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Jeremiah 30-31
Contemporary English Version
Jeremiah 30-31
Contemporary English Version
The Lord Will Rescue Israel and Judah
30 1-2 The Lord God of Israel said, “Jeremiah, get a scroll[a] and write down everything I have told you. 3 Someday I will let my people from both Israel[b] and Judah return to the land I gave their ancestors.”
4-5 Then the Lord told me to say to Israel and Judah:
Screams of terror are heard,
with no word of peace.
6 Can men give birth?
Then why do I see them
looking so pale
and clutching their stomachs
like women in labor?
7 My people, soon you will suffer
worse than ever before,
but I will save you.
8 Now you are slaves
of other nations,
but I will break the chains
and smash the yokes[c]
that keep you in slavery.
9 Then you will be my servants,
and I will choose a king for you
from the family of David.
* 10 (A) Israel,[d] you belong to me,
so don't be afraid.
You deserved to be punished;
that's why I scattered you
in distant nations.
But I am with you,
and someday I will destroy
those nations.
11 Then I will bring you
and your descendants
back to your land,
where I will protect you
and give you peace.
Then your fears will be gone.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
The Lord Will Heal Israel and Judah
12 The Lord said:
My people, you are wounded
and near death.
13 You are accused of a crime
with no one to defend you,
and you are covered with sores
that no medicine can cure.
* 14 Your friends have forgotten you;
they don't care anymore.
Even I have acted like an enemy.
And because your sins
are horrible and countless,
I will be cruel
as I punish you.
15 So don't bother to cry out
for relief from your pain.
16 But if your enemies try to rob
or destroy you,
I will rob and destroy them,
and they will be led as captives
to foreign lands.
17 No one wants you as a friend
or cares what happens to you.
But I will heal your injuries,
and you will get well.
The Lord Will Rescue Israel and Judah
18 The Lord said:
Israel, I will be kind to you
and let you come home.
Jerusalem now lies in ruins,
but you will rebuild it,
complete with a new palace.[e]
19 Other nations will respect
and honor you.
Your homes will be filled
with children,
and you will celebrate,
singing praises to me.
20 It will be just like old times.
Your nation will worship me,
and I will punish anyone
who abuses you.
21 One of your own people
will become your ruler.
And when I invite him
to come near me
at the place of worship,
he will do so.
No one would dare to come near
without being invited.
22 You will be my people,
and I will be your God.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
23 I am furious!
And like a violent storm
I will strike those
who do wrong.
24 I won't calm down
until I have finished
what I have decided to do.
Someday, you will understand
what I mean.
Israel Will Return to God
31 The Lord said:
Israel, I promise
that someday all your tribes
will again be my people,
and I will be your God.
2 In the desert I was kind
to those who escaped death.
I gave them peace,
and when the time is right,
I'll do the same for you.[f]
I, the Lord, have spoken.
The Lord Will Rebuild Israel
3 Some time ago, the Lord appeared to me[g] and told me to say:
Israel, I will always love you;
that's why I've been so patient
and kind.
4 You are precious to me,
and so I will rebuild
your nation.
Once again you will dance for joy
and play your tambourines.
5 You will plant vineyards
on the hills of Samaria
and enjoy the grapes.
6 Someday those who guard
the hill country of Ephraim
will shout, “Let's go to Zion
and worship the Lord our God.”
Israel Will Return to Its Own Land
7 The Lord says:
Celebrate and sing for Israel,
the greatest of nations.
Offer praises and shout,
“Come and rescue
your people, Lord!
Save what's left of Israel.”
8 I, the Lord, will bring
my people back from Babylonia[h]
and everywhere else on earth.
The blind and the lame
will be there.
Expectant mothers
and women about to give birth
will come and be part
of that great crowd.
9 They will weep and pray
as I bring them home.
I will lead them
to streams of water.
They will walk on a level[i] road
and not stumble.
I am a father to Israel,[j]
my favorite children.
10 Listen to me, you nations
nearby or across the sea.
I scattered the people of Israel,
but I will gather them again.
I will protect them like a shepherd
guarding a flock;
11 I will rescue them from enemies
who could overpower them.
