Jeremiah 31
Christian Standard Bible
God’s Relationship with His People
31 “At that time”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“I will be the God of all the families of Israel,(A) and they will be my people.”
2 This is what the Lord says:
The people who survived the sword
found favor in the wilderness.(B)
When Israel went to find rest,(C)
3 the Lord appeared to him[a] from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;(D)
therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you.(E)
4 Again I will build you so that you will be rebuilt,
Virgin Israel.(F)
You will take up your tambourines again(G)
and go out in joyful dancing.
5 You will plant vineyards again(H)
on the mountains of Samaria;
the planters will plant and will enjoy the fruit.(I)
6 For there will be a day when watchmen will call out
in the hill country of Ephraim,
“Come, let’s go up to Zion,(J)
to the Lord our God!”
God’s People Brought Home
7 For this is what the Lord says:
Sing with joy for Jacob;
shout for the foremost of the nations!
Proclaim, praise, and say,
“Lord, save your people,(K)
the remnant of Israel!” (L)
8 Watch! I am going to bring them from the northern land.
I will gather them from remote regions of the earth(M)—
the blind and the lame will be with them,(N)
along with those who are pregnant and those about to give birth.
They will return here as a great assembly!(O)
9 They will come weeping,
but I will bring them back with consolation.[b](P)
I will lead them to wadis filled with water,
by a smooth way where they will not stumble,(Q)
for I am Israel’s Father,
and Ephraim is my firstborn.(R)
10 Nations, hear the word of the Lord,
and tell it among the far off coasts and islands!(S)
Say, “The one who scattered Israel will gather him.(T)
He will watch over him as a shepherd guards his flock,
11 for the Lord has ransomed Jacob
and redeemed him from the power of one stronger than he.”(U)
12 They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;(V)
they will be radiant with joy(W)
because of the Lord’s goodness,
because of the grain, the new wine, the fresh oil,(X)
and because of the young of the flocks and herds.
Their life will be like an irrigated garden,
and they will no longer grow weak from hunger.
13 Then the young women will rejoice with dancing,
while young and old men rejoice together.
I will turn their mourning into joy,(Y)
give them consolation,
and bring happiness out of grief.
14 I will refresh the priests with an abundance,[c](Z)
and my people will be satisfied with my goodness.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Lament Turned to Joy
15 This is what the Lord says:
A voice was heard in Ramah,(AA)
a lament with bitter weeping—
Rachel weeping for her children,
refusing to be comforted for her children
because they are no more.(AB)
16 This is what the Lord says:
Keep your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears,
for the reward for your work will come—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
and your children will return from the enemy’s land.
17 There is hope for your future(AC)—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
and your children will return to their own territory.
18 I have surely heard Ephraim moaning,
“You disciplined me, and I have been disciplined
like an untrained calf.(AD)
Take me back, so that I can return,
for you, Lord, are my God.(AE)
19 After my return, I felt regret;
After I was instructed, I struck my thigh in grief.(AF)
I was ashamed and humiliated(AG)
because I bore the disgrace of my youth.”
20 Isn’t Ephraim a precious son to me,
a delightful child?(AH)
Whenever I speak against him,
I certainly still think about him.
Therefore, my inner being yearns for him;
I will truly have compassion on him.(AI)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Repentance and Restoration
21 Set up road markers(AJ) for yourself;
establish signposts!
Keep the highway in mind,
the way you have traveled.
Return, Virgin Israel!
Return to these cities of yours.
22 How long will you turn here and there,
faithless daughter?(AK)
For the Lord creates something new in the land[d]—
a female[e] will shelter[f] a man.
23 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “When I restore their fortunes,[g] they will once again speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities: ‘May the Lord bless you, righteous settlement,(AL) holy mountain.’(AM) 24 Judah and all its cities will live in it together—also farmers and those who move[h] with the flocks— 25 for I satisfy the thirsty person and feed all those who are weak.”(AN)
26 At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been most pleasant to me.
27 “Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will sow the house of Israel(AO) and the house of Judah with the seed of people and the seed of animals. 28 Just as I watched over them to uproot and to tear them down, to demolish and to destroy, and to cause disaster,(AP) so will I watch over them to build and to plant them”(AQ)—this is the Lord’s declaration. 29 “In those days, it will never again be said,
‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’(AR)
30 Rather, each will die for his own iniquity.(AS) Anyone who eats sour grapes—his own teeth will be set on edge.
The New Covenant
31 “Look, the days are coming”(AT)—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will make a new covenant(AU) with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—my covenant that they broke even though I am their master”[i](AV)—the Lord’s declaration. 33 “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’(AW) for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them”(AX)—this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity(AY) and never again remember their sin.
35 “This is what the Lord says:
The one who gives the sun for light by day,
the fixed order of moon and stars for light by night,
who stirs up the sea and makes its waves roar(AZ)—
the Lord of Armies is his name:
36 If this fixed order departs from before me—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
only then will Israel’s descendants cease
to be a nation before me forever.(BA)
37 “This is what the Lord says:
Only if the heavens above can be measured
and the foundations of the earth below explored,
will I reject all of Israel’s descendants
because of all they have done—
this is the Lord’s declaration.
38 “Look, the days are coming”—the Lord’s declaration—“when the city[j] from the Tower of Hananel(BB) to the Corner Gate(BC) will be rebuilt for the Lord. 39 A measuring line will once again stretch out straight to the hill of Gareb(BD) and then turn toward Goah. 40 The whole valley—the corpses, the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Kidron Valley(BE) to the corner of the Horse Gate(BF) to the east—will be holy to the Lord. It will never be uprooted or demolished again.”
