Jeremiah 31
31
Hope for Restoration
1“In that day,” says the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people. 2This is what the Lord says:
“Those who survive the coming destruction
will find blessings even in the barren land,
for I will give rest to the people of Israel.”
3Long ago the Lord said to Israel:
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
4I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel.
You will again be happy
and dance merrily with your tambourines.
5Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria
and eat from your own gardens there.
6The day will come when watchmen will shout
from the hill country of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Jerusalem#31:6 Hebrew Zion; also in 31:12.
to worship the Lord our God.’”
7Now this is what the Lord says:
“Sing with joy for Israel.#31:7 Hebrew Jacob; also in 31:11. See note on 5:20.
Shout for the greatest of nations!
Shout out with praise and joy:
‘Save your people, O Lord,
the remnant of Israel!’
8For I will bring them from the north
and from the distant corners of the earth.
I will not forget the blind and lame,
the expectant mothers and women in labor.
A great company will return!
9Tears of joy will stream down their faces,
and I will lead them home with great care.
They will walk beside quiet streams
and on smooth paths where they will not stumble.
For I am Israel’s father,
and Ephraim is my oldest child.
10“Listen to this message from the Lord,
you nations of the world;
proclaim it in distant coastlands:
The Lord, who scattered his people,
will gather them and watch over them
as a shepherd does his flock.
11For the Lord has redeemed Israel
from those too strong for them.
12They will come home and sing songs of joy on the heights of Jerusalem.
They will be radiant because of the Lord’s good gifts—
the abundant crops of grain, new wine, and olive oil,
and the healthy flocks and herds.
Their life will be like a watered garden,
and all their sorrows will be gone.
13The young women will dance for joy,
and the men—old and young—will join in the celebration.
I will turn their mourning into joy.
I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing.
14The priests will enjoy abundance,
and my people will feast on my good gifts.
I, the Lord, have spoken!”
Rachel’s Sadness Turns to Joy
15This is what the Lord says:
“A cry is heard in Ramah—
deep anguish and bitter weeping.
Rachel weeps for her children,
refusing to be comforted—
for her children are gone.”
16But now this is what the Lord says:
“Do not weep any longer,
for I will reward you,” says the Lord.
“Your children will come back to you
from the distant land of the enemy.
17There is hope for your future,” says the Lord.
“Your children will come again to their own land.
18I have heard Israel#31:18 Hebrew Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of Israel; also in 31:20. saying,
‘You disciplined me severely,
like a calf that needs training for the yoke.
Turn me again to you and restore me,
for you alone are the Lord my God.
19I turned away from God,
but then I was sorry.
I kicked myself for my stupidity!
I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days.’
20“Is not Israel still my son,
my darling child?” says the Lord.
“I often have to punish him,
but I still love him.
That’s why I long for him
and surely will have mercy on him.
21Set up road signs;
put up guideposts.
Mark well the path
by which you came.
Come back again, my virgin Israel;
return to your towns here.
22How long will you wander,
my wayward daughter?
For the Lord will cause something new to happen—
Israel will embrace her God.#31:22 Hebrew a woman will surround a man.”
23This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity, the people of Judah and its towns will again say, ‘The Lord bless you, O righteous home, O holy mountain!’ 24Townspeople and farmers and shepherds alike will live together in peace and happiness. 25For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing.”
26At this, I woke up and looked around. My sleep had been very sweet.
27“The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will greatly increase the human population and the number of animals here in Israel and Judah. 28In the past I deliberately uprooted and tore down this nation. I overthrew it, destroyed it, and brought disaster upon it. But in the future I will just as deliberately plant it and build it up. I, the Lord, have spoken!
29“The people will no longer quote this proverb:
‘The parents have eaten sour grapes,
but their children’s mouths pucker at the taste.’
30All people will die for their own sins—those who eat the sour grapes will be the ones whose mouths will pucker.
31“The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord.
33“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”
35It is the Lord who provides the sun to light the day
and the moon and stars to light the night,
and who stirs the sea into roaring waves.