12 My people will come
to Mount Zion
and celebrate;
their faces will glow
because of my blessings.
I'll give them grain, grapes,
and olive oil,
as well as sheep and cattle.
Israel will be prosperous
and grow like a garden
with plenty of water.
13 Young women and young men,
together with the elderly,
will celebrate and dance,
because I will comfort them
and turn their sorrow
into happiness.
14 I will bless my people
with more food
than they need,
and the priests will enjoy
the choice cuts of meat.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
The Lord Offers Hope
15 (B) In Ramah[k] a voice is heard,
crying and weeping loudly.
Rachel mourns for her children[l]
and refuses to be comforted,
because they are dead.
* 16 But I, the Lord, say
to dry your tears.
Someday your children
will come home
from the enemy's land.
Then all you have done for them
will be greatly rewarded.
17 So don't lose hope.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
18 The people of Israel[m] moan
and say to me,
“We were like wild bulls,
but you, Lord, broke us,
and we learned to obey.
You are our God—
please let us come home.
19 When we were young,
we strayed and sinned,
but then we realized
what we had done.
We are ashamed and disgraced
and want to return to you.”
20 People of Israel,
you are my own dear children.
Don't I love you best of all?
Though I often make threats,
I want you to be near me,
so I will have mercy on you.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
21 With rock piles and signposts,
mark the road well,
my dear people.
The road by which you left
by will now lead you home.
22 Will you ever decide
to be faithful?
I will make sure that someday
things will be different,
as different as a woman
protecting a man.[n]
The Lord Will Bring Judah Home
23 The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, said:
I promise to set the people of Judah free and to lead them back to their hometowns. And when I do, they will once again say,
“We pray that the Lord
will bless his home,
the sacred hill in Jerusalem
where his temple stands.”
24 The people will live in Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah. Some will be farmers, and others will be shepherds. 25 Those who feel tired and worn out will find new life and energy, 26 and when they sleep, they will wake up refreshed.[o]
27 Someday, Israel and Judah will be my field where my people and their livestock will grow. 28 In the past, I took care to uproot them, to tear them down, and to destroy them. But when that day comes, I will take care to plant them and help them grow. 29 (C) No longer will anyone go around saying,
“Sour grapes eaten by parents
leave a sour taste in the mouths
of their children.”
30 When that day comes, only those who eat sour grapes will get the sour taste, and only those who sin will be put to death.
The New Agreement with Israel and Judah
The time will surely come when I will make a new agreement with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 It will be different from the agreement I made with their ancestors when I led them out of Egypt. Although I was their God, they broke that agreement.
33 (F) Here is the new agreement that I, the Lord, will make with the people of Israel:
“I will write my laws
on their hearts and minds.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
34 (G) “No longer will they have to teach one another to obey me. I, the Lord, promise that all of them will obey me, ordinary people and rulers alike. I will forgive their sins and forget the evil things they have done.”
35 I am the Lord All-Powerful.
I command the sun
to give light each day,
the moon and stars
to shine at night,
and ocean waves to roar.
36 I will never forget
to give those commands,
and I will never let Israel
stop being a nation.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
37 Can you measure the heavens?
Can you explore
the depths of the earth?
That's how hard it would be
for me to reject Israel forever,
even though they have sinned.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
Jerusalem Will Be Rebuilt
38 The Lord said:
Someday, Jerusalem will truly belong to me. It will be rebuilt with a boundary line running from Hananel Tower to Corner Gate. 39 From there, the boundary will go in a straight line to Gareb Hill, then turn toward Goah. 40 Even that disgusting Hinnom Valley[p] will be sacred to me, and so will the eastern slopes that go down from Horse Gate into Kidron Valley. Jerusalem will never again be destroyed.
Footnotes
- 30.1,2 scroll: A roll of paper or special leather used for writing on.
- 30.3 Israel: The northern kingdom.
- 30.8 yokes: See the note at 27.1,2.
- 30.10 Israel: The people of the northern and southern kingdoms.
- 30.18 Jerusalem … palace: Or “Your towns lie in ruins, but you will rebuild them, and your homes will be where they were before.”
