Jeremiah 31
Christian Standard Bible
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,(A) and they will be my people.”
2 This is what the Lord says:
The people who survived the sword
found favor in the wilderness.(B)
When Israel went to find rest,(C)
3 the Lord appeared to him[a] from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;(D)
therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you.(E)
4 Again I will build you so that you will be rebuilt,
Virgin Israel.(F)
You will take up your tambourines again(G)
and go out in joyful dancing.
5 You will plant vineyards again(H)
on the mountains of Samaria;
the planters will plant and will enjoy the fruit.(I)
6 For there will be a day when watchmen will call out
in the hill country of Ephraim,
“Come, let’s go up to Zion,(J)
to the Lord our God!”
God’s People Brought Home
7 For this is what the Lord says:
Sing with joy for Jacob;
shout for the foremost of the nations!
Proclaim, praise, and say,
“Lord, save your people,(K)
the remnant of Israel!” (L)
8 Watch! I am going to bring them from the northern land.
I will gather them from remote regions of the earth(M)—
the blind and the lame will be with them,(N)
along with those who are pregnant and those about to give birth.
They will return here as a great assembly!(O)
9 They will come weeping,
but I will bring them back with consolation.[b](P)
I will lead them to wadis filled with water,
by a smooth way where they will not stumble,(Q)
for I am Israel’s Father,
and Ephraim is my firstborn.(R)
10 Nations, hear the word of the Lord,
and tell it among the far off coasts and islands!(S)
Say, “The one who scattered Israel will gather him.(T)
He will watch over him as a shepherd guards his flock,
11 for the Lord has ransomed Jacob
and redeemed him from the power of one stronger than he.”(U)
12 They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;(V)
they will be radiant with joy(W)
because of the Lord’s goodness,
because of the grain, the new wine, the fresh oil,(X)
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.
13 Then the young women will rejoice with dancing,
while young and old men rejoice together.
I will turn their mourning into joy,(Y)
give them consolation,
and bring happiness out of grief.
14 I will refresh the priests with an abundance,[c](Z)
and my people will be satisfied with my goodness.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Lament Turned to Joy
15 This is what the Lord says:
A voice was heard in Ramah,(AA)
a lament with bitter weeping—
Rachel weeping for her children,
refusing to be comforted for her children
because they are no more.(AB)
16 This 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.
17 There is hope for your future(AC)—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
and your children will return to their own territory.
18 I have surely heard Ephraim moaning,
“You disciplined me, and I have been disciplined
like an untrained calf.(AD)
Take me back, so that I can return,
for you, Lord, are my God.(AE)
19 After my return, I felt regret;
After I was instructed, I struck my thigh in grief.(AF)
I was ashamed and humiliated(AG)
because I bore the disgrace of my youth.”
20 Isn’t Ephraim a precious son to me,
a delightful child?(AH)
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.(AI)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Repentance and Restoration
21 Set up road markers(AJ) for yourself;
establish signposts!
Keep the highway in mind,
the way you have traveled.
Return, Virgin Israel!
Return to these cities of yours.
22 How long will you turn here and there,
faithless daughter?(AK)
For the Lord creates something new in the land[d]—
a female[e] will shelter[f] a man.
23 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “When I restore their fortunes,[g] they will once again speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities: ‘May the Lord bless you, righteous settlement,(AL) holy mountain.’(AM) 24 Judah and all its cities will live in it together—also farmers and those who move[h] with the flocks— 25 for I satisfy the thirsty person and feed all those who are weak.”(AN)
26 At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been most pleasant to me.
27 “Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will sow the house of Israel(AO) and the house of Judah with the seed of people and the seed of animals. 28 Just as I watched over them to uproot and to tear them down, to demolish and to destroy, and to cause disaster,(AP) so will I watch over them to build and to plant them”(AQ)—this is the Lord’s declaration. 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.’(AR)
30 Rather, each will die for his own iniquity.(AS) Anyone who eats sour grapes—his own teeth will be set on edge.
The New Covenant
31 “Look, the days are coming”(AT)—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will make a new covenant(AU) with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—my covenant that they broke even though I am their master”[i](AV)—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. 34 No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’(AW) for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them”(AX)—this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity(AY) and never again remember their sin.
35 “This 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(AZ)—
the Lord of Armies is his name:
36 If this fixed order departs from before me—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
only then will Israel’s descendants cease
to be a nation before me forever.(BA)
37 “This is what the Lord says:
Only if the heavens above can be measured
and the foundations of the earth below explored,
will I 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[j] from the Tower of Hananel(BB) to the Corner Gate(BC) will be rebuilt for the Lord. 39 A measuring line will once again stretch out straight to the hill of Gareb(BD) and then turn toward Goah. 40 The whole valley—the corpses, the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Kidron Valley(BE) to the corner of the Horse Gate(BF) to the east—will be holy to the Lord. It will never be uprooted or demolished again.”