Jeremiah 31
Common English Bible
31 At that time, declares the Lord,
I will be the God of all the families of Israel,
and they will be my people.
2 The Lord proclaims:
The people who survived the sword
found grace in the wilderness.
As Israel searched for a place of rest,
3 the Lord appeared to them[a] from a distance:[b]
I have loved you with a love that lasts forever.
And so with unfailing love,
I have drawn you to myself.[c]
4 Again, I will build you up,
and you will be rebuilt, virgin Israel.
Again, you will play your tambourines
and dance with joy.
5 Again, you will plant vineyards
on the hills of Samaria;
farmers will plant and then enjoy the harvests.
6 The time will come when
the watchmen shout from
the highlands of Ephraim:
“Get ready! We’re going up to Zion
to the Lord our God!”
7 The Lord proclaims:
Sing joyfully for the people of Jacob;
shout for the leading nation.
Raise your voices with praise and call out:
“The Lord has saved his people,[d]
the remaining few in Israel!”
8 I’m going to bring them back from the north;
I will gather them from the ends of the earth.
Among them will be the blind and the disabled,
expectant mothers and those in labor;
a great throng will return here.
9 With tears of joy they will come;
while they pray, I will bring them back.
I will lead them by quiet streams
and on smooth paths so they don’t stumble.
I will be Israel’s father,
Ephraim will be my oldest child.
10 Listen to the Lord’s word, you nations,
and announce it to the distant islands:
The one who scattered Israel will gather them
and keep them safe, as a shepherd his flock.
11 The Lord will rescue the people of Jacob
and deliver them from the power of those stronger than they are.
12 They will come shouting for joy on the hills of Zion,
jubilant over the Lord’s gifts:
grain, wine, oil, flocks, and herds.
Their lives will be like a lush garden;
they will grieve no more.
13 Then the young women will dance for joy;
the young and old men will join in.
I will turn their mourning into laughter
and their sadness into joy;
I will comfort them.
14 I will lavish the priests with abundance
and shower my people with my gifts,
declares the Lord.
15 The Lord proclaims:
A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and wailing.
It’s Rachel crying for her children;
she refuses to be consoled,
because her children are no more.
16 The Lord proclaims:
Keep your voice from crying
and your eyes from weeping,
because your endurance will be rewarded,
declares the Lord.
They will return from the land of their enemy!
17 There’s hope for your future,
declares the Lord.
Your children will return home!
18 I hear, yes, I hear Ephraim lamenting:
“You disciplined me,
and I learned my lesson,
even though I was as stubborn as a mule.
Bring me back, let me return,
because you are the Lord my God.
19 After I turned away from you,
I regretted it;
I realized what I had done,
and I have hit myself[e]—
I was humiliated and disgraced,
and I have carried this disgrace
since I was young.”
20 Isn’t Ephraim my much-loved child?
Don’t I utterly adore him?
Even when I scold him,
I still hold him dear.
I yearn for him and love him deeply,
declares the Lord.
21 Set up markers,
put up signs;
think about the road you have traveled,
the path you have taken.
Return, virgin Israel;
return to these towns of yours.
22 How long will you hem and haw,
my rebellious daughter?
The Lord has created something new on earth:
Virgin Israel will once again embrace her God![f]
23 The Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, proclaims: When I bring my people[g] back from captivity, they will once again utter these words in the land and towns of Judah:
The Lord bless you,
righteous dwelling place,
holy mountain.
24 Those who live in Judah and its towns will dwell together with farmers and shepherds. 25 I will strengthen the weary and renew those who are weak.
26 Then I woke up and looked around. What a pleasant sleep I had!
27 The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will plant seeds in Israel and Judah, and both people and animals will spring up. 28 Just as I watched over them to dig up and pull down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and plant, declares the Lord. 29 In those days, people will no longer say:
Sour grapes eaten by parents
leave a bitter taste in the mouths of their children.
30 Because everyone will die for their own sins:
whoever eats sour grapes
will have a bitter taste in their own mouths.
31 The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 It won’t be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant with me even though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 No, this is the covenant that I will make with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my Instructions within them and engrave them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 They will no longer need to teach each other to say, “Know the Lord!” because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord; for I will forgive their wrongdoing and never again remember their sins.
35 The Lord proclaims:
The one who established the sun to light up the day
and ordered[h] the moon and stars to light up the night,
who stirs up the sea into crashing waves,
whose name is the Lord of heavenly forces:
36 If the created order should vanish from my sight,
declares the Lord,
only then would Israel’s descendants ever stop being a nation
before me.
37 The Lord proclaims:
If the heavens above could be measured
and the foundation of the earth below could be fathomed,
only then would I reject Israel’s descendants
for what they have done,
declares the Lord.
38 The time is coming, declares the Lord, when the city will be rebuilt for the Lord from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 Its boundaries will extend to the Gareb Hill and around to Goah. 40 The entire valley defiled by corpses and ashes, and all the fields as far as the Kidron Valley and the Horse Gate on the east, all this will be set apart for the Lord. And the city will never again be dug up or overthrown.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 31:3 Or to me
- Jeremiah 31:3 Or a long time ago
- Jeremiah 31:3 Heb lacks myself.
- Jeremiah 31:7 LXX; MT Save your people, Lord
- Jeremiah 31:19 Or struck my thigh
- Jeremiah 31:22 Or a woman surrounds a man
- Jeremiah 31:23 Or them
- Jeremiah 31:35 Or orders of
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