Old/New Testament
Promises of Hope
30 These are the words that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah. 2 The Lord, the God of Israel, said: “Jeremiah, write in a ·book [scroll] all the words I have spoken to you. 3 The days will come when I will ·bring Israel and Judah back from captivity [restore the fortunes of my people of Israel and Judah],” says the Lord. “I will ·return [restore] them to the land I gave their ancestors, and they will ·own [possess] it!” says the Lord.
4 The Lord spoke this message about the people of Israel and Judah: 5 This is what the Lord said:
“We hear ·people crying from [L the voice/sound of] fear.
·They are afraid; there [L …and of dread, and there] is no peace.
6 Ask this question, and ·consider it [L see]:
·A man cannot [L Can a man…?] have a baby.
So why do I see every strong man
·holding his stomach in pain [L with his hands on his side/loins] like a woman ·having a baby [in labor; 13:21; 22:23; 49:24; 50:43; Is. 21:2–3; 26:16–21; 66:7–14]?
Why is everyone’s face turning white [C like a dead or frightened person’s face]?
7 This will be a ·terrible [L great] day!
There will never be another time like this.
This is a time of ·great trouble [distress] for the people of Jacob,
but they will be ·saved [rescued] from it.”
8 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says, “·At that time [L In that day]
I will break the yoke from ·their [or your] necks
and ·tear [snap] off the ropes that hold ·them [or you].
·Foreign people [L Strangers] will never again make my people slaves.
9 They will serve the Lord their God
and David their king,
whom I will ·send to [L raise up for] them.
10 “So people of Jacob, my servants, don’t be afraid.
Israel, don’t be ·frightened [terrified],” says the Lord.
“I will soon ·save [rescue] you from that faraway place.
I will ·save [rescue] your ·family [L seed] from that land of your captivity.
The people of Jacob will be at rest again;
no one will frighten them.
11 I am with you and will ·save [rescue] you,”
says the Lord.
“I will ·completely destroy [bring to an end] all those nations
where I scattered you,
but I will not ·completely destroy you [bring you to an end].
I will ·punish [discipline] you ·fairly [with justice],
but I will ·still punish you [L not leave you unpunished; 46:27–28].”
12 This is what the Lord said:
“Your wound cannot be cured;
your injury will not heal [8:22; 10:19; Mic. 1:9; Nah. 3:19].
13 There is no one to ·argue your case [uphold your cause]
and no ·cure [medicine] for your sores.
So you will not be healed.
14 All your lovers [C allied nations] have forgotten you.
They don’t ·care about [L seek] you.
I have ·hurt you [struck you a blow] as an enemy would.
I ·punished [disciplined] you ·very hard [harshly],
because your ·guilt [iniquity] was so great
and your sins were so many.
15 Why are you crying out about your injury?
There is no cure for your pain.
I did these things to you because of your great ·guilt [iniquity],
because of your many sins.
16 But all those ·nations that destroyed you will now be destroyed [L who consumed/devoured you will be consumed/devoured].
All your ·enemies [foes] will become ·captives in other lands [exiles].
Those who ·stole from [L plunder] you will ·have their own things stolen [L be plundered].
Those who took things from you in war will have their own things taken.
17 I will bring back your health
and heal your injuries,” says the Lord,
“because ·other people forced you away [L they called you ‘driven out’/‘an outcast’].
They said about you, ‘No one ·cares about [L seeks] ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple]!’”
18 This is what the Lord said:
“I ·will soon make the tents of Jacob’s people as they used to be [L am restoring the fortunes of the tents of Jacob],
and I will have ·pity [compassion] on their houses.
The city will be rebuilt on its ·hill of ruins [mound],
and the king’s palace will stand in its ·proper [traditional] place.
19 ·People in those places will sing songs of praise [L Praise/Thanks will go out from them; Ps. 126].
There will be the sound of laughter.
I will ·give them many children [L multiply them]
so ·their number will not be small [L they will not diminish; Gen. 12:1–3; 22:17; 32:12; 41:49].
I will bring ·honor [glory] to them
so no one will ·look down on [belittle] them.
20 Their ·descendants [children] will be as they were in the old days.
·I will set them up as a strong people [L Their congregation will be established] before me,
and I will punish ·the nations who have hurt them [their oppressors].
21 ·One of their own people will lead them [L Their noble one will be of them];
their ruler will come from among them [Deut. 17:14–20].
·He will come near to me when I invite him [L I will bring him near and he will approach me].
Who would dare to ·come to [approach] me uninvited?” says the Lord.
22 “So you will be my people,
and I will be your God [C they will be in a covenant relationship; Hos. 2:23].”
