prosper as they did long ago.
I will establish them as a nation before me,
    and I will punish anyone who hurts them.
21 They will have their own ruler again,
    and he will come from their own people.
I will invite him to approach me,” says the Lord,
    “for who would dare to come unless invited?
22 You will be my people,
    and I will be your God.”

23 Look! The Lord’s anger bursts out like a storm,
    a driving wind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger of the Lord will not diminish
    until it has finished all he has planned.
In the days to come
    you will understand all this.

Footnotes

  1. 30:7 Hebrew Jacob; also in 30:10b, 18. See note on 5:20.
  2. 30:17 Hebrew Zion.

A Message of Consolation

30 This message came from the Lord to Jeremiah: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Write all the words that I’ve spoken to you in a book. Indeed, the time[a] will come,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I’ll restore the security of my people Israel and Judah,’ says the Lord. ‘I’ll bring them back to the land that I gave to their ancestors, and they’ll possess it.’”

These are the words that the Lord spoke about Israel and Judah:

“Indeed, this is what the Lord says:

‘We have heard a sound of terror
    and of fear, and there is no peace.
Ask about this and think about it—
    Can a man give birth to a child?
Why then do I see every strong man
    with his hands on his thighs
like a woman giving birth,
    and all their faces have turned pale?
Oh how terrible! That time[b] will be worse
    than any like it.
It will be a time of trouble for Jacob,
    but he will be rescued from it.
On that day,’ declares the Lord
    of the Heavenly Armies,
‘I’ll break the yoke[c] from your neck
    and will tear off your restraints.[d]
        Foreigners will no longer make you[e] serve them.[f]
Rather, they will serve the Lord their God
    and David their king,
        whom I will raise up for them.

10 ‘My servant Jacob, don’t be afraid,’ declares the Lord,
    ‘and Israel, don’t be dismayed.
For I’ll deliver you from a distant place
    and your descendants from the land of their captivity.
Jacob will return. He will be undisturbed and secure,
    and no one will cause him to fear.
11 For I’ll be with you to save you,’
    declares the Lord.
‘For I’ll put an end to all the nations
    where I scattered you;
        but I won’t make an end of you.
I’ll discipline you justly,
    but I certainly won’t leave you unpunished.’

The Healing of Zion’s Wounds

12 “For this is what the Lord says:

‘Your injury won’t heal;
    your wound is severe.
13 There is no one to plead your cause.
    There is no medicine for your sore;[g]
        no healing for you.
14 All your lovers have forgotten you;
    they don’t seek you.
Indeed, I’ve struck you down
    with the blow of an enemy,
        with the punishment of a cruel foe[h]
because your wickedness is great,
    and your sins are numerous.
15 Why do you cry out because of your injury?
    Your wound won’t heal.
Because your wickedness is severe,
    and your sins are numerous,
        I’ve done all these things to you.
16 In addition, all who devour you will be devoured,
    and all your oppressors—all of them—
        will go into captivity.
Those who plunder you will become plunder,
    and all who spoil you will become spoil.
17 Indeed, I’ll bring you healing,
    and I’ll heal you of your wounds,’
        declares the Lord,
‘because they have called you an outcast
    and have said,[i] “It is Zion, no one cares for her!”’”[j]

Jacob’s Restoration

18 “This is what the Lord says:
‘I’m going to restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob
    and have compassion on his dwellings.
A city will be rebuilt on its ruins
    and a palace[k] will sit on its rightful place.
19 Thanksgiving and the sounds of laughter
    will come out of them.
I’ll cause them to increase in numbers and not decrease.
    I’ll honor them and not make them insignificant.
20 Their[l] children will be as they were before,
    and their congregation will be established before me.
I’ll punish all who oppress them.
21 Their leader will be one of their own,[m]
    and their ruler will come from among them.
I’ll bring him near, and he will approach me,
    for who would otherwise dare to approach me?’
        declares the Lord.
22 ‘You will be my people,
    and I’ll be your God.’”

The Coming Judgment

23 Look, the storm of the Lord!
    His[n] wrath has gone forth, a twisting storm.
        It will swirl around the head of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger of the Lord won’t turn back
    until he has accomplished and established the plan of his heart.
In the days to come, you will understand this.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 30:3 Lit. days
  2. Jeremiah 30:7 Lit. day
  3. Jeremiah 30:8 Lit. his yoke
  4. Jeremiah 30:8 Or cords
  5. Jeremiah 30:8 Lit. him (i.e. Jacob)
  6. Jeremiah 30:8 I.e. enslave you
  7. Jeremiah 30:13 Lit. for a sore
  8. Jeremiah 30:14 Lit. cruel one
  9. Jeremiah 30:17 The Heb. lacks and have said
  10. Jeremiah 30:17 Or seeks her
  11. Jeremiah 30:18 Or fortress
  12. Jeremiah 30:20 Lit. his children and so through v. 21
  13. Jeremiah 30:21 Lit. of them
  14. Jeremiah 30:23 The Heb. lacks His