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31 At that time, saith Jehovah, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. Thus saith Jehovah, The people that were left of the sword [a]found favor in the wilderness; even Israel, [b]when I went to cause him to rest. Jehovah appeared [c]of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore [d]with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Again will I build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: again shalt thou be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry. Again shalt thou plant vineyards upon the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant, and shall [e]enjoy the fruit thereof. For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the hills of Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto Jehovah our God.

For thus saith Jehovah, Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout [f]for the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Jehovah, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the uttermost parts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall they return hither. They shall come with weeping; and with supplications will I lead them: I will [g]cause them to walk by rivers of waters, in a straight way wherein they shall not stumble; for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first-born.

10 Hear the word of Jehovah, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off; and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. 11 For Jehovah hath ransomed Jacob, and redeemed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. 12 And they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow unto the goodness of Jehovah, to the grain, and to the new wine, and to the oil, and to the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all. 13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. 14 And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith Jehovah.

15 Thus saith Jehovah: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children; she refuseth to be comforted for her children, because they are not. 16 Thus saith Jehovah: Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; for thy work shall be rewarded, saith Jehovah; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. 17 And there is hope for thy latter end, saith Jehovah; and thy children shall come again to their own border. 18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a calf unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art Jehovah my God. 19 Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. 20 Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a darling child? for as often as I speak against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my heart [h]yearneth for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith Jehovah.

21 Set thee up waymarks, make thee guide-posts; set thy heart toward the highway, even the way by which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities. 22 How long wilt thou go hither and thither, O thou backsliding daughter? for Jehovah hath created a new thing in the earth: A woman shall encompass a man.

23 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Yet again shall they use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall [i]bring again their captivity: Jehovah bless thee, O habitation of righteousness, O mountain of holiness. 24 And Judah and all the cities thereof shall dwell therein together, the husbandmen, and they that go about with flocks. 25 For I have satiated the weary soul, and every sorrowful soul have I replenished. 26 Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me.

27 Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast. 28 And it shall come to pass that, like as I have watched over them to pluck up and to break down and to overthrow and to destroy and to afflict, so will I watch over them to build and to plant, saith Jehovah. 29 In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge. 30 But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.

31 Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; [j]which my covenant they brake, although I was [k]a husband unto them, saith Jehovah. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith Jehovah: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Jehovah; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith Jehovah: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.

35 Thus saith Jehovah, who giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who [l]stirreth up the sea, so that the waves thereof roar; Jehovah of hosts is his name: 36 If these ordinances depart from before me, saith Jehovah, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. 37 Thus saith Jehovah: If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, then will I also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith Jehovah.

38 Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that the city shall be built to Jehovah from the tower of Hananel unto the gate of the corner. 39 And the measuring line shall go out further straight onward unto the hill Gareb, and shall turn about unto Goah. 40 And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy unto Jehovah; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.

32 The word that came to Jeremiah from Jehovah in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar. Now at that time the king of Babylon’s army was besieging Jerusalem; and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard, which was in the king of Judah’s house. For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Wherefore dost thou prophesy, and say, Thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it; and Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes; and he shall bring Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit him, saith Jehovah: though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper?

And Jeremiah said, The word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth; for the right of redemption is thine to buy it. So Hanamel mine uncle’s son came to me in the court of the guard according to the word of Jehovah, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of Jehovah. And I bought the field that was in Anathoth of Hanamel mine uncle’s son, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver. 10 And I subscribed the deed, and sealed it, and called witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances. 11 So I took the deed of the purchase, both that which was sealed, [m]according to the law and custom, and that which was open: 12 and I delivered the deed of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel mine uncle’s son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the deed of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the guard. 13 And I charged Baruch before them, saying, 14 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, this deed of the purchase which is sealed, and this deed which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel; that they may continue many days. 15 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall yet again be bought in this land.

16 Now after I had delivered the deed of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto Jehovah, saying, 17 Ah Lord Jehovah! behold, thou hast made the heavens and the earth by thy great power and by thine outstretched arm; there is nothing too [n]hard for thee, 18 who showest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them; the great, the mighty God, Jehovah of hosts is his name; 19 great in counsel, and mighty in work; whose eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men, to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings; 20 who didst set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even unto this day, [o]both in Israel and among other men; and madest thee a name, as at this day; 21 and didst bring forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terror; 22 and gavest them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey; 23 and they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed not thy voice, neither walked in thy law; they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do: therefore thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them. 24 Behold, the mounds, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence; and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest it. 25 And thou hast said unto me, O Lord Jehovah, Buy thee the field for money, and call witnesses; whereas the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.