23 Look! It is a ·storm [whirlwind] from the Lord!
·He is angry and has gone out to punish the people [L Wrath has gone out].
·Punishment will come like a storm [L A whirling storm/tempest comes]
·crashing down on the evil people [L swirling around the heads of the wicked; 23:19].
24 The Lord will stay angry
until he performs and accomplishes
the ·intentions [plans] of his ·heart [mind].
·When that day comes [L In future days],
you will understand this.
The New Israel
31 The Lord says, “At that time I will be God of all Israel’s ·family groups [clans], and they will be my people [30:22].”
2 This is what the Lord says:
“The people who ·were not killed by the enemy’s [L survived the] sword
found ·help [grace; favor] in the ·desert [wilderness; C as during the exodus from Egypt].
I came to give rest to Israel.”
3 And from far away the Lord appeared to his people and said,
“I love you people
with a ·love that will last forever [eternal love].
That is why I have continued
showing you ·kindness [loyalty].
4 ·People [L Virgin daughter] of Israel, I will build you up again,
and you will be rebuilt.
You will pick up your tambourines again
and dance with those who are joyful.
5 You will plant vineyards again
on the hills around Samaria [C in northern Israel].
The ·farmers [L planters] will plant them
and enjoy their fruit.
6 There will be a time when ·watchmen [sentinels; guards] in the mountains of Ephraim [C northern Israel] ·shout this message [L proclaim]:
‘·Come [L Get up], let’s go up to ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] to the Lord our God [C to worship]!’”
7 This is what the Lord says:
“·Be happy and sing [L Sing with joy] for the people of Jacob.
Shout for Israel, the ·greatest [head; foremost] of the nations.
·Sing your praises and shout this [L Make yourself heard, praise, and say]:
‘Lord, ·save [rescue] your people,
·those who are left alive from the nation [L the remnant] of Israel!’
8 Look, I will soon bring them [C the remnant of Israel] from the country in the north [C Babylon],
and I will gather them from the faraway places on earth.
Some of the people are blind and ·crippled [lame; Is. 35:5–6; Mic. 4:6–8].
Some of the women are pregnant, and some are ready to give birth.
A great ·many people [assembly] will ·come back [return].
9 They will be crying as they come,
·but they will pray as [L with supplications] I ·bring [lead] them back.
I will lead those people by streams of water [Ps. 23]
on an ·even road [straight way] where they will not stumble.
I am Israel’s father,
and ·Israel [L Ephraim; C the dominant tribe of the northern kingdom of Israel] is my firstborn son.
10 “Nations, listen to the ·message from [L word of] the Lord.
Tell this message in the faraway ·lands by the sea [coastlands]:
‘The one who scattered the people of Israel will ·bring them back [gather them],
and he will ·watch over [keep; guard] his people like a shepherd of a flock. [Num. 27:17; 2 Sam. 7:7; Ps. 78:70–72; Ezek. 34].’
11 The Lord will ·pay for [ransom] the people of Jacob
and will ·buy them back [redeem them] from ·people [L a hand/power] stronger than they were.
12 They [C people of Israel] will come to the high points of Jerusalem
and shout for joy.
·Their faces will shine with happiness [L They will be radiant] about all the good things from the Lord:
the grain, new wine, oil, young sheep, and young cows.
They will be like a garden that has plenty of water,
and they will not ·be troubled [languish] anymore.
13 Then ·young women [or virgins; C of Israel] will be happy and dance,
the young men and old men also.
I will change their ·sadness [mourning] into ·happiness [joy];
I will give them comfort and joy instead of ·sadness [lament; Ps. 30:11–12; 126].
14 The priests will have ·more than enough sacrifices [L their fill of fatness],
and my people will be ·filled [satisfied; sated] with the good things I give them!” says the Lord.
15 This is what the Lord says:
“A voice was heard in Ramah [C a place from which God’s people were deported into exile; 40:1; Matt. 2:18]
of ·painful crying [lamentation] and ·deep sadness [L bitter weeping]:
Rachel crying for her children [C the Israelites].
She refused to be comforted,
because her children are ·dead [L no more]!”
16 But this is what the Lord says:
“·Stop crying [L Refrain your voice from weeping];
·don’t let your eyes fill with tears [L your eyes from tears].
You will be rewarded for your work!” says the Lord.
“The people will return from their enemy’s land.
17 So there is hope for you in the future,” says the Lord.
“Your children will return to their own ·land [borders].
18 “I have heard ·Israel [L Ephraim] ·moaning [pleading]:
‘Lord, you ·punished [disciplined; instructed] me, and I ·have learned my lesson [was disciplined/instructed].
