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Psalm 117

Praise the Eternal, all nations.
    Raise your voices, all people.[a]
For His unfailing love is great, and it is intended for us,
    and His faithfulness to His promises knows no end.
Praise the Eternal!

Footnotes

  1. 117:1 Romans 15:11

Psalm 117

Praise the Lord,(A) all you nations;(B)
    extol him, all you peoples.
For great is his love(C) toward us,
    and the faithfulness of the Lord(D) endures forever.

Praise the Lord.[a]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 117:2 Hebrew Hallelu Yah

The words of Jeremiah are often dark prophecies of destruction, for Judah willingly betrayed and disobeyed God. Clearly, a major aspect of his call is foreshadowing the coming judgment of God. But in the following oracles, Jeremiah delivers a strong message of hope to those in exile. The next three chapters are often called the “Book of Consolation.” Tucked in the middle of vivid declarations of God’s punishment of the unjust, these promises speak of hope and restoration. These, too, are part of the prophet’s message.

30 The word of the Eternal again came to Jeremiah.

Eternal One: Write in a book all the words I, the Eternal, the God of Israel, have said to you. Look! the days are coming when I will restore the fortunes of My people—both Israel and Judah. I will bring them home to the land I gave their ancestors, and they will again possess it.

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

Eternal One: A cry of fear is heard—
        it is the sound of panic, not of peace.
    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?
    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.

For 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. Instead, 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.

12     Your wound is incurable;
        your shattered pieces are beyond repair.
13     There is no one to plead your case—
        no healing for your injury,
        no relief for your affliction.
14     All of those allies you loved have forgotten about you;
        they care nothing about you.
    For I have struck you as an enemy would
        and punished you like the cruelest of foes.
    Why? Because your sins abound
        and your evil actions are abundant and brazen.
15     Why do you cry out over this wound,
        this pain that won’t go away?
    I have done these things to you because your sins abound
        and your wicked acts are abundant and brazen.
16     But all those who devour you will be devoured.
        Exile awaits each of your enemies.
    Those who plunder you will be turned into plunder,
        and all who prey upon you will be turned into prey.
17     For I will make you well again and heal your wounds
        I, the Eternal One, declare to you,
    Because they have called you an outcast:
        Look, it is Zion, the one for whom no one cares.”

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Restoration of Israel

30 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write(A) in a book all the words I have spoken to you. The days(B) are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will bring(C) my people Israel and Judah back from captivity[a] and restore(D) them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the Lord.”

These are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: “This is what the Lord says:

“‘Cries of fear(E) are heard—
    terror, not peace.
Ask and see:
    Can a man bear children?
Then why do I see every strong man
    with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor,(F)
    every face turned deathly pale?(G)
How awful that day(H) will be!
    No other will be like it.
It will be a time of trouble(I) for Jacob,
    but he will be saved(J) out of it.

“‘In that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty,
    ‘I will break the yoke(K) off their necks
and will tear off their bonds;(L)
    no longer will foreigners enslave them.(M)
Instead, they will serve the Lord their God
    and David(N) their king,(O)
    whom I will raise up for them.

10 “‘So do not be afraid,(P) Jacob my servant;(Q)
    do not be dismayed, Israel,’
declares the Lord.
‘I will surely save(R) you out of a distant place,
    your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,(S)
    and no one will make him afraid.(T)
11 I am with you(U) and will save you,’
    declares the Lord.
‘Though I completely destroy all the nations
    among which I scatter you,
    I will not completely destroy(V) you.
I will discipline(W) you but only in due measure;
    I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’(X)

12 “This is what the Lord says:

“‘Your wound(Y) is incurable,
    your injury beyond healing.(Z)
13 There is no one to plead your cause,(AA)
    no remedy for your sore,
    no healing(AB) for you.
14 All your allies(AC) have forgotten you;
    they care nothing for you.
I have struck you as an enemy(AD) would
    and punished you as would the cruel,(AE)
because your guilt is so great
    and your sins(AF) so many.
15 Why do you cry out over your wound,
    your pain that has no cure?(AG)
Because of your great guilt and many sins
    I have done these things to you.(AH)

16 “‘But all who devour(AI) you will be devoured;
    all your enemies will go into exile.(AJ)
Those who plunder(AK) you will be plundered;
    all who make spoil of you I will despoil.
17 But I will restore you to health
    and heal(AL) your wounds,’
declares the Lord,
‘because you are called an outcast,(AM)
    Zion for whom no one cares.’(AN)

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 30:3 Or will restore the fortunes of my people Israel and Judah

And the One who sat on the throne announced to His creation,

The One: See, I am making all things new. (turning to me) Write what you hear and see, for these words are faithful and true. It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will see to it that the thirsty drink freely from the fountain of the water of life. To the victors will go this inheritance: I will be their God, and they will be My children. It will not be so for the cowards, the faithless, the sacrilegious, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all those who deal in deception. They will inherit an eternity in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.

