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The Fortunes of Judah and Israel Will Be Restored

33 And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah a second time while he was still held back in the courtyard of the guard, saying,[a] “Thus says Yahweh who made the earth,[b] Yahweh who formed it to establish it, Yahweh is his name: ‘Call to me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great things and inaccessible things that you have not known.’ For thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, that were torn down to make a defense against the siege ramps and against the sword: They are coming to fight against the Chaldeans, and to fill them with the corpses of the people whom I will strike in my anger and in my wrath, for whom I have hidden my face from this city because of all their wickedness. Look, I am going to bring healing and health to it, and I will heal them, and I will reveal to them abundance of peace and reliability. And I will restore the fortunes[c] of Judah and the fortunes[d] of Israel, and I will rebuild them as in the beginning. And I will cleanse them from all their guilt that they sinned against me, and I will forgive all their iniquities that they sinned against me, and that they rebelled against me. And it will be to me a name of jubilation, a praise, and a glory before all the nations of the earth, who will hear all the good that I will do for them, and they will fear,[e] and they will tremble because of all the good, and because of all the prosperity that I will provide for it.’

10 “Thus says Yahweh: ‘Again will be heard in this place, of which you are saying, “It is a waste, without[f] people and without[g] animals,”[h] in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without[i] people and without[j] inhabitants[k] and without[l] animals,[m] 11 the voice of jubilation, and the voice of joy, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voices[n] of those who say, “Praise Yahweh of hosts, for Yahweh is good, for his loyal love is forever,”[o] the voices of those who bring thank offerings[p] to the house of Yahweh, for I will restore the fortunes[q] of the land as in the beginning,’ says Yahweh. 12 Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Again there will be in this waste place, without[r] people and animals,[s] and in all its towns, pasture for shepherds allowing their flock to lie down. 13 In the towns of the hill country, in the towns of the Shephelah, and in the towns of the Negev, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the surroundings of Jerusalem, and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hands of the counter,’ says Yahweh.

14 ‘Look, days are coming,’ declares[t] Yahweh, ‘and I will fulfill the good promise[u] that I promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. 15 In those days and in that time I will make a branch of righteousness sprout for David, and he will execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely,[v] and this is what they shall call it: “Yahweh is our righteousness.”’ 17 For thus says Yahweh: ‘A man who sits on the throne of the house of Israel will not be cut off for David. 18 And for the priests, a man from the Levites who offers burnt offerings[w] and who burns grain offerings[x] and who brings sacrifices[y] will not be cut off before me[z] forever.’”[aa]

19 And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying,[ab] 20 “Thus says Yahweh: ‘If you could break my covenant with the day, and my covenant with the night, so that day and night would not come at their time, 21 then my covenant could be broken with David my servant, from having[ac] a son who could rule on his throne, and with the Levites, the priests, my ministers. 22 As the host of heaven cannot be counted, and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will make numerous the offspring of David my servant and the Levites who minister to me.’” 23 And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying,[ad] 24 “Have you not seen how these people speak, saying,[ae] ‘The two clans[af] whom Yahweh chose, he has also rejected them’? Thus they spurn my people from being a nation before them[ag] any longer. 25 Thus says Yahweh: ‘If my covenant with day and with night, the regulations of heaven and earth, I had not established, 26 then the offspring of Jacob and David my servant I would reject, from choosing rulers from his offspring over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for I will restore their fortunes[ah] and I will have compassion on them.’”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 33:1 Literally “to say”
  2. Jeremiah 33:2 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  3. Jeremiah 33:7 Hebrew “fortune”
  4. Jeremiah 33:7 Hebrew “fortune”
  5. Jeremiah 33:9 Or “tremble”
  6. Jeremiah 33:10 Literally “from there is not”
  7. Jeremiah 33:10 Literally “from there is not”
  8. Jeremiah 33:10 Hebrew “animal”
  9. Jeremiah 33:10 Literally “from there is not”
  10. Jeremiah 33:10 Literally “from there is not”
  11. Jeremiah 33:10 Hebrew “inhabitant”
  12. Jeremiah 33:10 Literally “from there is not”
  13. Jeremiah 33:10 Hebrew “animal”
  14. Jeremiah 33:11 Hebrew “voice”
  15. Jeremiah 33:11 Literally “to eternity”
  16. Jeremiah 33:11 Hebrew “thank offering”
  17. Jeremiah 33:11 Hebrew “fortune”
  18. Jeremiah 33:12 Literally “from there is not”
  19. Jeremiah 33:12 Hebrew “animal”
  20. Jeremiah 33:14 Literally “a declaration of”
  21. Jeremiah 33:14 Or “word”
  22. Jeremiah 33:16 Literally “with confidence”
  23. Jeremiah 33:18 Hebrew “burnt offering”
  24. Jeremiah 33:18 Hebrew “grain offering”
  25. Jeremiah 33:18 Hebrew “sacrifice”
  26. Jeremiah 33:18 Literally “to the face of me”
  27. Jeremiah 33:18 Literally “all the days”
  28. Jeremiah 33:19 Literally “to say”
  29. Jeremiah 33:21 Literally “being for him”
  30. Jeremiah 33:23 Literally “to say”
  31. Jeremiah 33:24 Literally “to say”
  32. Jeremiah 33:24 Or “families”
  33. Jeremiah 33:24 Literally “to the face of them”
  34. Jeremiah 33:26 Hebrew “fortune”

