Old/New Testament
A Message of Consolation
30 This message came from the Lord to Jeremiah: 2 “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Write all the words that I’ve spoken to you in a book. 3 Indeed, the time[a] will come,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I’ll restore the security of my people Israel and Judah,’ says the Lord. ‘I’ll bring them back to the land that I gave to their ancestors, and they’ll possess it.’”
4 These are the words that the Lord spoke about Israel and Judah:
5 “Indeed, this is what the Lord says:
‘We have heard a sound of terror
and of fear, and there is no peace.
6 Ask about this and think about it—
Can a man give birth to a child?
Why then do I see every strong man
with his hands on his thighs
like a woman giving birth,
and all their faces have turned pale?
7 Oh how terrible! That time[b] will be worse
than any like it.
It will be a time of trouble for Jacob,
but he will be rescued from it.
8 On that day,’ declares the Lord
of the Heavenly Armies,
‘I’ll break the yoke[c] from your neck
and will tear off your restraints.[d]
Foreigners will no longer make you[e] serve them.[f]
9 Rather, they will serve the Lord their God
and David their king,
whom I will raise up for them.
10 ‘My servant Jacob, don’t be afraid,’ declares the Lord,
‘and Israel, don’t be dismayed.
For I’ll deliver you from a distant place
and your descendants from the land of their captivity.
Jacob will return. He will be undisturbed and secure,
and no one will cause him to fear.
11 For I’ll be with you to save you,’
declares the Lord.
‘For I’ll put an end to all the nations
where I scattered you;
but I won’t make an end of you.
I’ll discipline you justly,
but I certainly won’t leave you unpunished.’
The Healing of Zion’s Wounds
12 “For this is what the Lord says:
‘Your injury won’t heal;
your wound is severe.
13 There is no one to plead your cause.
There is no medicine for your sore;[g]
no healing for you.
14 All your lovers have forgotten you;
they don’t seek you.
Indeed, I’ve struck you down
with the blow of an enemy,
with the punishment of a cruel foe[h]
because your wickedness is great,
and your sins are numerous.
15 Why do you cry out because of your injury?
Your wound won’t heal.
Because your wickedness is severe,
and your sins are numerous,
I’ve done all these things to you.
16 In addition, all who devour you will be devoured,
and all your oppressors—all of them—
will go into captivity.
Those who plunder you will become plunder,
and all who spoil you will become spoil.
17 Indeed, I’ll bring you healing,
and I’ll heal you of your wounds,’
declares the Lord,
‘because they have called you an outcast
and have said,[i] “It is Zion, no one cares for her!”’”[j]
Jacob’s Restoration
18 “This is what the Lord says:
‘I’m going to restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob
and have compassion on his dwellings.
A city will be rebuilt on its ruins
and a palace[k] will sit on its rightful place.
19 Thanksgiving and the sounds of laughter
will come out of them.
I’ll cause them to increase in numbers and not decrease.
I’ll honor them and not make them insignificant.
20 Their[l] children will be as they were before,
and their congregation will be established before me.
I’ll punish all who oppress them.
21 Their leader will be one of their own,[m]
and their ruler will come from among them.
I’ll bring him near, and he will approach me,
for who would otherwise dare to approach me?’
declares the Lord.
22 ‘You will be my people,
and I’ll be your God.’”
The Coming Judgment
23 Look, the storm of the Lord!
His[n] wrath has gone forth, a twisting storm.
It will swirl around the head of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger of the Lord won’t turn back
until he has accomplished and established the plan of his heart.
In the days to come, you will understand this.
31 “At that time,” declares the Lord, “I’ll be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”
The Lord Promises Restoration
2 This is what the Lord says:
“The people who survived the sword,
found favor in the desert
while Israel was seeking rest.[o]
3 The Lord appeared to Israel[p] from far away and said,[q]
“I’ve loved you with an everlasting love,
therefore I’ve drawn you with gracious love.
4 I’ll again build you, and you will be rebuilt,
Virgin Israel!
You will again take up your tambourines
and go out to dance with those who are filled with joy.
5 You will again plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria
where planters had planted and defiled the fruit.[r]
6 For there will be a day when the watchmen
will call out on the hills of Ephraim,
‘Arise, let’s go up to Zion to the Lord our God.’”
The Blessings of Returning from Exile
7 For this is what the Lord says:
“Cry out with joy for Jacob
and shout for the chief among the nations.
Announce, give praise, and say,
‘Lord, save your people, the remnant of Israel.’
8 Look, I’m bringing them from the northern region,[s]
and I’ll gather them from the farthest parts of the earth.
Among them will be the blind and the lame,
together with the pregnant woman
and the woman in labor.
A large group will return here.
9 They’ll come crying,
and I’ll lead them as they pray for mercy.[t]
I’ll make them walk by streams of water,
along a straight path on which they won’t stumble.
For I am Israel’s father,
and Ephraim is my firstborn.”
10 Nations, listen to this message from the Lord,
and declare it in the distant coastlands.
Say, “The one who scattered Israel will gather him
and keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.”
11 For the Lord will deliver Jacob
and redeem him from the hand of one stronger than he.
12 They’ll come and cry out with joy
on the heights of Zion.
They’ll be radiant over the Lord’s goodness,
over the grain, the new wine, the fresh oil,
and over the young of the flocks and herds.
Their lives will be like a well-watered garden.
They’ll never again grow faint.[u]
13 The virgins will rejoice with dancing,
together with young men and old men.
