Jeremiah 31
New American Standard Bible
Israel’s Mourning Turned to Joy
31 “At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the (A)God of all the (B)families of Israel, and they shall be My people.”
2 This is what the Lord says:
“The people who survived the sword
(C)Found grace in the wilderness—
Israel, when it went to (D)find its rest.”
3 The Lord appeared to [a]him [b]long ago, saying,
“I have (E)loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore I have drawn you out with (F)kindness.
4 (G)I will build you again and you will be rebuilt,
Virgin of Israel!
You will [c]take up your (H)tambourines again,
And go out to the dances of the (I)revelers.
5 Again you will (J)plant vineyards
On the [d]hills of Samaria;
The planters will plant
And will [e]enjoy the fruit.
6 For there will be a day when watchmen
On the hills of Ephraim call out,
‘Arise, and (K)let’s go up to Zion,
To the Lord our God.’”
7 For this is what the Lord says:
“(L)Sing aloud with joy for Jacob,
And be joyful with the [f](M)chief of the nations;
Proclaim, give praise, and say,
‘Lord, (N)save Your people,
The (O)remnant of Israel!’
8 Behold, I am (P)bringing them from the north country,
And I will (Q)gather them from the remote parts of the earth,
Among them those who are (R)blind and those who (S)limp,
The pregnant woman and she who is in labor, together;
They will return here as a great assembly.
9 (T)They will come with weeping,
And by pleading I will bring them;
I will lead them by (U)streams of waters,
On a straight path on which they will (V)not stumble;
For I am a (W)father to Israel,
And Ephraim is (X)My firstborn.”
10 Hear the word of the Lord, you nations,
And declare it in the (Y)coastlands far away,
And say, “He who scattered Israel will (Z)gather him,
And He will keep him as a (AA)shepherd keeps his flock.”
11 For the Lord has (AB)ransomed Jacob
And redeemed him from the hand of him who was (AC)stronger than he.
12 “They will (AD)come and shout for joy on the (AE)height of Zion,
And they will be (AF)radiant over the [g]bounty of the Lord—
Over the (AG)grain, the new wine, the oil,
And over the young of the (AH)flock and the herd.
And their life will be like a (AI)watered garden,
And they will (AJ)never languish again.
13 Then the virgin will rejoice in the (AK)dance,
And the young men and the old together;
For I will (AL)turn their mourning into joy
And comfort them, and give them (AM)joy for their sorrow.
14 I will refresh the soul of the priests with [h]abundance,
And My people will be (AN)satisfied with My goodness,” declares the Lord.
15 This is what the Lord says:
“(AO)A voice is heard in (AP)Ramah,
Lamenting and bitter weeping.
Rachel is weeping for her children;
She (AQ)refuses to be comforted for her children,
Because (AR)they are no more.”
16 This is what the Lord says:
“(AS)Restrain your voice from weeping
And your eyes from tears;
For your (AT)work will be rewarded,” declares the Lord,
“And they will (AU)return from the land of the enemy.
17 There is (AV)hope for your future,” declares the Lord,
“And your children will return to their own territory.
18 I have certainly heard Ephraim (AW)grieving,
‘You have (AX)disciplined me, and I was corrected,
Like an untrained (AY)calf;
(AZ)Bring me back that I may be restored,
For You are the Lord my God.
19 For after I turned back, I (BA)repented;
And after I was instructed, I [i](BB)slapped my thigh;
I was (BC)ashamed and also humiliated
Because I bore the shame of my youth.’
20 Is (BD)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 [j](BE)heart yearns for him;
I will certainly (BF)have mercy on him,” declares the Lord.
21 “Set up roadmarks for yourself,
Place guideposts for yourself;
(BG)Direct your [k]mind to the highway,
The way by which you went.
(BH)Return, O virgin of Israel,
Return to these your cities.
22 How long will you waver,
You (BI)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 (BJ)restore their fortunes,
24 Judah and all its cities will (BM)live together in it, the farmers and those who travel with flocks. 25 (BN)For I give plenty of water to the weary ones, and [l]refresh everyone who languishes.” 26 At this I (BO)awoke and looked, and my (BP)sleep had been pleasant to me.
A New Covenant
27 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will (BQ)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 (BR)watched over them to (BS)uproot them, tear them down, ruin, destroy, and bring disaster on them, so I will watch over them to (BT)build and to plant them,” declares the Lord.
29 “In those days they will no longer say,
‘(BU)The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
[m]But it is the children’s teeth that have become blunt.’
30 But (BV)everyone will die for his own wrongdoing; each person who eats the sour grapes, his own teeth will become blunt.
31 “(BW)Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a (BX)new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the (BY)covenant which I made with their fathers on the day I (BZ)took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My (CA)covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. 33 “For (CB)this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord: “(CC)I will put My law within them and write it on their heart; and (CD)I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 They will (CE)not teach again, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all (CF)know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will (CG)forgive their wrongdoing, and their (CH)sin I will no longer remember.”
35 This is what the Lord says,
He who (CI)gives the sun for light by day
And the [n]fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,
Who (CJ)stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
(CK)The Lord of armies is His name:
36 “(CL)If [o]this fixed order departs
From Me,” declares the Lord,
“Then the descendants of Israel also will (CM)cease
To be a nation before Me [p]forever.”
37 This is what the Lord says:
“(CN)If the heavens above can be measured
And the foundations of the earth searched out below,
Then I will also (CO)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 (CP)city will be rebuilt for the Lord from the (CQ)Tower of Hananel to the (CR)Corner Gate. 39 The (CS)measuring line will go out farther straight ahead, to the hill Gareb; then it will turn to Goah. 40 And (CT)the entire valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook (CU)Kidron to the corner of the (CV)Horse Gate toward the east, shall be (CW)holy to the Lord; it will not be uprooted or overthrown ever again.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 31:3 Lit me
- Jeremiah 31:3 Or from far away
- Jeremiah 31:4 Lit adorn yourself with
- Jeremiah 31:5 Or mountains
- Jeremiah 31:5 Lit defile
- Jeremiah 31:7 Lit head
- Jeremiah 31:12 Lit goodness
- Jeremiah 31:14 Lit fatness
- Jeremiah 31:19 I.e., in regret
- Jeremiah 31:20 Lit inward parts
- Jeremiah 31:21 Lit heart
- Jeremiah 31:25 Lit fill
- Jeremiah 31:29 I.e., the children suffer for the fathers’ sins
- Jeremiah 31:35 Lit statutes
- Jeremiah 31:36 Lit these statutes
- Jeremiah 31:36 Lit all the days
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
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