Jeremiah 29-31

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles

29 This is the text of the letter^(A) that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exiles, the priests, the prophets, and all the people Nebuchadnezzar^(B) had deported from Jerusalem to Babylon. ²This was after King Jeconiah,^[a]^(C) the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had left Jerusalem. ³The letter was sent by Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah^(D) whom Zedekiah king of Judah had sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. The letter stated:

⁴This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: ⁵“Build houses and live in them.^(E) Plant gardens and eat their produce. ⁶Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. ⁷Seek the welfare of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf,^(F) for when it has prosperity, you will prosper.”

⁸For this is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among you^(G) and your diviners deceive you,^(H) and don’t listen to the dreams you elicit from them, ⁹for they are prophesying falsely to you in My name. I have not sent them.”^(I) This is the Lord’s declaration.

¹⁰For this is what the Lord says: “When 70 years for Babylon are complete,^(J) I will attend to you and will confirm My promise concerning you to restore you to this place. ¹¹For I know the plans I have for you”^(K)—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. ¹²You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.^(L) ¹³You will seek Me^(M) and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. ¹⁴I will be found by you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and I will restore your fortunes^[b]^(N) and gather you from all the nations and places where I banished you”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “I will restore you to the place I deported you from.”^(O)

¹⁵You have said, “The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon!” ¹⁶But this is what the Lord says concerning the king sitting on David’s throne and concerning all the people living in this city—that is, concerning your brothers who did not go with you into exile. ¹⁷This is what the Lord of Hosts says: “I am about to send against them sword, famine, and plague^(P) and will make them like rotten figs that are inedible because they are so bad. ¹⁸I will pursue them with sword, famine, and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse and a desolation, an object of scorn and a disgrace among all the nations where I have banished them.^(Q) ¹⁹I will do this because they have not listened to My words”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“that I sent to them with My servants the prophets time and time again.^[c]^(R) And you too have not listened.” This is the Lord’s declaration.

²⁰Hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.^(S) ²¹This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to Ahab son of Kolaiah and to Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, the ones prophesying a lie to you in My name:^(T) “I am about to hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes. ²²Based on what happens to them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will create a curse^(U) that says, ‘May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!’^(V) ²³because they have committed an outrage^(W) in Israel by committing adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have spoken a lie in My name, which I did not command them. I am He who knows, and I am a witness.” This is the Lord’s declaration.

²⁴To Shemaiah the Nehelamite you are to say, ²⁵“This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: You^[d] in your own name have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah^(X) son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying: ²⁶‘The Lord has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada the priest to be the chief officer^(Y) in the temple of the Lord, responsible for every madman^(Z) who acts like a prophet. You must confine him in the stocks^(AA) and an iron collar. ²⁷So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who has been acting like a prophet among you?^(AB) ²⁸For he has sent word to us in Babylon, claiming, “The exile will be long. Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce.”’”^(AC)

²⁹Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet.

A Message about Shemaiah

³⁰Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ³¹“Send a message to all the exiles, saying: This is what the Lord says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and made you trust a lie,^(AD) ³²this is what the Lord says: I am about to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. There will not be even one of his descendants living among these people,^(AE) nor will any ever see the good that I will bring to My people”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“for he has preached rebellion against the Lord.”^(AF)

Restoration from Captivity

30 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord. ²This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “Write down on a scroll all the words that I have spoken to you,^(AG) ³for the days are certainly coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will restore the fortunes^[e] of My people Israel and Judah”^(AH)—the Lord’s declaration. “I will restore them to the land I gave to their ancestors and they will possess it.”

⁴These are the words the Lord spoke to Israel and Judah. ⁵Yes, this is what the Lord says:

We have heard a cry of terror,
of dread—there is no peace.
⁶Ask and see
whether a male can give birth.
Why then do I see every man
with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor
and every face turned pale?
⁷How awful that day will be!^(AI)
There will be none like it!^(AJ)
It will be a time of trouble for Jacob,
but he will be delivered out of it.