26 Then came the word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah, saying, 27 Behold, I am Jehovah, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me? 28 Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it: 29 and the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come and set this city on fire, and burn it, with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink-offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger. 30 For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only that which was evil in my sight from their youth; for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith Jehovah. 31 For this city hath been to me a provocation of mine anger and of my wrath from the day that they built it even unto this day; that I should remove it from before my face, 32 because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33 And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: and though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction. 34 But they set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to defile it. 35 And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my [p]mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

36 And now therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: 37 Behold, I will gather them out of all the countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my wrath, and in great indignation; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely. 38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: 39 and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: 40 and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from following them, to do them good; and I will put my fear in their hearts, that they may not depart from me. 41 Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land [q]assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. 42 For thus saith Jehovah: Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them. 43 And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. 44 Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe the deeds, and seal them, and call witnesses, in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the hill-country, and in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith Jehovah.

33 Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the guard, saying, Thus saith Jehovah that doeth it, Jehovah that formeth it to establish it; Jehovah is his name: Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and will show thee great things, and [r]difficult, which thou knowest not. For thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are broken down to make a defence against the mounds and against the sword; while men come to fight with the Chaldeans, and to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine anger and in my wrath, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city: Behold, I will bring it [s]health and cure, and I will cure them; and I will reveal unto them abundance of peace and truth. And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first. And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned against me, and whereby they have transgressed against me. And this city shall be to me for a name of joy, for a praise and for a glory, before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them, and shall fear and tremble for all the good and for all the peace that I procure unto it.

10 Thus saith Jehovah: Yet again there shall be heard in this place, whereof ye say, It is waste, without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast, 11 the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that say, Give thanks to Jehovah of hosts, for Jehovah is good, for his lovingkindness endureth for ever; and of them that bring sacrifices of thanksgiving into the house of Jehovah. For I will cause the captivity of the land to return as at the first, saith Jehovah.

12 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Yet again shall there be in this place, which is waste, without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, a habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down. 13 In the cities of the hill-country, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks again pass under the hands of him that numbereth them, saith Jehovah.

14 Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will perform that good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and concerning the house of Judah. 15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause a Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely; and this is the name whereby she shall be called: Jehovah our righteousness. 17 For thus saith Jehovah: [t]David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; 18 neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt-offerings, and to burn meal-offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.

19 And the word of Jehovah came unto Jeremiah, saying, 20 Thus saith Jehovah: If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, so that there shall not be day and night in their season; 21 then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he shall not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. 22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured; so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.

23 And the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah, saying, 24 Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which Jehovah did choose, he hath cast them off? thus do they despise my people, that they should be no more a nation before them. 25 Thus saith Jehovah: If my covenant of day and night stand not, if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; 26 then will I also cast away the seed of Jacob, and of David my servant, so that I will not take of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will [u]cause their captivity to return, and will have mercy on them.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 31:2 Or, have found . . . when I go
  2. Jeremiah 31:2 Or, when he went to find him rest
  3. Jeremiah 31:3 Or, from afar
  4. Jeremiah 31:3 Or, have I continued lovingkindness unto thee
  5. Jeremiah 31:5 Hebrew profane, or make common. See Lev. 19:23–25; Dt. 20:6; 28:30.
  6. Jeremiah 31:7 Or, at the head
  7. Jeremiah 31:9 Or, bring them unto
  8. Jeremiah 31:20 Hebrew soundeth.
  9. Jeremiah 31:23 Or, return to
  10. Jeremiah 31:32 Or, forasmuch as they brake my covenant
  11. Jeremiah 31:32 Or, lord over them
  12. Jeremiah 31:35 Or, stilleth the sea, when etc. See Isa. 51:15.
  13. Jeremiah 32:11 Or, containing the terms and conditions
  14. Jeremiah 32:17 Or, wonderful
  15. Jeremiah 32:20 Or, and
  16. Jeremiah 32:35 Hebrew heart.
  17. Jeremiah 32:41 Hebrew in truth.
  18. Jeremiah 33:3 Hebrew fortified.
  19. Jeremiah 33:6 Hebrew a bandage.
  20. Jeremiah 33:17 Hebrew There shall not be cut off from David.
  21. Jeremiah 33:26 Or, return to their captivity

31 “At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the God(A) of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”

This is what the Lord says:

“The people who survive the sword
    will find favor(B) in the wilderness;
    I will come to give rest(C) to Israel.”

