Israel’s Restoration

33 While he was still confined in the guard’s courtyard,(A) the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time: “The Lord who made the earth,[a] the Lord who forms it to establish it,(B) the Lord is his name,(C) says this: Call to me and I will answer you(D) and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.(E) For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the houses of this city and the palaces of Judah’s kings, the ones torn down for defense against the assault ramps and the sword:(F) The people coming to fight the Chaldeans will fill the houses with the corpses of their own men that I strike down in my wrath and fury. I have hidden my face(G) from this city because of all their evil. Yet I will certainly bring health(H) and healing to it and will indeed heal them. I will let them experience the abundance[b] of true peace.(I) I will restore the fortunes[c] of Judah and of Israel and will rebuild them as in former times.(J) I will purify them from all the iniquity they have committed against me,(K) and I will forgive all the iniquities they have committed against me, rebelling against me. This city will bear on my behalf a name of joy, praise, and glory(L) before all the nations of the earth, who will hear of all the prosperity I will give them. They will tremble with awe because of all the good and all the peace(M) I will bring about for them.

10 “This is what the Lord says: In this place, which you say is a ruin,(N) without people or animals—that is, in Judah’s cities and Jerusalem’s streets that are a desolation without people, without inhabitants, and without animals—there will be heard again 11 a sound of joy and gladness, the voice of the groom and the bride,(O) and the voice of those saying,

Give thanks to the Lord of Armies,
for the Lord is good;
his faithful love endures forever

as they bring thanksgiving sacrifices to the temple of the Lord. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as in former times, says the Lord.

12 “This is what the Lord of Armies says: In this desolate place—without people or animals—and in all its cities there will once more be a grazing land where shepherds may rest flocks.(P) 13 The flocks will again pass under the hands of the one who counts them(Q) in the cities of the hill country,(R) the cities of the Judean foothills, the cities of the Negev, the land of Benjamin—the areas around Jerusalem and in Judah’s cities, says the Lord.

God’s Covenant with David

14 “Look, the days are coming”—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
“when I will fulfill the good promise
that I have spoken
concerning the house of Israel
and the house of Judah.(S)
15 In those days and at that time
I will cause a Righteous Branch(T)
to sprout up for David,
and he will administer justice
and righteousness in the land.
16 In those days Judah will be saved,
and Jerusalem will dwell securely,(U)
and this is what she will be named:
The Lord Is Our Righteousness.[d]

17 “For this is what the Lord says: David will never fail to have a man sitting on the throne of the house of Israel.(V) 18 The Levitical priests will never fail to have a man always before me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices.”(W)

19 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 “This is what the Lord says: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night so that day and night cease to come at their regular time,(X) 21 then also my covenant with my servant David(Y) may be broken. If that could happen, then he would not have a son reigning on his throne and the Levitical priests would not be my ministers.(Z) 22 Even as the stars of heaven cannot be counted, and the sand of the sea cannot be measured,(AA) so too I will make innumerable the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who minister to me.”

23 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 24 “Have you not noticed what these people have said? They say, ‘The Lord has rejected the two families he had chosen.’(AB) My people are treated with contempt and no longer regarded as a nation among them. 25 This is what the Lord says: If I do not keep my covenant with the day and with the night, and if I fail to establish the fixed order of heaven and earth,(AC) 26 then I might also reject the descendants of Jacob and of my servant David. That is, I would not take rulers from his descendants to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But in fact, I will restore their fortunes[e] and have compassion on them.”(AD)

Footnotes

  1. 33:2 LXX; MT reads made it
  2. 33:6 Or fragrance; Hb obscure
  3. 33:7 Or will end the captivity, also in v. 11
  4. 33:16 = Yahweh-zidkenu
  5. 33:26 Or I will end their captivity

Healing after Punishment

33 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time while he was still confined in the court of the guard:(A) Thus says the Lord who makes it, the Lord who forms it to establish it—the Lord is his name:(B) Call to me, and I will answer you and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.(C) For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against the siege ramps and before the sword:[a](D) They are coming to fight the Chaldeans and to fill them with the dead bodies of those whom I shall strike down in my anger and my wrath, for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their wickedness.(E) I am going to bring it recovery and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them abundance[b] of prosperity and security.(F) I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel and rebuild them as they were at first.(G) I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me.(H) And this city[c] shall be to me a name of joy, a praise, and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them; they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.(I)

10 Thus says the Lord: In this place of which you say, “It is a waste without humans or animals,” in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without inhabitants, human or animal, there shall once more be heard 11 the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing as they bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord:

“Give thanks to the Lord of hosts,
    for the Lord is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever!”

For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the Lord.(J)

12 Thus says the Lord of hosts: In this place that is waste, without humans or animals, and in all its towns there shall again be pasture for shepherds resting their flocks.(K) 13 In the towns of the hill country, of the Shephelah, and of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, the places around Jerusalem, and in the towns of Judah, flocks shall again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the Lord.(L)

The Righteous Branch and the Covenant with David

14 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.(M) 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.(N) 16 In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”(O)

17 For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel,(P) 18 and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to make grain offerings, and to make sacrifices for all time.(Q)

19 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 Thus says the Lord: If any of you could break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night would not come at their appointed time,(R) 21 only then could my covenant with my servant David be broken, so that he would not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with my ministers the Levites.(S) 22 Just as the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will increase the offspring of my servant David and the Levites who minister to me.(T)

23 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 24 Have you not observed how these people say, “The two families that the Lord chose have been rejected by him,” and how they hold my people in such contempt that they no longer regard them as a nation?(U) 25 Thus says the Lord: Only if I had not established my covenant with day and night and the ordinances of heaven and earth(V) 26 would I reject the offspring of Jacob and of my servant David and not choose any of his descendants as rulers over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy upon them.(W)

Footnotes

  1. 33.4 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  2. 33.6 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  3. 33.9 Heb And it