Jeremiah 31
English Standard Version
The Lord Will Turn Mourning to Joy
31 (A)“At that time, declares the Lord, (B)I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people.”
2 Thus says the Lord:
“The people who survived the sword
found grace in the wilderness;
(C)when Israel sought for rest,
3 the Lord appeared to him[a] from far away.
(D)I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore (E)I have continued (F)my faithfulness to you.
4 (G)Again I will build you, and you shall be built,
O virgin Israel!
(H)Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines
and shall go forth in (I)the dance of the merrymakers.
5 (J)Again you shall plant vineyards
on the mountains of Samaria;
the planters shall plant
and shall enjoy the fruit.
6 For there shall be a day when watchmen will call
in (K)the hill country of Ephraim:
(L)‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion,
to the Lord our God.’”
7 For thus says the Lord:
(M)“Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,
and raise shouts for (N)the chief of the nations;
proclaim, give praise, and say,
(O)‘O Lord, save your people,
the remnant of Israel.’
8 Behold, I will bring them (P)from the north country
and (Q)gather them from (R)the farthest parts of the earth,
among them (S)the blind and the lame,
the pregnant woman and she who is in labor, together;
a great company, they shall return here.
9 (T)With weeping they shall come,
(U)and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back,
I will make them (V)walk by brooks of water,
(W)in a straight path in which they shall not stumble,
for (X)I am a father to Israel,
and Ephraim is (Y)my firstborn.
10 “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
and declare it in the coastlands far away;
say, ‘He who scattered Israel will (Z)gather him,
and will keep him (AA)as a shepherd keeps his flock.’
11 (AB)For the Lord has ransomed Jacob
and has redeemed him from (AC)hands too strong for him.
12 They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
(AD)and they shall be radiant (AE)over the goodness of the Lord,
(AF)over the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and over the young of the flock and the herd;
(AG)their life shall be like a watered garden,
(AH)and they shall languish no more.
13 (AI)Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,
and the young men and the old shall be merry.
(AJ)I will turn their mourning into joy;
I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
14 (AK)I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance,
and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,
declares the Lord.”
15 Thus says the Lord:
(AL)“A voice is heard in (AM)Ramah,
lamentation and bitter weeping.
(AN)Rachel is weeping for her children;
she refuses to be comforted for her children,
(AO)because they are no more.”
16 Thus says the Lord:
“Keep your voice from weeping,
and your eyes from tears,
for there is a reward for your work,
declares the Lord,
and (AP)they shall come back from the land of the enemy.
17 (AQ)There is hope for your future,
declares the Lord,
and your children shall come back to their own country.
18 I have heard (AR)Ephraim grieving,
‘You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined,
like an untrained calf;
(AS)bring me back that I may be restored,
for you are the Lord my God.
19 For after (AT)I had turned away, I relented,
and after I was instructed, (AU)I struck my thigh;
(AV)I was ashamed, and I was confounded,
because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’
20 (AW)Is Ephraim my dear son?
(AX)Is he my darling child?
For as often as I speak against him,
I do remember him still.
(AY)Therefore my heart[b] yearns for him;
I will surely have mercy on him,
declares the Lord.
21 (AZ)“Set up road markers for yourself;
make yourself guideposts;
(BA)consider well the highway,
(BB)the road by which you went.
Return, O virgin Israel,
return to these your cities.
22 (BC)How long will you waver,
(BD)O faithless daughter?
For the Lord has created a new thing on the earth:
a woman encircles a man.”
23 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Once more they shall use these words in the land of Judah and in its cities, (BE)when I restore their fortunes:
24 (BI)And Judah and all its cities shall dwell there together, and (BJ)the farmers and those who wander with their flocks. 25 For I will (BK)satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”
26 At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me.
27 (BL)“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when (BM)I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with (BN)the seed of man and the seed of beast. 28 And it shall come to pass that (BO)as I have watched over them (BP)to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, (BQ)so I will watch over them (BR)to build and to plant, declares the Lord. 29 In those days they shall no longer say:
(BS)“‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
and the children's teeth are set on edge.’
30 (BT)But everyone shall die for his own iniquity. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.