The Lord appeared to us in the past,[a] saying:

“I have loved(D) you with an everlasting love;
    I have drawn(E) you with unfailing kindness.
I will build you up again,
    and you, Virgin(F) Israel, will be rebuilt.(G)
Again you will take up your timbrels(H)
    and go out to dance(I) with the joyful.(J)
Again you will plant(K) vineyards
    on the hills of Samaria;(L)
the farmers will plant them
    and enjoy their fruit.(M)
There will be a day when watchmen(N) cry out
    on the hills of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Zion,
    to the Lord our God.’”(O)

This is what the Lord says:

“Sing(P) with joy for Jacob;
    shout for the foremost(Q) of the nations.
Make your praises heard, and say,
    Lord, save(R) your people,
    the remnant(S) of Israel.’
See, I will bring them from the land of the north(T)
    and gather(U) them from the ends of the earth.
Among them will be the blind(V) and the lame,(W)
    expectant mothers and women in labor;
    a great throng will return.
They will come with weeping;(X)
    they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead(Y) them beside streams of water(Z)
    on a level(AA) path where they will not stumble,
because I am Israel’s father,(AB)
    and Ephraim is my firstborn son.

10 “Hear the word of the Lord, you nations;
    proclaim it in distant coastlands:(AC)
‘He who scattered(AD) Israel will gather(AE) them
    and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’(AF)
11 For the Lord will deliver Jacob
    and redeem(AG) them from the hand of those stronger(AH) than they.
12 They will come and shout for joy(AI) on the heights(AJ) of Zion;
    they will rejoice in the bounty(AK) of the Lord
the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,(AL)
    the young of the flocks(AM) and herds.
They will be like a well-watered garden,(AN)
    and they will sorrow(AO) no more.
13 Then young women will dance and be glad,
    young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning(AP) into gladness;
    I will give them comfort(AQ) and joy(AR) instead of sorrow.
14 I will satisfy(AS) the priests(AT) with abundance,
    and my people will be filled with my bounty,(AU)
declares the Lord.

15 This is what the Lord says:

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

16 This is what the Lord says:

“Restrain your voice from weeping
    and your eyes from tears,(AY)
for your work will be rewarded,(AZ)
declares the Lord.
    “They will return(BA) from the land of the enemy.
17 So there is hope(BB) for your descendants,”
declares the Lord.
    “Your children(BC) will return to their own land.

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

21 “Set up road signs;
    put up guideposts.(BN)
Take note of the highway,(BO)
    the road that you take.
Return,(BP) Virgin(BQ) Israel,
    return to your towns.
22 How long will you wander,(BR)
    unfaithful(BS) Daughter Israel?
The Lord will create a new thing(BT) on earth—
    the woman will return to[b](BU) the man.”

23 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity,[c](BV) the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: ‘The Lord bless(BW) you, you prosperous city,(BX) you sacred mountain.’(BY) 24 People will live(BZ) together in Judah and all its towns—farmers and those who move about with their flocks.(CA) 25 I will refresh the weary(CB) and satisfy the faint.”(CC)

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

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

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

30 Instead, everyone will die for their own sin;(CM) 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(CN)
with the people of Israel
    and with the people of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant(CO)
    I made with their ancestors(CP)
when I took them by the hand
    to lead them out of Egypt,(CQ)
because they broke my covenant,
    though I was a husband(CR) to[d] them,[e]
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(CS)
    and write it on their hearts.(CT)
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.(CU)
34 No longer will they teach(CV) their neighbor,
    or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know(CW) me,
    from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive(CX) their wickedness
    and will remember their sins(CY) no more.”