John sees an amazing sight. It is something no one had ever seen nor will ever see until that day arrives. Scene by blessed scene passes before the prophet. Finally he is transported to the end of history only to discover it is no end at all; it is a new beginning. The prophecies—every last one of them—are coming true. God’s plan will be accomplished on earth as it is in heaven when the new Jerusalem comes down and He lives among His people. All things will become new.

And then one of the seven messengers in charge of the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came over to me.

Heavenly Messenger: Come with me, and I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.

10 He took me away in the Spirit and set me on top of a great, high mountain. As I waited for what I thought was a bride, he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. 11 It gleamed and shined with the glory of God; its radiance was like the most precious of jewels, like jasper, and it was as clear as crystal. 12 It was surrounded with a wall, great and high. There were twelve gates. Assigned to each gate was a messenger, twelve in all. And on the gates were inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of Israel’s sons. 13 On the east wall were three gates. On the north wall were three gates. On the south wall were three gates. On the west wall were three gates. 14 And the city wall sat perfectly on twelve foundation stones, and on them were inscribed the names of the twelve emissaries[a] of the Lamb.

15 My guide held a golden measuring rod. With it he measured the city and the gates and the walls. 16 And the city is laid out with four corners in a perfect square, the length the same as its width. He measured the city with his measuring rod, and the result was that its length and width and height are equal: 1,444 miles, a perfect cube. 17 And my guide measured the wall; it was nearly 72 yards high, in human measurements, which was the instrument the guide was using. 18 The wall was made of jasper, while the city itself was made of pure gold, yet it was as clear as glass. 19 The foundation stones of the wall of the city were decorated with every kind of jewel: the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate expertly crafted from a single beautiful pearl. And the city street was pure gold, yet it was as transparent as glass.

22 And in the city, I found no temple because the Lord God, the All Powerful, and the Lamb are the temple. 23 And in the city, there is no need for the sun to light the day or moon the night because the resplendent glory of the Lord provides the city with warm, beautiful light and the Lamb illumines every corner of the new Jerusalem. 24 And all peoples of all the nations will walk by its unfailing light, and the rulers of the earth will stream into the city bringing with them the symbols of their grandeur and power. 25 During the day, its gates will not be closed; the darkness of night will never settle in. 26 The glory and grandeur of the nations will be on display there, carried to the holy city by people from every corner of the world. 27 Nothing that defiles or is defiled can enter into its glorious gates. Those who practice sacrilege or deception will never walk its streets. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life can enter.

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Footnotes

  1. 21:14 Literally, apostles

He who was seated on the throne(A) said, “I am making everything new!”(B) Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”(C)

He said to me: “It is done.(D) I am the Alpha and the Omega,(E) the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost(F) from the spring of the water of life.(G) Those who are victorious(H) will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.(I) But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars(J)—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.(K) This is the second death.”(L)

The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues(M) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride,(N) the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away(O) in the Spirit(P) to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.(Q) 11 It shone with the glory of God,(R) and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper,(S) clear as crystal.(T) 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates,(U) and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.(V) 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations,(W) and on them were the names of the twelve apostles(X) of the Lamb.

15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod(Y) of gold to measure the city, its gates(Z) and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia[a] in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human(AA) measurement, and it was 144 cubits[b] thick.[c] 18 The wall was made of jasper,(AB) and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.(AC) 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone.(AD) The first foundation was jasper,(AE) the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby,(AF) the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.[d] 21 The twelve gates(AG) were twelve pearls,(AH) each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.(AI)

22 I did not see a temple(AJ) in the city, because the Lord God Almighty(AK) and the Lamb(AL) are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God(AM) gives it light,(AN) and the Lamb(AO) is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.(AP) 25 On no day will its gates(AQ) ever be shut,(AR) for there will be no night there.(AS) 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.(AT) 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful,(AU) but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.(AV)

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 21:16 That is, about 1,400 miles or about 2,200 kilometers
  2. Revelation 21:17 That is, about 200 feet or about 65 meters
  3. Revelation 21:17 Or high
  4. Revelation 21:20 The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.