Restoration Promised

33 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was still (A)confined in the courtyard of the guard, saying, “This is what (B)the Lord says, He who made [a]the earth, the Lord who formed it to create it, He whose name is the (C)Lord: (D)Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you (E)great and [b]mighty things, (F)which you do not know.’ For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says concerning the (G)houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah which have been torn down to make a defense against the (H)assault ramps and the sword: ‘While they are coming to (I)fight the Chaldeans and to fill [c]their houses with the bodies of people whom I have struck down in My anger and My wrath, and I have (J)hidden My face from this city because of all their wickedness: Behold, I am going to bring to it (K)healing and a remedy, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an (L)abundance of peace and truth. And I will (M)restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and will (N)rebuild them as they were at first. And I will (O)cleanse them from all their wrongdoing by which they have sinned against Me, and I will forgive all their wrongdoings by which they have sinned against Me and revolted against Me. [d]It will be to Me a (P)name of joy, praise, and glory before (Q)all the nations of the earth, which will hear of all the (R)good that I do for them, and they will be (S)frightened and tremble because of all the good and all the peace that I make for it.’

10 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Yet again there will be heard in this place, of which you say, “It is a (T)waste, without man and without animal,” that is, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are (U)deserted, without man and without inhabitant and without animal, 11 the voice of (V)joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say,

(W)Give thanks to the Lord of armies,
For the Lord is good,
For His mercy is everlasting,”

as they bring a (X)thanksgiving offering into the house of the Lord. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were at first,’ says the Lord.

12 “This is what the Lord of armies says: ‘There will again be in this place which is waste, (Y)without man or animal, and in all its cities, a pasture for shepherds who rest their (Z)flocks. 13 In the (AA)cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, in the cities of the Negev, in the land of Benjamin, in the areas surrounding Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, the flocks will again (AB)pass under the hands of the one who counts them,’ says the Lord.

The Davidic Kingdom

14 ‘Behold, (AC)days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will (AD)fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will make a (AE)righteous Branch of David sprout; and He shall execute (AF)justice and righteousness on the earth. 16 In those days (AG)Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety; and this is the name by which it will be called: the (AH)Lord is our righteousness.’ 17 For this is what the Lord says: ‘[e]David shall (AI)not lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; 18 [f]and the (AJ)Levitical priests shall not lack a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to (AK)prepare sacrifices [g]continually.’”

19 And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, 20 “This is what the Lord says: ‘If you can (AL)break My covenant for the day and My covenant for the night, so that day and night do not occur at their proper time, 21 then (AM)My covenant with David My servant may also be broken, so that he will not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levitical priests, My ministers. 22 As the (AN)heavenly [h]lights cannot be counted, and the (AO)sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will (AP)multiply the [i]descendants of My servant David and the (AQ)Levites who serve Me.’”

23 And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, 24 “Have you not observed what these people have asserted, saying, ‘The (AR)two families which the Lord chose, He has (AS)rejected them’? So they (AT)despise My people as no longer being a nation [j]in their sight. 25 This is what the Lord says: ‘If My (AU)covenant for day and night does not continue, and I have (AV)not established the [k]fixed patterns of heaven and earth, 26 then I would (AW)reject the [l]descendants of Jacob and David My servant, so as not to take from his [m]descendants (AX)rulers over the [n]descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But I will (AY)restore their fortunes and have (AZ)mercy on them.’”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 33:2 Lit it
  2. Jeremiah 33:3 Or incomprehensible
  3. Jeremiah 33:5 Lit them
  4. Jeremiah 33:9 I.e., This city
  5. Jeremiah 33:17 Lit There shall not be cut off for David
  6. Jeremiah 33:18 Lit there shall not be cut off for the Levitical priests
  7. Jeremiah 33:18 Lit all the days
  8. Jeremiah 33:22 Lit host; i.e., sun, stars, etc.
  9. Jeremiah 33:22 Lit seed
  10. Jeremiah 33:24 Lit to their faces
  11. Jeremiah 33:25 Lit statutes
  12. Jeremiah 33:26 Lit seed
  13. Jeremiah 33:26 Lit seed
  14. Jeremiah 33:26 Lit seed

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