35 This is what the Lord says,

he who appoints(CZ) the sun
    to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
    to shine by night,(DA)
who stirs up the sea(DB)
    so that its waves roar(DC)
    the Lord Almighty is his name:(DD)
36 “Only if these decrees(DE) vanish from my sight,”
    declares the Lord,
“will Israel(DF) ever cease
    being a nation before me.”

37 This is what the Lord says:

“Only if the heavens above can be measured(DG)
    and the foundations of the earth below be searched out
will I reject(DH) 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(DI) for me from the Tower of Hananel(DJ) to the Corner Gate.(DK) 39 The measuring line(DL) will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. 40 The whole valley(DM) where dead bodies(DN) and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley(DO) on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate,(DP) will be holy(DQ) to the Lord. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.”

Jeremiah Buys a Field

32 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth(DR) year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth(DS) year of Nebuchadnezzar. The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging(DT) Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined(DU) in the courtyard of the guard(DV) in the royal palace of Judah.

Now Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him there, saying, “Why do you prophesy(DW) as you do? You say, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will capture(DX) it. Zedekiah(DY) king of Judah will not escape(DZ) the Babylonians[f](EA) but will certainly be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him with his own eyes. He will take(EB) Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain until I deal with him,(EC) declares the Lord. If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed.’”(ED)

Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me: Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth,(EE) because as nearest relative it is your right and duty(EF) to buy it.’

“Then, just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, ‘Buy my field(EG) at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.’

“I knew that this was the word of the Lord; so I bought the field(EH) at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels[g] of silver.(EI) 10 I signed and sealed the deed,(EJ) had it witnessed,(EK) and weighed out the silver on the scales. 11 I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, as well as the unsealed copy— 12 and I gave this deed to Baruch(EL) son of Neriah,(EM) the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed and of all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard.

13 “In their presence I gave Baruch these instructions: 14 ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take these documents, both the sealed(EN) and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time. 15 For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’(EO)

16 “After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch(EP) son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord:

17 “Ah, Sovereign Lord,(EQ) you have made the heavens and the earth(ER) by your great power and outstretched arm.(ES) Nothing is too hard(ET) for you. 18 You show love(EU) to thousands but bring the punishment for the parents’ sins into the laps(EV) of their children(EW) after them. Great and mighty God,(EX) whose name is the Lord Almighty,(EY) 19 great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds.(EZ) Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind;(FA) you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve.(FB) 20 You performed signs and wonders(FC) in Egypt(FD) and have continued them to this day, in Israel and among all mankind, and have gained the renown(FE) that is still yours. 21 You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, by a mighty hand(FF) and an outstretched arm(FG) and with great terror.(FH) 22 You gave them this land you had sworn to give their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.(FI) 23 They came in and took possession(FJ) of it, but they did not obey you or follow your law;(FK) they did not do what you commanded them to do. So you brought all this disaster(FL) on them.

24 “See how the siege ramps(FM) are built up to take the city. Because of the sword, famine and plague,(FN) the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians who are attacking it. What you said(FO) has happened,(FP) as you now see. 25 And though the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians, you, Sovereign Lord, say to me, ‘Buy the field(FQ) with silver and have the transaction witnessed.(FR)’”

26 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 27 “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind.(FS) Is anything too hard for me?(FT) 28 Therefore this is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar(FU) king of Babylon, who will capture it.(FV) 29 The Babylonians who are attacking this city will come in and set it on fire; they will burn it down,(FW) along with the houses(FX) where the people aroused my anger by burning incense on the roofs to Baal and by pouring out drink offerings(FY) to other gods.(FZ)

30 “The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth;(GA) indeed, the people of Israel have done nothing but arouse my anger(GB) with what their hands have made,(GC) declares the Lord. 31 From the day it was built until now, this city(GD) has so aroused my anger and wrath that I must remove(GE) it from my sight. 32 The people of Israel and Judah have provoked(GF) me by all the evil(GG) they have done—they, their kings and officials,(GH) their priests and prophets, the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem. 33 They turned their backs(GI) to me and not their faces; though I taught(GJ) them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline.(GK) 34 They set up their vile images(GL) in the house that bears my Name(GM) and defiled(GN) it. 35 They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom(GO) to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek,(GP) though I never commanded—nor did it enter my mind(GQ)—that they should do such a detestable(GR) thing and so make Judah sin.(GS)