His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
and this is what he says:
36“I am as likely to reject my people Israel
as I am to abolish the laws of nature!”
37This is what the Lord says:
“Just as the heavens cannot be measured
and the foundations of the earth cannot be explored,
so I will not consider casting them away
for the evil they have done.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
38“The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when all Jerusalem will be rebuilt for me, from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39A measuring line will be stretched out over the hill of Gareb and across to Goah. 40And the entire area—including the graveyard and ash dump in the valley, and all the fields out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the Horse Gate—will be holy to the Lord. The city will never again be captured or destroyed.”
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Jeremiah 31: NLT
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Yirmeyah 31
31
1 At the same time, saith Hashem, I will be Elohim l'khol mishpekhot Yisroel, and they shall be My people.
2 Thus saith Hashem, The Am seridei cherev (the People that survived the cherev)#31:2 as a Remnant found chen (grace) in the midbar; even Yisroel, when Yisroel journeyed to find [a place of] rest.
3 Hashem hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yes, I have loved thee with an ahavat olam; therefore with chesed have I drawn thee.
4 Again I will build thee up, and thou shalt be rebuilt, O Betulat Yisroel; thou shalt again adorn thyself with thy timbrels, and shalt go forth in the dance of merrymakers.
5 Thou shalt yet plant keramim upon the hills of Shomron; the planters shall plant, and shall put the fruit to ordinary use.#31:5 See Lv 19:24-25
6 For there shall be a yom, that the notzrim (watchmen) upon har Ephrayim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Tziyon unto Hashem Eloheinu.
7 For thus saith Hashem; Sing with simcha for Ya'akov, and shout among the Rosh HaGoyim; publish ye, hallelu (praise ye), and say, Hashem, save Thy people, the She'erit Yisroel (the Remnant of Israel).
8 Hineni, I will bring them from the eretz tzafon (land of the north), and gather them from the ends of ha'aretz, and with them the ivver (blind) and the pise'ach (lame), the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together; a Kahal Gadol shall return here.
9 They shall come with weeping, and with techinnunim will I lead them back; I will cause them to walk by the nachalei mayim (streams of water) in a derech yashar (straight road), wherein they shall not stumble; for I am an Av to Yisroel, and Ephrayim is My bechor.
10 Hear the Devar Hashem, O ye Goyim, and preach it in the farthest shores, and say, He that scattered Yisroel will gather Yisroel, and He shall be shomer over Yisroel, like a Ro'eh over the Eder thereof.
11 For Hashem hath redeemed Ya'akov, and made Geulah (Redemption) for Ya'akov out of the yad of him that was chazak more than Ya'akov.
12 Therefore they shall come and loudly, joyously sing on the height of Tziyon, and shall stream to the Tuv Hashem (Bounty, Goodness of Hashem), for dagan (grain), and for tirosh (new wine) and for yitzhar (pure olive oil) and for the young of the tzon and of the herd; and their nefesh shall be like a well-watered gan (garden); and they shall not sorrow any more at all.
13 Then shall the betulah rejoice in the machol (dance), both bocherim (young men) and zekenim together; for I will turn their evel (mourning) into sasson (joy), and will comfort them, and make them have simcha from their sorrow.
14 And I will satisfy the nefesh of the Kohanim with deshen (fatness, abundance) and My people shall be sated with My Tuv (Bounty, Goodness), saith Hashem.
15 Thus saith Hashem; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel, weeping for her banim, refused to be comforted for her banim, because they were no more.#31:15 See Mt 2:18
16 Thus saith Hashem; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; for sachar (reward) there will be for thy labor, saith Hashem; and they shall return from the eretz oyev (land of the enemy).
17 And there is tikveh (hope) in thine acharit (future, latter end), saith Hashem, that thy banim shall return to their own border.
18 I have surely heard Ephrayim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, like an unbroken egel; turn Thou me, and I shall be turned; for Thou art Hashem Elohai.
19 Surely after I turned away, I made teshuva; and after I was instructed, I beat upon my yarech (thigh); I was ashamed, yes, even humiliated, because nasati cherpat neurai (I did bear, carry the reproach, disgrace of my youth).