- 31.2 In the desert … same for you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 31.3 Some time … me: Or “The Lord appeared to me from far away.”
- 31.8 Babylonia: The Hebrew text has “that country in the north,” referring to Babylonia.
- 31.9 level: Or “straight.”
- 31.9 Israel: The Hebrew text also has “Ephraim,” the leading tribe of the northern kingdom of Israel, which sometimes stands for the whole northern kingdom.
- 31.15 In Ramah: Or “In the hills.”
- 31.15 Rachel … children: Rachel was one of the wives of Jacob, the ancestor of the nation of Israel. She was the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph's two sons Ephraim and Manasseh were the ancestors of the leading tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel.
- 31.18 Israel: Hebrew “Ephraim” (see the note at 31.9).
- 31.22 I will make sure … a woman protecting a man: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 31.26 and when they sleep … refreshed: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 31.40 that disgusting Hinnom Valley: The Hebrew text has “the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the fatty ashes,” which probably refers to Hinnom Valley, just southwest of Jerusalem, where human sacrifices had been offered to foreign gods.
Jeremiah 30-31
New International Version
Jeremiah 30-31
New International Version
Restoration of Israel
30 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write(A) in a book all the words I have spoken to you. 3 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.”
4 These are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: 5 “This is what the Lord says:
“‘Cries of fear(E) are heard—
terror, not peace.
6 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)
7 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.
8 “‘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)
9 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)
18 “This is what the Lord says:
“‘I will restore the fortunes(AO) of Jacob’s tents(AP)
and have compassion(AQ) on his dwellings;
the city will be rebuilt(AR) on her ruins,
and the palace will stand in its proper place.
19 From them will come songs(AS) of thanksgiving(AT)
and the sound of rejoicing.(AU)
I will add to their numbers,(AV)
and they will not be decreased;
I will bring them honor,(AW)
and they will not be disdained.
20 Their children(AX) will be as in days of old,
and their community will be established(AY) before me;
I will punish(AZ) all who oppress them.
21 Their leader(BA) will be one of their own;
their ruler will arise from among them.(BB)
I will bring him near(BC) and he will come close to me—
for who is he who will devote himself
to be close to me?’
declares the Lord.
22 “‘So you will be my people,(BD)
and I will be your God.(BE)’”
23 See, the storm(BF) of the Lord
will burst out in wrath,
a driving wind swirling down
on the heads of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger(BG) of the Lord will not turn back(BH)
until he fully accomplishes
the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
you will understand(BI) this.
31 “At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the God(BJ) of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”
2 This is what the Lord says:
“The people who survive the sword
will find favor(BK) in the wilderness;
I will come to give rest(BL) to Israel.”
3 The Lord appeared to us in the past,[b] saying:
“I have loved(BM) you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn(BN) you with unfailing kindness.
4 I will build you up again,
and you, Virgin(BO) Israel, will be rebuilt.(BP)
Again you will take up your timbrels(BQ)
and go out to dance(BR) with the joyful.(BS)
5 Again you will plant(BT) vineyards
on the hills of Samaria;(BU)
the farmers will plant them
and enjoy their fruit.(BV)
6 There will be a day when watchmen(BW) cry out
on the hills of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Zion,
to the Lord our God.’”(BX)
7 This is what the Lord says:
“Sing(BY) with joy for Jacob;
shout for the foremost(BZ) of the nations.
Make your praises heard, and say,
‘Lord, save(CA) your people,
the remnant(CB) of Israel.’
8 See, I will bring them from the land of the north(CC)
and gather(CD) them from the ends of the earth.
Among them will be the blind(CE) and the lame,(CF)
expectant mothers and women in labor;
a great throng will return.
9 They will come with weeping;(CG)
they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead(CH) them beside streams of water(CI)
on a level(CJ) path where they will not stumble,
because I am Israel’s father,(CK)
and Ephraim is my firstborn son.
10 “Hear the word of the Lord, you nations;
proclaim it in distant coastlands:(CL)
‘He who scattered(CM) Israel will gather(CN) them
and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’(CO)
11 For the Lord will deliver Jacob
and redeem(CP) them from the hand of those stronger(CQ) than they.