耶利米书 31
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
以色列人必回归
31 耶和华说：“那时，我要做以色列各宗族的上帝，他们必做我的子民。
2 “逃脱刀兵之灾的以色列人必在旷野蒙恩，
找到安息之所。
这是耶和华说的。”
3 从前，耶和华向以色列显现，说：
“我以永远不变的爱爱你，
我以慈爱吸引你到我身边。
4 以色列人啊，
我要重建你们的家园，
你们要再次拿起铃鼓与欢乐的人一同跳舞。
5 你们将在撒玛利亚的山上重新栽种葡萄园，
享受园中的果实。
6 有一天，看守园子的人要在以法莲的山上呼喊，
‘我们上锡安朝见我们的上帝耶和华吧！’”
7 耶和华说：
“你们要为雅各欢呼歌唱，
向列国之首喝采。
你们要传扬颂赞，说，
‘耶和华啊，
求你拯救以色列剩余的子民！’
8 看啊，我要从北方，
从地极招聚他们，
其中有瞎子、跛子、孕妇和产妇，
他们要成群结队地回到这里。
9 我必引领他们回来，
他们必一路含泪祷告。
我要使他们走在溪水边，
行在平坦的路上，
他们必不会跌倒，
因为我是以色列的父亲，
以法莲是我的长子。
10 “列国啊，你们要听耶和华的话，
要在远方的海岛宣扬，
‘祂从前驱散以色列人，
如今必再聚集、保护他们，
好像牧人看守自己的羊群一样。’
11 耶和华必拯救雅各的子孙，
从强敌手中救出他们。
12 他们必来到锡安山上欢呼，
为耶和华所赐的五谷、新酒、
油、羔羊和牛犊而欢欣。
他们就像水源充足的田园，
一无所缺。
13 那时，少女要欢然起舞，
老人和青年要一起快乐。
我要使他们转忧为喜，
我要安慰他们，使他们欢喜，
不再忧愁。
14 我要使祭司有充足的供应，
使我的子民饱享美物。
这是耶和华说的。”
15 耶和华说：
“在拉玛有痛哭哀号的声音，
是拉结在为儿女哀痛，
不肯接受安慰，
因为他们都死了。”
16 耶和华说：
“不要哭泣，不要流泪，
因为你的劳苦必有回报，
你的儿女必从敌国回来。
这是耶和华说的。
17 你将来必有盼望，
你的儿女必重返家园。
这是耶和华说的。
18 我听见以法莲[a]在为自己悲叹，
‘我们就像未经驯服的牛犊，
你管教我们，使我们顺服，
求你使我们回到你身边，
重新复兴，
因为你是我们的上帝耶和华。
19 我们曾经离开你，
但我们后悔了；
我们醒悟之后捶胸顿足，
痛悔不已，
因早年的所作所为而羞愧难当。’”
20 耶和华说：“以法莲不是我的爱子吗？
他不是我喜悦的孩子吗？
我虽然常常责备他，
但仍然惦记着他。
我深深地想念他，
我必怜悯他。
21 “以色列人啊，
你们要为自己设置路标，
竖起路牌，
牢记你们走过的大道。
以色列人啊，
回来吧！回到你们的城邑吧！
22 不忠贞的子民啊！
你们四处流浪要到何时呢？
耶和华在地上行了一件新事——女子将要护卫男子。”
23 以色列的上帝——万军之耶和华说：“我使被掳的犹大人回到故乡后，他们要在犹大各城邑再次呼喊，
“‘公义的居所啊，
圣山啊，愿耶和华赐福给你！’
24 “农夫和牧人必住在犹大的各城邑。 25 我要使疲乏的人振作起来，使苦闷的人快乐起来。”
26 这时，我醒过来，觉得这一觉实在香甜。
27 耶和华说：“看啊，时候将到，我要使以色列和犹大人丁兴旺，牲畜繁多。 28 我曾决意铲除、拆毁、推翻、剿灭他们，降灾给他们，将来我必塑造、栽培他们。这是耶和华说的。 29 那时，人再不会说，
“‘父亲吃酸葡萄，
儿子的牙酸倒了。’
30 因为各人都要承担自己的罪，谁吃酸葡萄，谁的牙酸倒。” 31 耶和华说：“看啊，时候将到，我要与以色列家和犹大家另立新约， 32 这约不同于我与他们祖先所立的约，就是我牵着他们祖先的手领他们离开埃及时所立的。虽然我是他们的丈夫，他们却违背了我的约。这是耶和华说的。”
33 耶和华说：“那些日子以后，我将与以色列家立这样的约，我要把我的律法放在他们脑中，写在他们心上。我要做他们的上帝，他们要做我的子民。 34 谁都无需再教导他的邻居和弟兄，说，‘你要认识耶和华’，因为他们无论尊卑都必认识我。我要赦免他们的过犯，忘掉他们的罪恶。这是耶和华说的。”
35 使阳光白天照耀、
星月晚上发光、
大海波涛汹涌的万军之耶和华说：
36 “只要天地之律还在，
以色列邦国必永续不断。
这是耶和华说的。”
37 耶和华说：
“正如无人能量度高天，
探测大地的根基，
同样我也决不会因以色列人的所作所为而弃绝他们。
这是耶和华说的。”
38 耶和华说：“看啊，时候将到，从哈楠业楼直到角门，整个耶路撒冷城要重建起来归给耶和华。 39 城界要向外延伸到迦立山，再转到歌亚。 40 甚至抛尸、倒灰的整个山谷，以及从汲沦溪到东边马门拐角的所有田地都要归给耶和华作圣地，永不再被倾覆、毁灭。”
Footnotes
- 31:18 “以法莲”是北国以色列的主要支派，常用来代指北国以色列。
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