The New Covenant
31 (BU)“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make (BV)a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when (BW)I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, (BX)though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 (BY)For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: (BZ)I will put my law within them, and I will write it (CA)on their hearts. (CB)And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ (CC)for they shall all know me, (CD)from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For (CE)I will forgive their iniquity, and (CF)I will remember their sin no more.”
35 Thus says the Lord,
who (CG)gives the sun for light by day
and (CH)the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,
who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
(CI)the Lord of hosts is his name:
36 (CJ)“If this fixed order departs
from before me, declares the Lord,
then shall the offspring of Israel cease
from being a nation before me forever.”
37 Thus says the Lord:
“If the heavens above can be measured,
and the foundations of the earth below can be explored,
(CK)then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel
for all that they have done,
declares the Lord.”
38 (CL)“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when the city shall be rebuilt for the Lord (CM)from the Tower of Hananel to (CN)the Corner Gate. 39 (CO)And the measuring line shall go out farther, straight to the hill Gareb, and shall then turn to Goah. 40 (CP)The whole valley of the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields as far as the (CQ)brook Kidron, to the corner of (CR)the Horse Gate toward the east, (CS)shall be sacred to the Lord. (CT)It shall not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 31:3 Septuagint; Hebrew me
- Jeremiah 31:20 Hebrew bowels
Jeremiah 31
International Standard Version
31 “At that time,” declares the Lord, “I’ll be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”
The Lord Promises Restoration
2 This is what the Lord says:
“The people who survived the sword,
found favor in the desert
while Israel was seeking rest.[a]
3 The Lord appeared to Israel[b] from far away and said,[c]
“I’ve loved you with an everlasting love,
therefore I’ve drawn you with gracious love.
4 I’ll again build you, and you will be rebuilt,
Virgin Israel!
You will again take up your tambourines
and go out to dance with those who are filled with joy.
5 You will again plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria
where planters had planted and defiled the fruit.[d]
6 For there will be a day when the watchmen
will call out on the hills of Ephraim,
‘Arise, let’s go up to Zion to the Lord our God.’”
The Blessings of Returning from Exile
7 For this is what the Lord says:
“Cry out with joy for Jacob
and shout for the chief among the nations.
Announce, give praise, and say,
‘Lord, save your people, the remnant of Israel.’
8 Look, I’m bringing them from the northern region,[e]
and I’ll gather them from the farthest parts of the earth.
Among them will be the blind and the lame,
together with the pregnant woman
and the woman in labor.
A large group will return here.
9 They’ll come crying,
and I’ll lead them as they pray for mercy.[f]
I’ll make them walk by streams of water,
along a straight path on which they won’t stumble.
For I am Israel’s father,
and Ephraim is my firstborn.”
10 Nations, listen to this message from the Lord,
and declare it in the distant coastlands.
Say, “The one who scattered Israel will gather him
and keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.”
11 For the Lord will deliver Jacob
and redeem him from the hand of one stronger than he.
12 They’ll come and cry out with joy
on the heights of Zion.
They’ll be radiant over the Lord’s goodness,
over the grain, the new wine, the fresh oil,
and over the young of the flocks and herds.
Their lives will be like a well-watered garden.
They’ll never again grow faint.[g]
13 The virgins will rejoice with dancing,
together with young men and old men.
For I’ll turn their mourning into joy,
and I’ll comfort them and give them gladness
instead of sorrow.
14 I’ll give the priests abundant provisions,[h]
and my people will be satisfied with my goodness,”
declares the Lord.
The End of Rachel’s Mourning
15 This is what the Lord says:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
lamentation and bitter crying.
Rachel is crying,
and she refuses to be comforted for her children,
because they are no longer alive.”
16 This is what the Lord says:
“Restrain your voice from crying,
and your eyes from tears,
for there is a reward for your work,”
declares the Lord.
“They’ll return from the enemy’s land.
17 There is hope for your future,”
declares the Lord.
“Your[i] children will return to their own territory.”
Ephraim’s Prayer and Confession
18 “I’ve certainly heard Ephraim
shuddering with grief as they said,[j]
‘You have disciplined me,
and I’m disciplined like an untrained calf.