⁸“On that day”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts—“I will break his yoke from your neck^(AK) and tear off your chains^(AL) so strangers will never again enslave him.^(AM) ⁹They will serve the Lord their God and I will raise up David their king for them.”^(AN)

¹⁰As for you, My servant Jacob,^(AO)
do not be afraid—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
and do not be dismayed, Israel,
for without fail I will save you from far away,
your descendants, from the land of their captivity!
Jacob will return and have calm and quiet
with no one to frighten him.^(AP)
¹¹For I will be with you—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
to save you!^(AQ)
I will bring destruction on all the nations
where I have scattered you;
however, I will not bring destruction on you.
I will discipline you justly,
and I will by no means leave you unpunished.^(AR)

Healing Zion’s Wounds

¹²For this is what the Lord says:

Your injury is incurable;
your wound most severe.^(AS)
¹³No one takes up the case for your sores.^(AT)
There is no healing for you.
¹⁴All your lovers have forgotten you;
they no longer look for you,
for I have struck you as an enemy would,
with the discipline^(AU) of someone cruel,^(AV)
because of your enormous guilt
and your innumerable sins.
¹⁵Why do you cry out about your injury?
Your pain has no cure!
I have done these things to you
because of your enormous guilt
and your innumerable sins.
¹⁶Nevertheless, all who devoured you will be devoured,^(AW)
and all your adversaries—all of them—
will go off into exile.
Those who plunder you will be plundered,
and all who raid you will be raided.
¹⁷But I will bring you health^(AX)
and will heal you of your wounds—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
for they call you Outcast,
Zion whom no one cares about.

Restoration of the Land

¹⁸This is what the Lord says:

I will certainly restore the fortunes^[f] of Jacob’s tents^(AY)
and show compassion on his dwellings.
Every city will be rebuilt on its mound;
every citadel will stand on its proper site.
¹⁹Thanksgiving will come out of them,
a sound of celebration.
I will multiply them, and they will not decrease;^(AZ)
I will honor them, and they will not be insignificant.
²⁰His children will be as in past days;
his congregation will be established in My presence.
I will punish all his oppressors.^(BA)
²¹Jacob’s leader will be one of them;
his ruler will issue from him.
I will invite him to Me, and he will approach Me,^(BB)
for who would otherwise risk his life to approach Me?
This is the Lord’s declaration.
²²You will be My people,
and I will be your God.^(BC)

The Wrath of God

²³Look, a storm from the Lord!^(BD)
Wrath has gone out,
a churning storm.
It will whirl about the heads of the wicked.
²⁴The Lord’s burning anger will not turn back
until He has completely fulfilled the purposes of His heart.
In time to come you will understand it.^(BE)

God’s Relationship with His People

31 “At that time”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“I will be the God of all the families of Israel,^(BF) and they will be My people.”

²This is what the Lord says:

They found favor in the wilderness^(BG)—
the people who survived the sword.
When Israel went to find rest,
³the Lord appeared to him^[g] from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you.^(BH)
⁴Again I will build you so that you will be rebuilt,
Virgin Israel.
You will take up your tambourines again^(BI)
and go out in joyful dancing.
⁵You will plant vineyards again
on the mountains of Samaria;
the planters will plant and will enjoy the fruit.^(BJ)
⁶For there will be a day when watchmen will call out
in the hill country of Ephraim,
“Get up, let’s go up to Zion,^(BK)
to Yahweh our God!”

God’s People Brought Home

⁷For this is what the Lord says:

Sing with joy for Jacob;
shout for the chief of the nations!
Proclaim, praise, and say,
“Lord, save Your people,^(BL)
the remnant of Israel!”
⁸Watch! I am going to bring them from the northern land.
I will gather them from remote regions of the earth^(BM)—
the blind and the lame will be with them,
along with those who are pregnant and those about to give birth.
They will return here as a great assembly!^(BN)
⁹They will come weeping,
but I will bring them back with consolation.^[h]^(BO)
I will lead them to wadis filled with water
by a smooth way where they will not stumble,^(BP)
for I am Israel’s Father,
and Ephraim is My firstborn.
¹⁰Nations, hear the word of the Lord,
and tell it among the far off coastlands!^(BQ)
Say: The One who scattered Israel will gather him.
He will watch over him as a shepherd guards his flock,
¹¹for the Lord has ransomed Jacob
and redeemed him from the power of one stronger than he.^(BR)
¹²They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;
they will be radiant with joy^(BS)
because of^(BT) the Lord’s goodness,
because of the grain, the new wine, the fresh oil,^(BU)
and because of the young of the flocks and herds.
Their life will be like an irrigated garden,
and they will no longer grow weak from hunger.
¹³Then the young woman will rejoice with dancing,
while young and old men rejoice together.
I will turn their mourning into joy,^(BV)
give them consolation,
and bring happiness out of grief.
¹⁴I will refresh the priests with an abundance,^[i]^(BW)
and My people will be satisfied with My goodness.
This is the Lord’s declaration.

