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The Fortunes of Judah and Israel Will Be Restored
33 And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah a second time while he was still held back in the courtyard of the guard, saying,[a] 2 “Thus says Yahweh who made the earth,[b] Yahweh who formed it to establish it, Yahweh is his name: 3 ‘Call to me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great things and inaccessible things that you have not known.’ 4 For thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, that were torn down to make a defense against the siege ramps and against the sword: 5 ‘They are coming to fight against the Chaldeans, and to fill them with the corpses of the people whom I will strike in my anger and in my wrath, for whom I have hidden my face from this city because of all their wickedness. 6 Look, I am going to bring healing and health to it, and I will heal them, and I will reveal to them abundance of peace and reliability. 7 And I will restore the fortunes[c] of Judah and the fortunes[d] of Israel, and I will rebuild them as in the beginning. 8 And I will cleanse them from all their guilt that they sinned against me, and I will forgive all their iniquities that they sinned against me, and that they rebelled against me. 9 And it will be to me a name of jubilation, a praise, and a glory before all the nations of the earth, who will hear all the good that I will do for them, and they will fear,[e] and they will tremble because of all the good, and because of all the prosperity that I will provide for it.’
10 “Thus says Yahweh: ‘Again will be heard in this place, of which you are saying, “It is a waste, without[f] people and without[g] animals,”[h] in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without[i] people and without[j] inhabitants[k] and without[l] animals,[m] 11 the voice of jubilation, and the voice of joy, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voices[n] of those who say, “Praise Yahweh of hosts, for Yahweh is good, for his loyal love is forever,”[o] the voices of those who bring thank offerings[p] to the house of Yahweh, for I will restore the fortunes[q] of the land as in the beginning,’ says Yahweh. 12 Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Again there will be in this waste place, without[r] people and animals,[s] and in all its towns, pasture for shepherds allowing their flock to lie down. 13 In the towns of the hill country, in the towns of the Shephelah, and in the towns of the Negev, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the surroundings of Jerusalem, and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hands of the counter,’ says Yahweh.
14 ‘Look, days are coming,’ declares[t] Yahweh, ‘and I will fulfill the good promise[u] that I promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. 15 In those days and in that time I will make a branch of righteousness sprout for David, and he will execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely,[v] and this is what they shall call it: “Yahweh is our righteousness.”’ 17 For thus says Yahweh: ‘A man who sits on the throne of the house of Israel will not be cut off for David. 18 And for the priests, a man from the Levites who offers burnt offerings[w] and who burns grain offerings[x] and who brings sacrifices[y] will not be cut off before me[z] forever.’”[aa]
19 And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying,[ab] 20 “Thus says Yahweh: ‘If you could break my covenant with the day, and my covenant with the night, so that day and night would not come at their time, 21 then my covenant could be broken with David my servant, from having[ac] a son who could rule on his throne, and with the Levites, the priests, my ministers. 22 As the host of heaven cannot be counted, and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will make numerous the offspring of David my servant and the Levites who minister to me.’” 23 And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying,[ad] 24 “Have you not seen how these people speak, saying,[ae] ‘The two clans[af] whom Yahweh chose, he has also rejected them’? Thus they spurn my people from being a nation before them[ag] any longer. 25 Thus says Yahweh: ‘If my covenant with day and with night, the regulations of heaven and earth, I had not established, 26 then the offspring of Jacob and David my servant I would reject, from choosing rulers from his offspring over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for I will restore their fortunes[ah] and I will have compassion on them.’”
A Message for Zedekiah
34 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, when Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and all his army, with all the kingdoms of the earth under the dominion of his hand, and all the peoples were fighting against Jerusalem and against all its cities, saying,[ai] 2 “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: ‘Go and say to Zedekiah the king of Judah, now you must say to him, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘Look, I am going to give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire. 3 And you will not escape from his hand, but surely you will be captured, and into his hand you will be given, and you will see the king of Babylon eye to eye,[aj] and you will speak face to face with him,[ak] and to Babylon you will go.’ 4 However, hear the word of Yahweh, O Zedekiah, the king of Judah. Thus says Yahweh concerning you: ‘You will not die by the sword. 5 In peace you will die, and as there was burning for your ancestors,[al] the former kings who were before you,[am] so they will burn for you, and they will lament for you, “Alas, lord!” For the word I have spoken,’ declares[an] Yahweh.”’” 6 Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Zedekiah the king of Judah all these words in Jerusalem 7 when the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were left over—Lachish and Azekah, for these remained among the cities of Judah, the cities of fortification.