Restore me, and let me return,[k]
for you are the Lord my God.
19 Indeed, after I turned away, then I repented.
And after I came to understand,
I slapped my forehead.[l]
I was both ashamed and humiliated
because I bear the disgrace of my youth.’”
God’s Gracious Response
20 “Is Ephraim my dear son?
Is he a darling child?
Indeed, as often as I’ve spoken about him,
I surely still remember him.
Therefore I deeply yearn for him.
I’ll surely have great compassion on him,”
declares the Lord.
21 Set up markers for yourselves.
Erect signposts for yourselves.
Pay attention to the highway,
to the road you traveled.
Return, virgin Israel,
return to these cities of yours.
22 How long will you go this way and that,
rebellious daughter?
Indeed, the Lord will create a new thing on the earth;
a woman will protect[m] a man.
23 This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: “They’ll again speak this message in the land of Judah and its towns when I restore their fortunes:[n] ‘The Lord bless you, righteous dwelling, holy mountain.’ 24 Judah and all its towns will live together in the land,[o] along with farmers and those who follow the flock. 25 I’ll provide abundance for those who are weary, and fill all who are faint.” 26 Then I awoke and looked around, and I had had a pleasant sleep.
Restoration and Responsibility
27 “Look, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I’ll sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah using people and animals as seed.[p] 28 Just as I’ve watched over them to pull up, tear down, overthrow, destroy, and bring disaster, so I’ll watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the Lord. 29 “In those days people will no longer say, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, but the children’s teeth have been set on edge.’ 30 Instead, each person will die for his own iniquity. Everyone who eats sour grapes will have his own[q] teeth set on edge.”
The New Covenant
31 “Look, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I’ll make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32 It won’t be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. They broke my covenant, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. 33 “Rather, this is the covenant that I’ll make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord. “I’ll put my Law[r] within them and will write it on their hearts. I’ll be their God and they will be my people. 34 No longer will a person teach his neighbor or his relative: ‘Know the Lord.’ Instead, they’ll all know me, from the least to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord. “Indeed, I’ll forgive their iniquity, and I’ll remember their sin no more.”
35 This is what the Lord says,
who gives the sun for light by day,
the laws that govern the moon and stars for light by night,
and who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar.
The Lord of the Heavenly Armies is his name:
36 “If these laws cease to function in my presence,”
declares the Lord,
“then the descendants of Israel will cease to be
a nation in my presence for all time!”
37 This is what the Lord says:
“If the heavens could be measured above,
or the foundations of the earth be searched out below,
then I also would reject all the descendants of Israel
because of everything they have done,”
declares the Lord.
38 “Look, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the city of the Lord will be rebuilt[s] from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 A measuring line will go straight out from there to the hill of Gareb, and then it will turn to Goah. 40 The whole valley of dead bodies and ashes and all the fields as far as the Brook Kidron to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east will be holy to the Lord. It won’t be uprooted or overthrown again, forever.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 31:2 Lit. while going to find rest for him, Israel; cf. Deut 28:65
- Jeremiah 31:3 Lit. to me; i.e. here Jeremiah personifies Israel
- Jeremiah 31:3 The Heb. lacks and said
- Jeremiah 31:5 I.e. had used the fruit for inappropriate purposes
- Jeremiah 31:8 Lit. the land of the north
- Jeremiah 31:9 Lit. I’ll lead them with prayer for mercy
- Jeremiah 31:12 I.e. from lack of food and drink
- Jeremiah 31:14 Lit. fatness
- Jeremiah 31:17 The Heb. lacks Your
- Jeremiah 31:18 The Heb. lacks as they said
- Jeremiah 31:18 Or repent
- Jeremiah 31:19 Lit. thigh; i.e. as a sign of remorse
- Jeremiah 31:22 Lit. surround
- Jeremiah 31:23 Or return them from captivity
- Jeremiah 31:24 Lit. in it
- Jeremiah 31:27 Lit. with the seed of people and the seed of animals
- Jeremiah 31:30 The Heb. lacks own
- Jeremiah 31:33 Or instruction
- Jeremiah 31:38 Or the city will be rebuilt for the Lord
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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