I was like a calf that had never been trained [Hos. 10:11].
Take me back so that I may come back.
You truly are the Lord my God.
19 Lord, after I ·wandered away [turned away] from you,
I ·changed my heart and life [L repented].
After I understood,
I beat my ·breast [L thigh; C showing sorrow].
I was ashamed and ·disgraced [humiliated],
because I ·suffered for the foolish things I did when I was young [L carried the reproach of my youth].’
20 “·You know that Israel is my dear son [L Do you know how precious Ephraim is to me…?],
The child I ·love [delight in].
Yes, I often speak against him [C Israel],
but I still remember him.
·I love him very much [L My innards roil/churn toward him],
and I want to ·comfort [be compassionate toward] him,” says the Lord.
21 “·Fix [L Put up; Erect] the road ·signs [markers].
·Put up signs to show you the way home [L Make guideposts].
·Watch the road [L Set your heart toward the highway].
Pay attention to the road on which you travel.
·People [L Virgin daughter; Young woman] of Israel, ·come home [L return; repent],
·come back to [L return to these] your towns.
22 You are an unfaithful daughter.
How long will you ·wander before you come home [L waver]?
The Lord has ·made [created] something new happen in the land:
A woman will ·go seeking [or protect; or embrace; L surround] a man.”
23 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: “I will again do good things for the people of Judah. At that time the people in the land of Judah and its towns will again use these words: ‘May the Lord bless you, ·home of what is good [L abode of righteousness], holy mountain.’ 24 People in all the towns of Judah will live together [C in peace]. Farmers and those who ·move around [wander] with their flocks will live together [C in peace]. 25 I will ·give rest [satisfy] and ·strength to [replenish] those who ·are weak [languish] and ·tired [faint].”
26 After hearing that, I [C Jeremiah], woke up and looked around. My sleep had been very pleasant.
27 The Lord says, “The ·time is [L days are] coming when I will ·help [L sow] the ·families [L houses] of Israel and Judah ·and their children [L with the seed of humans] and ·animals to grow [L seed of animals]. 28 In the past I watched over them [C Israel and Judah; 1:12], to ·pull [pluck] them up and ·tear [pull] them down, to destroy them and bring them ·disaster [harm; trouble]. But now I will watch over them to build them up and ·make them strong [to plant them; 1:10],” says the Lord.
29 “·At that time [L In those days] people will no longer say:
‘The ·parents [fathers] have eaten sour grapes,
and that caused the children to ·grind their teeth from the sour taste [L be set on edge].’
30 Instead, each person will die for his own ·sin [iniquity]; the person who eats sour grapes ·will grind his own teeth [L his teeth are set on edge; Lam. 5:7; Ezek. 18:2].
The New Agreement
31 “Look, the ·time is [L days are] coming,” says the Lord,
“when I will ·make [L cut] a new ·agreement [covenant; treaty]
with the ·people [L house] of Israel
and the ·people [L house] of Judah.
32 It will not be like the ·agreement [covenant; treaty]
I ·made [L cut] with their ·ancestors [fathers]
when I took them by the hand
to bring them out of Egypt [C the Mosaic Covenant; Ex. 19–24].
I was a ·husband [or master] to them [2:2],
but they broke ·that agreement [my covenant/treaty],” says the Lord.
33 “This is the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] I will ·make [L cut]
with the ·people [L house] of Israel ·at that time [L after those days],” says the Lord:
“I will put my ·teachings [laws; instructions] in their ·minds [L innards]
and write them on their hearts [Joel 2:28–29].
I will be their God,
and they will be my people [Ex. 6:6–8].
34 People will no longer have to teach their neighbors and ·relatives [brothers]
to know the Lord,
because all people will know me,
from the least to the most important,” says the Lord.
“I will forgive them for ·the wicked things they did [L their iniquities],
and I will not remember their sins anymore [32:37–44; 50:4–5; Ezek. 37:15–28; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25; 2 Cor. 3:5–14; Heb. 8:8–12; 10:16–17].”
The Lord Will Never Leave Israel
35 The Lord ·makes [L gives] the sun to ·shine in [L light] the day
and [L regulates; fixes the order of] the moon and stars to ·shine at [L light the] night [Gen. 1:14–18].
He stirs up the sea so that its waves ·crash on the shore [L roar].
The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] is his name.
This is what the Lord says:
36 “Only if these ·laws [statutes; ordinances; requirements; C that uphold the natural order] should ever ·fail [give way; Gen. 8:22; 9:8–17],”
says the Lord,
“will Israel’s ·descendants [L seed] ever ·stop [cease]
being a nation before me ·forever [L for all days].”