12 They will come and shout for joy(CR) on the heights(CS) of Zion;
they will rejoice in the bounty(CT) of the Lord—
the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,(CU)
the young of the flocks(CV) and herds.
They will be like a well-watered garden,(CW)
and they will sorrow(CX) no more.
13 Then young women will dance and be glad,
young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning(CY) into gladness;
I will give them comfort(CZ) and joy(DA) instead of sorrow.
14 I will satisfy(DB) the priests(DC) with abundance,
and my people will be filled with my bounty,(DD)”
declares the Lord.
15 This is what the Lord says:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,(DE)
mourning and great weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,(DF)
because they are no more.”(DG)
16 This is what the Lord says:
“Restrain your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears,(DH)
for your work will be rewarded,(DI)”
declares the Lord.
“They will return(DJ) from the land of the enemy.
17 So there is hope(DK) for your descendants,”
declares the Lord.
“Your children(DL) will return to their own land.
18 “I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:
‘You disciplined(DM) me like an unruly calf,(DN)
and I have been disciplined.
Restore(DO) me, and I will return,
because you are the Lord my God.
19 After I strayed,(DP)
I repented;
after I came to understand,
I beat(DQ) my breast.
I was ashamed(DR) and humiliated
because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’(DS)
20 Is not Ephraim my dear son,
the child(DT) in whom I delight?
Though I often speak against him,
I still remember(DU) him.
Therefore my heart yearns for him;
I have great compassion(DV) for him,”
declares the Lord.
21 “Set up road signs;
put up guideposts.(DW)
Take note of the highway,(DX)
the road that you take.
Return,(DY) Virgin(DZ) Israel,
return to your towns.
22 How long will you wander,(EA)
unfaithful(EB) Daughter Israel?
The Lord will create a new thing(EC) on earth—
the woman will return to[c](ED) the man.”
23 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity,[d](EE) the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: ‘The Lord bless(EF) you, you prosperous city,(EG) you sacred mountain.’(EH) 24 People will live(EI) together in Judah and all its towns—farmers and those who move about with their flocks.(EJ) 25 I will refresh the weary(EK) and satisfy the faint.”(EL)
26 At this I awoke(EM) and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.
27 “The days are coming,”(EN) declares the Lord, “when I will plant(EO) the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals. 28 Just as I watched(EP) over them to uproot(EQ) and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster,(ER) so I will watch over them to build and to plant,”(ES) declares the Lord. 29 “In those days people will no longer say,
30 Instead, everyone will die for their own sin;(EV) whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.
31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will make a new covenant(EW)
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant(EX)
I made with their ancestors(EY)
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,(EZ)
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband(FA) to[e] them,[f]”
declares the Lord.
33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds(FB)
and write it on their hearts.(FC)
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.(FD)
34 No longer will they teach(FE) their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know(FF) me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive(FG) their wickedness
and will remember their sins(FH) no more.”
35 This is what the Lord says,
he who appoints(FI) the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,(FJ)
who stirs up the sea(FK)
so that its waves roar(FL)—
the Lord Almighty is his name:(FM)
36 “Only if these decrees(FN) vanish from my sight,”
declares the Lord,
“will Israel(FO) ever cease
being a nation before me.”
37 This is what the Lord says:
“Only if the heavens above can be measured(FP)
and the foundations of the earth below be searched out
will I reject(FQ) all the descendants of Israel
because of all they have done,”
declares the Lord.
38 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this city will be rebuilt(FR) for me from the Tower of Hananel(FS) to the Corner Gate.(FT) 39 The measuring line(FU) will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. 40 The whole valley(FV) where dead bodies(FW) and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley(FX) on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate,(FY) will be holy(FZ) to the Lord. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 30:3 Or will restore the fortunes of my people Israel and Judah
- Jeremiah 31:3 Or Lord has appeared to us from afar
- Jeremiah 31:22 Or will protect
- Jeremiah 31:23 Or I restore their fortunes
- Jeremiah 31:32 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac / and I turned away from
- Jeremiah 31:32 Or was their master
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