Israel’s Restoration

33 While he was still confined in the guard’s courtyard,(A) the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time: “The Lord who made the earth,[a] the Lord who forms it to establish it, Yahweh is His name,(B) says this: Call to Me and I will answer you(C) and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.(D) For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the houses of this city and the palaces of Judah’s kings, the ones torn down for defense against the siege ramps and the sword:(E) The people coming to fight the Chaldeans will fill the houses with the corpses of their own men that I strike down in My wrath and rage. I have hidden My face(F) from this city because of all their evil. Yet I will certainly bring health(G) and healing to it and will indeed heal them. I will let them experience the abundance[b] of peace and truth.(H) I will restore the fortunes[c] of Judah and of Israel and will rebuild them as in former times.(I) I will purify them from all the wrongs they have committed against Me,(J) and I will forgive all the wrongs they have committed against Me, rebelling against Me. This city will bear on My behalf a name of joy, praise, and glory(K) before all the nations of the earth, who will hear of all the good I will do for them. They will tremble with awe because of all the good and all the peace(L) I will bring about for them.

10 “This is what the Lord says: In this place, which you say is a ruin,(M) without man or beast—that is, in Judah’s cities and Jerusalem’s streets that are a desolation without man, without inhabitant, and without beast—there will be heard again 11 a sound of joy and gladness, the voice of the groom and the bride,(N) and the voice of those saying,

Praise the Lord of Hosts,
for the Lord is good;
His faithful love endures forever

as they bring thank offerings to the temple of the Lord. For I will restore the fortunes[d] of the land as in former times, says the Lord.

12 “This is what the Lord of Hosts says: In this desolate place—without man or beast—and in all its cities there will once more be a grazing land where shepherds may rest flocks.(O) 13 The flocks will again pass under the hands of the one who counts them(P) in the cities of the hill country,(Q) the cities of the Judean foothills, the cities of the Negev, the land of Benjamin—the cities surrounding Jerusalem and Judah’s cities, says the Lord.

God’s Covenant with David

14 “Look, the days are coming”—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
“when I will fulfill the good promises
that I have spoken
concerning the house of Israel
and the house of Judah.(R)
15 In those days and at that time
I will cause a Righteous Branch(S)
to sprout up for David,
and He will administer justice
and righteousness in the land.
16 In those days Judah will be saved,
and Jerusalem will dwell securely,(T)
and this is what she will be named:
Yahweh Our Righteousness.

17 “For this is what the Lord says: David will never fail to have a man sitting on the throne of the house of Israel.(U) 18 The Levitical priests will never fail to have a man always before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices.”(V)

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 and My covenant with the night so that day and night cease to come at their regular time,(W) 21 then also My covenant with My servant David(X) may be broken so that he will not have a son reigning on his throne, and the Levitical priests will not be My ministers.(Y) 22 The hosts of heaven cannot be counted; the sand of the sea cannot be measured.(Z) So, too, I will make the descendants of My servant David and the Levites who minister to Me innumerable.”

23 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 24 “Have you not noticed what these people have said? They say, ‘The Lord has rejected the two families He had chosen.’(AA) My people are treated with contempt and no longer regarded as a nation among them. 25 This is what the Lord says: If I do not keep My covenant with the day and with the night and fail to establish the fixed order of heaven and earth,(AB) 26 then I might also reject the seed of Jacob and of My servant David—not taking from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, I will restore their fortunes[e] and have compassion on them.”(AC)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 33:2 LXX; MT reads made it
  2. Jeremiah 33:6 Or fragrance; Hb obscure
  3. Jeremiah 33:7 Or will end the captivity
  4. Jeremiah 33:11 Or will end the captivity
  5. Jeremiah 33:26 Or Instead, I will end their captivity

Promises of Peace and Prosperity

33 While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the Lord gave him this second message: “This is what the Lord says—the Lord who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name is the Lord: Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: You have torn down the houses of this city and even the king’s palace to get materials to strengthen the walls against the siege ramps and swords of the enemy. You expect to fight the Babylonians,[a] but the men of this city are already as good as dead, for I have determined to destroy them in my terrible anger. I have abandoned them because of all their wickedness.

“Nevertheless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem’s wounds and give it prosperity and true peace. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel and rebuild their towns. I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion. Then this city will bring me joy, glory, and honor before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see all the good I do for my people, and they will tremble with awe at the peace and prosperity I provide for them.

10 “This is what the Lord says: You have said, ‘This is a desolate land where people and animals have all disappeared.’ Yet in the empty streets of Jerusalem and Judah’s other towns, there will be heard once more 11 the sounds of joy and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will be heard again, along with the joyous songs of people bringing thanksgiving offerings to the Lord. They will sing,

‘Give thanks to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    for the Lord is good.
    His faithful love endures forever!’

For I will restore the prosperity of this land to what it was in the past, says the Lord.

12 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: This land—though it is now desolate and has no people and animals—will once more have pastures where shepherds can lead their flocks. 13 Once again shepherds will count their flocks in the towns of the hill country, the foothills of Judah,[b] the Negev, the land of Benjamin, the vicinity of Jerusalem, and all the towns of Judah. I, the Lord, have spoken!

14 “The day will come, says the Lord, when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good things I have promised them.

15 “In those days and at that time
    I will raise up a righteous descendant[c] from King David’s line.
    He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
16 In that day Judah will be saved,
    and Jerusalem will live in safety.
And this will be its name:
    ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’[d]

17 For this is what the Lord says: David will have a descendant sitting on the throne of Israel forever. 18 And there will always be Levitical priests to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings and sacrifices to me.”

19 Then this message came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 20 “This is what the Lord says: If you can break my covenant with the day and the night so that one does not follow the other, 21 only then will my covenant with my servant David be broken. Only then will he no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. The same is true for my covenant with the Levitical priests who minister before me. 22 And as the stars of the sky cannot be counted and the sand on the seashore cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who minister before me.”

23 The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 24 “Have you noticed what people are saying?—‘The Lord chose Judah and Israel and then abandoned them!’ They are sneering and saying that Israel is not worthy to be counted as a nation. 25 But this is what the Lord says: I would no more reject my people than I would change my laws that govern night and day, earth and sky. 26 I will never abandon the descendants of Jacob or David, my servant, or change the plan that David’s descendants will rule the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, I will restore them to their land and have mercy on them.”

Footnotes

  1. 33:5 Or Chaldeans.
  2. 33:13 Hebrew the Shephelah.
  3. 33:15 Hebrew a righteous branch.
  4. 33:16 Hebrew Yahweh Tsidqenu.