Restoration of Judah and Israel

33 While he was still confined to the prison quarters, the Lord’s word came to Jeremiah a second time: The Lord proclaims, the Lord who made the earth,[a] who formed and established it, whose name is the Lord: Call to me and I will answer and reveal to you wondrous secrets that you haven’t known.

This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, proclaims about the houses of this city and the palaces of the kings of Judah that were torn down to defend against the siege ramps and weapons of the invading Babylonians.[b] They will be filled with the corpses of those slain in my fierce anger. I hid my face from the people of this city because of all their evil deeds, but now I will heal and mend them. I will make them whole and bless them[c] with an abundance of peace and security. I will bring back the captives of Judah and Israel, and I will rebuild them as they were at first. I will cleanse them of all the wrongdoing they committed against me, and I will forgive them for all of their guilt and rebellion. Then this city[d] will bring me great joy, praise, and renown before all nations on earth, when they hear of all the good I provide for them. They will be in total awe at all the good and prosperity I provide for them.

10 The Lord proclaims: You have said about this place, “It is a wasteland, without humans or animals.” Yet in the ravaged and uninhabited towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem, 11 the sounds of joy and laughter and the voices of the bride and the bridegroom will again be heard. So will the voices of those who say, as thank offerings are brought to the Lord’s temple, “Give thanks to the Lord of heavenly forces, for the Lord is good and his kindness lasts forever.” I will bring back the captives of this land as they were before, says the Lord.

12 The Lord of heavenly forces proclaims: This wasteland, without humans or animals—and all its towns—will again become pastures for shepherds to care for their flocks. 13 Shepherds will again count their flocks in the towns of the highlands, the western foothills and the arid southern plain, in the land of Benjamin, as well as in the outlying areas of Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, says the Lord.

14 The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill my gracious promise with the people of Israel and Judah. 15 In those days and at that time, I will raise up a righteous branch from David’s line, who will do what is just and right in the land. 16 In those days, Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is what he will be called: The Lord Is Our Righteousness. 17 The Lord proclaims: David will always have one of his descendants sit on the throne of the house of Israel. 18 And the levitical priests will always have someone in my presence to make entirely burned offerings and grain offerings, and to present sacrifices.

19 Then the Lord’s word came to Jeremiah: 20 This is what the Lord says: If one could break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night so that they wouldn’t come at their proper time, 21 only then could my covenant with my servant David and my covenant with the levitical priests who minister before me be broken; only then would David no longer have a descendant to rule on his throne. 22 And just as the stars in the sky can’t be numbered and the sand on the shore can’t be counted, so I will increase the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who minister before me.

23 Then the Lord’s word came to Jeremiah: 24 Aren’t you aware of what people are saying: “The Lord has rejected the two families that he had chosen”? They are insulting my people as if they no longer belong to me.[e] 25 The Lord proclaims: I would no sooner break my covenant with day and night or the laws of heaven and earth 26 than I would reject the descendants of Jacob and my servant David and his descendants as rulers for the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will restore the captives and have compassion on them.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 33:2 LXX the earth; MT it
  2. Jeremiah 33:5 Heb uncertain
  3. Jeremiah 33:6 Heb uncertain
  4. Jeremiah 33:9 Or it
  5. Jeremiah 33:24 Heb uncertain