For I’ll turn their mourning into joy,
and I’ll comfort them and give them gladness
instead of sorrow.
14 I’ll give the priests abundant provisions,[v]
and my people will be satisfied with my goodness,”
declares the Lord.
The End of Rachel’s Mourning
15 This is what the Lord says:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
lamentation and bitter crying.
Rachel is crying,
and she refuses to be comforted for her children,
because they are no longer alive.”
16 This is what the Lord says:
“Restrain your voice from crying,
and your eyes from tears,
for there is a reward for your work,”
declares the Lord.
“They’ll return from the enemy’s land.
17 There is hope for your future,”
declares the Lord.
“Your[w] children will return to their own territory.”
Ephraim’s Prayer and Confession
18 “I’ve certainly heard Ephraim
shuddering with grief as they said,[x]
‘You have disciplined me,
and I’m disciplined like an untrained calf.
Restore me, and let me return,[y]
for you are the Lord my God.
19 Indeed, after I turned away, then I repented.
And after I came to understand,
I slapped my forehead.[z]
I was both ashamed and humiliated
because I bear the disgrace of my youth.’”
God’s Gracious Response
20 “Is Ephraim my dear son?
Is he a darling child?
Indeed, as often as I’ve spoken about him,
I surely still remember him.
Therefore I deeply yearn for him.
I’ll surely have great compassion on him,”
declares the Lord.
21 Set up markers for yourselves.
Erect signposts for yourselves.
Pay attention to the highway,
to the road you traveled.
Return, virgin Israel,
return to these cities of yours.
22 How long will you go this way and that,
rebellious daughter?
Indeed, the Lord will create a new thing on the earth;
a woman will protect[aa] a man.
23 This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: “They’ll again speak this message in the land of Judah and its towns when I restore their fortunes:[ab] ‘The Lord bless you, righteous dwelling, holy mountain.’ 24 Judah and all its towns will live together in the land,[ac] along with farmers and those who follow the flock. 25 I’ll provide abundance for those who are weary, and fill all who are faint.” 26 Then I awoke and looked around, and I had had a pleasant sleep.
Restoration and Responsibility
27 “Look, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I’ll sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah using people and animals as seed.[ad] 28 Just as I’ve watched over them to pull up, tear down, overthrow, destroy, and bring disaster, so I’ll watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the Lord. 29 “In those days people will no longer say, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, but the children’s teeth have been set on edge.’ 30 Instead, each person will die for his own iniquity. Everyone who eats sour grapes will have his own[ae] teeth set on edge.”
The New Covenant
31 “Look, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I’ll make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32 It won’t be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. They broke my covenant, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. 33 “Rather, this is the covenant that I’ll make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord. “I’ll put my Law[af] within them and will write it on their hearts. I’ll be their God and they will be my people. 34 No longer will a person teach his neighbor or his relative: ‘Know the Lord.’ Instead, they’ll all know me, from the least to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord. “Indeed, I’ll forgive their iniquity, and I’ll remember their sin no more.”
35 This is what the Lord says,
who gives the sun for light by day,
the laws that govern the moon and stars for light by night,
and who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar.
The Lord of the Heavenly Armies is his name:
36 “If these laws cease to function in my presence,”
declares the Lord,
“then the descendants of Israel will cease to be
a nation in my presence for all time!”
37 This is what the Lord says:
“If the heavens could be measured above,
or the foundations of the earth be searched out below,
then I also would reject all the descendants of Israel
because of everything they have done,”
declares the Lord.
38 “Look, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the city of the Lord will be rebuilt[ag] from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 A measuring line will go straight out from there to the hill of Gareb, and then it will turn to Goah. 40 The whole valley of dead bodies and ashes and all the fields as far as the Brook Kidron to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east will be holy to the Lord. It won’t be uprooted or overthrown again, forever.”
Greetings
1 From:[a] Paul, a prisoner of the Messiah[b] Jesus, and Timothy our brother.
To: Philemon our dear friend[c] and fellow worker, 2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house.
3 May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[d] be yours![e]
Paul’s Prayer for Philemon
4 I always thank my God when I mention you[f] in my prayers, 5 because I keep hearing about your love for all the saints and the faith that you have in the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray[g] that your partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every blessing that is ours[h] in the Messiah.[i] 7 For I have received considerable joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed, brother, through you.
Paul’s Plea for Onesimus
8 For this reason, although in the Messiah[j] I have complete freedom to order you to do what is proper, 9 I prefer to make my appeal on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an old man and now a prisoner of the Messiah[k] Jesus, 10 appeal to you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. 11 Once he was useless to you, but now he is very useful[l] both to you and to me. 12 As I send him back, it’s like I’m coming along with him.[m] 13 I wanted to keep him with me so that he could serve me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel. 14 Yet I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be something forced, but voluntary. 15 Perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you could have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave but better than a slave—as a dear brother, especially to me, but even more so to you, both as a person and as a believer.[n]
17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome[o] me. 18 If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. (I will not mention to you that you owe me your very life.) 20 Yes, brother, I desire this favor from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Messiah![p] 21 Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you because I know that you will do even more than I ask. 22 Meanwhile, prepare a guest room for me, too, for I am hoping through your prayers to be returned to you.
Greetings from Paul’s Fellow Workers
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in the Messiah[q] Jesus, sends you[r] greetings, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. 25 May the grace of our[s] Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[t] be with your spirit! Amen.[u]
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