Jeremiah 30:4-11

The Voice

⁴So says the Eternal in a message about Israel and Judah.

⁵Eternal One: A cry of fear is heard—
        it is the sound of panic, not of peace.
⁶    Ask and see for yourself:
        can a man give birth to a child?
    Then why do I see strong men clutching themselves,
        their hands on their abdomens as if they are in labor?
    Why has every face paled, looking sickly?
⁷    I will tell you why:
        for that great and awesome day is like no other.
    It will be a time of suffering for Jacob’s descendants;
        still they will be rescued from it.

⁸For on that day of deliverance, declares the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, I will break Nebuchadnezzar’s yoke off their necks and tear off their shackles; no longer will foreigners force them into slavery. ⁹Instead, they will serve the Eternal their God, and I will raise up a descendant of David their king to rule over them.

¹⁰    So do not be afraid, O Jacob, My servant;
        do not be troubled, O Israel.
    For I, the Eternal One, promise to liberate you from that distant place,
        to bring your children home from where they are in exile.
    Jacob will return home to peace and quiet,
        and no one will make him afraid,
¹¹    Because I am with you, and I will deliver you.
        I will completely destroy all the nations where I have scattered you,
    But I will not destroy you completely.
        I will discipline you, but My discipline will be just.
    I will not let you go unpunished.