36 “You are saying about this city, ‘By the sword, famine and plague(GT) it will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon’; but this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 37 I will surely gather(GU) them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger(GV) and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety.(GW) 38 They will be my people,(GX) and I will be their God. 39 I will give them singleness(GY) of heart and action, so that they will always fear(GZ) me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them. 40 I will make an everlasting covenant(HA) with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire(HB) them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me.(HC) 41 I will rejoice(HD) in doing them good(HE) and will assuredly plant(HF) them in this land with all my heart and soul.(HG)

42 “This is what the Lord says: As I have brought all this great calamity(HH) on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised(HI) them. 43 Once more fields will be bought(HJ) in this land of which you say, ‘It is a desolate(HK) waste, without people or animals, for it has been given into the hands of the Babylonians.’ 44 Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds(HL) will be signed, sealed and witnessed(HM) in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev,(HN) because I will restore(HO) their fortunes,[h] declares the Lord.”

Promise of Restoration

33 While Jeremiah was still confined(HP) in the courtyard(HQ) of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time:(HR) “This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth,(HS) the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name:(HT) ‘Call(HU) to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable(HV) things you do not know.’ For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege(HW) ramps(HX) and the sword in the fight with the Babylonians[i]: ‘They will be filled with the dead bodies of the people I will slay in my anger and wrath.(HY) I will hide my face(HZ) from this city because of all its wickedness.

“‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal(IA) my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace(IB) and security. I will bring Judah(IC) and Israel back from captivity[j](ID) and will rebuild(IE) them as they were before.(IF) I will cleanse(IG) them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive(IH) all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown,(II) joy, praise(IJ) and honor(IK) before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble(IL) at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’

10 “This is what the Lord says: ‘You say about this place, “It is a desolate waste, without people or animals.”(IM) Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted,(IN) inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more 11 the sounds of joy and gladness,(IO) the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings(IP) to the house of the Lord, saying,

“Give thanks to the Lord Almighty,
    for the Lord is good;(IQ)
    his love endures forever.”(IR)

For I will restore the fortunes(IS) of the land as they were before,(IT)’ says the Lord.

12 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In this place, desolate(IU) and without people or animals(IV)—in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks.(IW) 13 In the towns of the hill(IX) country, of the western foothills and of the Negev,(IY) in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand(IZ) of the one who counts them,’ says the Lord.

14 “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise(JA) I made to the people of Israel and Judah.

15 “‘In those days and at that time
    I will make a righteous(JB) Branch(JC) sprout from David’s line;(JD)
    he will do what is just and right in the land.
16 In those days Judah will be saved(JE)
    and Jerusalem will live in safety.(JF)
This is the name by which it[k] will be called:(JG)
    The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’(JH)

17 For this is what the Lord says: ‘David will never fail(JI) to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel, 18 nor will the Levitical(JJ) priests(JK) ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.(JL)’”

19 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 “This is what the Lord says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day(JM) and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time,(JN) 21 then my covenant(JO) with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites(JP) who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne.(JQ) 22 I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless(JR) as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’”

23 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 24 “Have you not noticed that these people are saying, ‘The Lord has rejected the two kingdoms[l](JS) he chose’? So they despise(JT) my people and no longer regard them as a nation.(JU) 25 This is what the Lord says: ‘If I have not made my covenant with day and night(JV) and established the laws(JW) of heaven and earth,(JX) 26 then I will reject(JY) the descendants of Jacob(JZ) and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes[m](KA) and have compassion(KB) on them.’”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 31:3 Or Lord has appeared to us from afar
  2. Jeremiah 31:22 Or will protect
  3. Jeremiah 31:23 Or I restore their fortunes
  4. Jeremiah 31:32 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac / and I turned away from
  5. Jeremiah 31:32 Or was their master
  6. Jeremiah 32:4 Or Chaldeans; also in verses 5, 24, 25, 28, 29 and 43
  7. Jeremiah 32:9 That is, about 7 ounces or about 200 grams
  8. Jeremiah 32:44 Or will bring them back from captivity
  9. Jeremiah 33:5 Or Chaldeans
  10. Jeremiah 33:7 Or will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel
  11. Jeremiah 33:16 Or he
  12. Jeremiah 33:24 Or families
  13. Jeremiah 33:26 Or will bring them back from captivity