Lament Turned to Joy

¹⁵This is what the Lord says:

A voice was heard in Ramah,
a lament with bitter weeping—
Rachel weeping for her children,
refusing to be comforted for her children
because they are no more.^(BX)

¹⁶This is what the Lord says:

Keep your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears,
for the reward for your work will come—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
and your children will return from the enemy’s land.
¹⁷There is hope for your future^(BY)—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
and your children will return to their own territory.
¹⁸I have heard Ephraim moaning,
“You disciplined me, and I have been disciplined
like an untrained calf.
Restore me, and I will return,
for you, Lord, are my God.^(BZ)
¹⁹After I returned, I repented;
After I was instructed, I struck my thigh in grief.^(CA)
I was ashamed and humiliated
because I bore the disgrace of my youth.”
²⁰Isn’t Ephraim a precious son to Me,
a delightful child?
Whenever I speak against him,
I certainly still think about him.
Therefore, My inner being yearns for him;
I will truly have compassion on him.
This is the Lord’s declaration.

Repentance and Restoration

²¹Set up road markers^(CB) for yourself;
establish signposts!
Keep the highway in mind,
the way you have traveled.
Return, Virgin Israel!
Return to these cities of yours.
²²How long will you turn here and there,
faithless daughter?^(CC)
For the Lord creates something new in the land^[j]—
a female^[k] will shelter^[l] a man.

²³This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “When I restore their fortunes,^[m] they will once again speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities, ‘May the Lord bless you, righteous settlement,^(CD) holy mountain.’^(CE) ²⁴Judah and all its cities will live in it together—also farmers and those who move^[n] with the flocks— ²⁵for I satisfy the thirsty person and feed all those who are weak.”

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

²⁷“The days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will sow the house of Israel^(CF) and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. ²⁸Just as I watched over them to uproot and to tear them down, to demolish and to destroy, and to cause disaster, so will I be attentive to build and to plant them,”^(CG) says the Lord. ²⁹“In those days, it will never again be said:

The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge.^(CH)

³⁰Rather, each will die for his own wrongdoing.^(CI) Anyone who eats sour grapes—his own teeth will be set on edge.

The New Covenant

³¹“Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will make a new covenant^(CJ) with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. ³²This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant they broke even though I had married them”^(CK)—the Lord’s declaration. ³³“Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put My teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people. ³⁴No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’^(CL) for they will all know Me, from the least to the greatest of them”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their wrongdoing^(CM) and never again remember their sin.”^(CN)

³⁵This is what the Lord says:

The One who gives the sun for light by day,
the fixed order of moon and stars for light by night,
who stirs up the sea and makes its waves roar^(CO)—
Yahweh of Hosts is His name:
³⁶If this fixed order departs from My presence—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
then also Israel’s descendants will cease
to be a nation before Me forever.^(CP)

³⁷This is what the Lord says:

If the heavens above can be measured
and the foundations of the earth below explored,
I will reject all of Israel’s descendants
because of all they have done—
this is the Lord’s declaration.

³⁸“Look, the days are coming”—the Lord’s declaration—“when the city^[o] from the Tower of Hananel^(CQ) to the Corner Gate^(CR) will be rebuilt for the Lord. ³⁹A measuring line will once again stretch out straight to the hill of Gareb^(CS) and then turn toward Goah. ⁴⁰The whole valley—the corpses, the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Kidron Valley^(CT) to the corner of the Horse Gate^(CU) to the east—will be holy to the Lord. It will never be uprooted or demolished again.”