20 Is Ephrayim My ben yakir (dear son)? Is he a yeled in whom I delight? For when I spoke of him, I do earnestly remember him still; therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have rachamim (mercy) upon him, saith Hashem.
21 Set thee up tziyyunim (roadmarks, road signs), make thee tamurim (guideposts); set thine lev upon the highway, even the derech thou art now walking; turn back, O Betulat Yisroel, turn back to these thy towns.
22 How long wilt thou dillydally, O Bat HaShovevah (backsliding daughter)? For Hashem barah chadashah (Hashemhath created a new thing) on ha'aretz; A nekevah (woman, female),#31:22 i.e., Israel shall encircle [seek out] a gever (man, male).#31:22 i.e., G-d
23 Thus saith Hashem Tzva'os Elohei Yisroel: Once again they shall use this saying in Eretz Yehudah and in the towns thereof, when I shall turn them back from their captivity; yevarechecha Adonoi neveh tzedek har hakodesh (may Hashembless thee, O Righteous Abode, O Har HaKodesh)!
24 There shall dwell in Yehudah itself, in all the towns thereof together, ikkarim (farmers); they also that go forth with the eder.
25 For I will refresh the nefesh of the weary, and I will replenish even the stress-laden nefesh.
26 Upon this, I awoke, and beheld; and my sheynah (sleep) was sweet unto me.
27 Hinei, the days are coming, saith Hashem, that I will sow again Bais Yisroel and Bais Yehudah with the zera adam (human seed),#31:27 i.e., repopulation and also with the zera behemah (animal seed).#31:27 i.e., replenishing livestock
28 And it shall come to pass, that just as I watched over them, to uproot, and to tear down, and to overthrow, and to destroy, and to bring catastrophe; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith Hashem.
29 In those days they shall say no more, The Avot have eaten the sour grape, and the shinayim (teeth) of the Banim are set on edge.
30 But every one shall die for his own avon (iniquity); kol haAdam that eateth the sour grape, his shinayim shall be set on edge.
31 Hinei, the days come, saith Hashem, that I will cut a Brit Chadasha with Bais Yisroel, and with Bais Yehudah;
32 Not according to the Brit that I cut with their Avot in the day that I took hold of their yad to take them out of Eretz Mitzrayim; which My Brit they broke, although I was Ba'al (Husband) to them, saith Hashem;
33 But this shall be the Brit that I will cut with Bais Yisroel;#31:33 T.N. Orthodox Jewish Brit Chadasha (OJBC) is Jewish, according to Jeremiah After those days, saith Hashem, I will set My Torah in them inwardly, and I will write ketuvim on their hearts; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My People.
34 And they shall teach no more every ish his re'a (neighbor), and every ish his brother, saying, Know Hashem; for they shall all have da'as of Me, from the katon of them unto the gadol of them, saith Hashem; for I will forgive their avon, and I will remember their chattat no more.
35 Thus saith Hashem, which giveth the shemesh for an ohr by day, and the chukkot yarei'ach and chukkot kokhavim for an ohr by night, which stirreth up the sea when the waves thereof roar; Hashem Tzva'os is Shmo:
36 If those chukkim depart from before Me, saith Hashem, then the Zera Yisroel also shall cease from being a Goy (Nation) before Me forever.
37 Thus saith Hashem; If Shomayim above can be measured, and, below, the foundations of ha'aretz can be searched out, I will also cast off kol Zera Yisroel for all that they have done, saith Hashem.
38 Hinei, the days are coming, saith Hashem, that the Ir shall be built unto Hashem from the Migdal Chanan'el unto the Sha'ar HaPinnah (Corner Gate).
39 And the measuring line shall yet go forth straight ahead to Garev Hill, and around to Goah.
40 And the whole valley [of Hinnom] of the pegarim (corpses), and of the deshen (ashes), and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the Sha'ar HaSusim (Horse Gate) to the east, shall be kodesh unto Hashem; it shall not be uprooted, nor destroyed any more l'olam.
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.