Zedekiah’s Covenant Concerning Slaves
8 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh after king Zedekiah made[ao] a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim release to them, 9 to let go each one his male slave and each one his female slave, the Hebrew and the free Hebrew, so that no one among the Judeans[ap] should enslave his fellow countryman. 10 And all the officials and all the people obeyed, who had entered into the covenant to let go each one his male slave and each one his female slave, not enslaving them again, and they obeyed and they let them[aq] go. 11 But afterward[ar] they turned back and they brought back the male slaves and the female slaves whom they had let go free, and they subdued them as male slaves and female slaves.
12 And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,[as] 13 “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: ‘I made[at] a covenant with your ancestors[au] on the day of my bringing them out from the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves, saying,[av] 14 “At the end of seven years you must let go each one his fellow countryman, the Hebrew who has been sold to you and who has served you six years, and you must let him go free from you.” But your ancestors[aw] did not listen to me, and they did not incline their ears.[ax] 15 And you turned back recently[ay] and you did right in my eyes, to proclaim release each one to his neighbor, and you made[az] a covenant before me[ba] in the house that is called by[bb] my name. 16 But you turned back and you profaned my name when you brought back each one his male slave and each one his female slave, whom you had let go free according to their desire, and you subdued them to be to you as male slaves and as female slaves.’
17 “Therefore[bc] thus says Yahweh, ‘You have not listened to me to proclaim release each one to his fellow countryman and each one to his neighbor. Look, I am going to proclaim to you a release,’ declares[bd] Yahweh, ‘to the sword, to the plague, and to the famine, and I will make you a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18 And I will make the men who transgressed my covenant, who have not kept the words of the covenant that they made[be] before me,[bf] like the calf which they cut in two and they passed between its parts— 19 the officials of Judah, and the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf— 20 and I will give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of the seekers of their lives, and their dead bodies[bg] will become as food for the birds[bh] of the heavens[bi] and for the animals[bj] of the earth. 21 And Zedekiah the king of Judah and his officials I will give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of the seekers of their lives, and into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, who retreated from you. 22 Look, I am going to command,’ declares[bk] Yahweh, ‘and I will bring them back to this city, and they will fight against it, and they will capture it, and they will burn it with fire, and the towns of Judah I will make a desolation without[bl] an inhabitant.’”
The Coming Apostasy
4 Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the last times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 by the hypocrisy of liars, who are seared in their own conscience, 3 who forbid marrying and insist on abstaining from foods that God created for sharing in with thankfulness by those who believe and who know the truth, 4 because everything created by God is good and nothing is to be rejected if it is[a] received with thankfulness, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
The Good Servant of Christ
6 By[b] teaching these things to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, trained in the words of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed faithfully. 7 But reject those worthless myths told by elderly women[c], and train yourself for godliness. 8 For the training of the body is somewhat[d] profitable, but godliness is profitable for everything, because it[e] holds promise for the present life and for the life to come. 9 The statement is trustworthy and deserving of complete acceptance. 10 For to this end we labor and suffer reproach,[f] because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of believers.
11 Command these things and teach them. 12 Let no one look down on your youth, but be an example for the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, pay attention to the public reading,[g] to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, that was granted to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. 15 Practice these things. Be diligent[h] in these things, in order that your progress may be evident to everyone. 16 Fix your attention on yourself and on your teaching. Continue in them, for by[i] doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
Remembering the Covenant with David, and Sorrow for Lost Blessings
A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.[a]
89 I will sing forever of Yahweh’s acts of loyal love.
From generation to generation[b]
I will make known your faithfulness with my mouth.
2 For I say, “Forever your loyal love is built up.
The heavens you have established with your faithfulness in them.”
3 “I made a covenant with my chosen one;
I swore an oath to David my servant:
4 ‘I will establish your descendants forever,
and I will build up your throne from generation to generation.’”[c] Selah
5 And so the heavens will praise your wonderful deed, O Yahweh,
even your faithfulness, in the assembly of the holy ones.
6 For who in the sky[d] is equal to Yahweh?
Who is like Yahweh among the sons of God,
7 a God feared greatly in the council of the holy ones,
and awesome above all surrounding him?
8 O Yahweh God of hosts,
who is mighty like you, O Yah,
with[e] your faithfulness surrounding you?
9 You are ruling the surging of the sea.
When its waves rise, you yourself still[f] them.
10 You yourself crushed[g] Rahab like one who is slain;
you scattered your enemies with your strong arm.
11 The heavens are yours, the earth yours as well,
the world with its fullness, because you founded them.
12 North and south, you created them;
Tabor and Hermon shout joyfully over your name.
13 You have a mighty arm;
Your hand is strong; your right hand reaches high.
23 The wind of the north produces rain,
and a backbiting tongue, angry faces.
24 Better to live upon the corner of a roof
than with a woman[a] of contention and in a shared house.
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