37 This is what the Lord says:
“Only if people can measure the ·sky [heavens] above
and ·learn [investigate] the ·secrets [L foundations] of the earth below,
will I reject all the ·descendants [L seed] of Israel
because of what they have done,” says the Lord.
The New Jerusalem
38 The Lord says, “The ·time is [L days are] coming when this city [C Jerusalem] will be rebuilt for me—everything from the Tower of Hananel [Neh. 3:1; 12:39; Zech. 14:10] to the Corner Gate [2 Kin. 14:13; 2 Chr. 25:23; 26:9; Zech. 14:10]. 39 The measuring line will stretch from ·the Corner Gate [L before it] straight to the hill of Gareb. Then it will turn to the place named Goah. 40 The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown [C the Hinnom; ch. 19], and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate [2 Chr. 23:15; Neh. 3:28]—all that area will be holy to the Lord. It [C Jerusalem] will never again be torn down or destroyed [1:10].”
1 From Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and from Timothy [Acts 16:1–5; 1 Cor. 16:10–11; Phil. 2:19–24], our brother.
To Philemon, our ·dear friend [brother] and ·worker with us [coworker]; 2 to Apphia [C perhaps Philemon’s wife], our sister; to Archippus [C possibly Philemon’s son], ·a worker with us [L our fellow soldier]; and to the church that meets in your home:
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philemon’s Love and Faith
4 I always thank my God when I ·mention [remember] you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about the love you have for all ·God’s holy people [T the saints] and the faith you have in the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that the ·faith you share [the sharing/fellowship of your faith] may ·make you [enable/empower you to] understand every blessing we have in Christ. 7 I have great joy and comfort, my brother, because the love you have shown to ·God’s people [T the saints] has refreshed ·them [their hearts; L their inward parts; C the seat of emotions].
Accept Onesimus as a Brother
8 So, in Christ, I could be bold and order you to do what is ·right [required; proper; your duty]. 9 But because I love you, I am ·pleading with [appealing to; urging; encouraging] you instead. I, Paul, an old man now and also a prisoner [C in Rome, about ad 60; Acts 28:16–31; Phil. 1:7] for Christ Jesus, 10 am ·pleading with [appealing to; urging; encouraging] you for my child Onesimus, ·who became my child [L whom I begat/fathered; C Paul evidently led Onesimus to Christ in Rome] while I was in prison. 11 In the past he was ·useless [unprofitable; worthless] to you, but now he has become ·useful [helpful; valuable] for both you and me [C a play on words, since Onesimus means “useful” or “helpful”].
12 I am sending him back to you, and ·with him I am sending my own heart [or he is my very heart]. 13 I wanted to keep him with me so that ·in your place [or on your behalf] he might ·help [serve] me while I am in prison for the ·Good News [Gospel]. 14 But I did not want to do anything without ·asking you first [your consent] so that any good you do for me will be because you want to do it, not ·because I forced you [out of compulsion]. 15 [L For] Maybe Onesimus was separated from you for a short time so you could have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a loved brother. ·I love him very much, but you will love him even more [L …especially to me, but more so to you], both ·as a person [or in the natural realm; L in the flesh] and ·as a believer in the Lord [or in the spiritual realm; L in the Lord].
17 So if you consider me your partner, ·welcome [receive; accept] Onesimus as you would ·welcome [receive; accept] me. 18 If he has ·done anything wrong to [defrauded; harmed] you or if he owes you anything, charge that to me. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand [C contrary to his usual practice of using a scribe, or amanuensis; Rom. 16:22]. I will pay it back, and I will ·say nothing about what [make no mention that] you owe me for your ·own life [very self; C Paul had evidently led Philemon to Christ]. 20 ·So [L Yes], my brother, I ask ·that you do this for me [for this benefit/favor from you] in the Lord: Refresh my heart in Christ. 21 I write this letter, ·knowing [L confident of your obedience/compliance, knowing] that you will do what I ask you and even more.
22 One more thing—prepare a ·room [guest room] for me in which to stay, because I hope God will answer your prayers and I will be ·able to come [restored; L granted] to you.
Final Greetings
23 Epaphras [Col. 1:7; 4:12], a prisoner with me for Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you. 24 And also Mark [Acts 12:25; 13:13; 15:37–39; Col. 4:10], Aristarchus [Acts 19:29; Col. 4:10], Demas [Col. 4:14; 2 Tim. 4:10], and Luke [Col. 4:14; 2 Tim. 4:11], ·workers together with me [my coworkers], send greetings.
25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
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