Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
VI. Oracles of the Restoration of Israel and Judah
Chapter 30
The Restoration.[a] 1 This word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write down on a scroll all the words I have spoken to you.(A) 3 For indeed, the days are coming—oracle of the Lord—when I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel and Judah—oracle of the Lord. I will bring them back to the land which I gave to their ancestors, and they shall take possession of it.(B)
4 These are the words the Lord spoke to Israel and to Judah: 5 Thus says the Lord:
We hear a cry of fear:
terror, not peace.
6 Inquire and see:
does a male give birth?
Why, then, do I see all these men,
their hands on their loins
Like women in labor,
all their faces drained of color?(C)
7 Ah! How mighty is that day—
there is none like it!
A time of distress for Jacob,
though he shall be saved from it.(D)
8 On that day—oracle of the Lord of hosts—I will break his yoke off your neck and snap your bonds. Strangers shall no longer enslave them;(E) 9 instead, they shall serve the Lord, their God, and David, their king,[b] whom I will raise up for them.(F)
10 But you, my servant Jacob, do not fear!—oracle of the Lord—
do not be dismayed, Israel!
For I will soon deliver you from places far away,
your offspring from the land of their exile;
Jacob shall again find rest,
secure, with none to frighten him,(G)
11 for I am with you—oracle of the Lord—to save you.
I will bring to an end all the nations
among whom I have scattered you;
but you I will not bring to an end.
I will chastise you as you deserve,
I will not let you go unpunished.(H)
12 For thus says the Lord:
Incurable is your wound,
grievous your injury;(I)
13 There is none to plead your case,
no remedy for your running sore,
no healing for you.
14 All your lovers have forgotten you,
they do not seek you out.
I struck you as an enemy would strike,
punishing you cruelly.(J)
15 Why cry out over your wound?
There is no relief for your pain.
Because of your great guilt,
your numerous sins,
I have done this to you.(K)
16 Yet all who devour you shall be devoured,
all your enemies shall go into exile.
All who plunder you shall become plunder,
all who pillage you I will hand over to be pillaged.(L)
17 For I will restore your health;
I will heal your injuries—oracle of the Lord.
“The outcast” they have called you,
“whom no one looks for.”(M)
5 The one who sat on the throne[a] said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then he said, “Write these words down, for they are trustworthy and true.”(A) 6 He said to me, “They are accomplished.[b] I [am] the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give a gift from the spring of life-giving water.(B) 7 The victor[c] will inherit these gifts, and I shall be his God, and he will be my son.(C) 8 But as for cowards,[d] the unfaithful, the depraved, murderers, the unchaste, sorcerers, idol-worshipers, and deceivers of every sort, their lot is in the burning pool of fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”(D)
The New Jerusalem.[e] 9 One of the seven angels who held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”[f] 10 He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.(E) 11 It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal.(F) 12 It had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed and on which names were inscribed, [the names] of the twelve tribes of the Israelites. 13 There were three gates facing east, three north, three south, and three west.(G) 14 The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve apostles[g] of the Lamb.(H)
15 [h]The one who spoke to me held a gold measuring rod to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city was square, its length the same as [also] its width. He measured the city with the rod and found it fifteen hundred miles[i] in length and width and height. 17 He also measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits[j] according to the standard unit of measurement the angel used. 18 [k]The wall was constructed of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. 19 The foundations of the city wall were decorated with every precious stone; the first course of stones was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,(I) 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh hyacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made from a single pearl; and the street of the city was of pure gold, transparent as glass.
22 [l](J)I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb. 23 [m]The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it,(K) for the glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light,[n] and to it the kings of the earth will bring their treasure.(L) 25 During the day its gates will never be shut, and there will be no night there. 26 The treasure and wealth of the nations will be brought there, 27 but nothing unclean will enter it, nor any[one] who does abominable things or tells lies. Only those will enter whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.(M)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.