Jeremiah 31
31
Israel will return to God
1The LORD said:
Israel, I promise
that some day all your tribes
will again be my people,
and I will be your God.
2In 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.#31.2 In the desert…same for you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
I, the LORD, have spoken.
The LORD will rebuild Israel
3Some time ago, the LORD appeared to me#31.3 Some time…me: Or “The LORD appeared to me from far away.” and told me to say:
Israel, I will always love you;
that's why I've been so patient
and kind.
4You are precious to me,
and so I will rebuild
your nation.
Once again you will dance for joy
and play your tambourines.
5You will plant vineyards
on the hills of Samaria
and enjoy the grapes.
6Some day 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
7The 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.”
8I, the LORD, will bring
my people back from Babylonia#31.8 Babylonia: The Hebrew text has “that country in the north”, referring to Babylonia.
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.
9They will weep and pray
as I bring them home.
I will lead them
to streams of water.
They will walk on a level#31.9 level: Or “straight”. road
and not stumble.
I am a father to Israel,#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.
my favourite children.
10Listen 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;
11I will rescue them from enemies
who could overpower them.
12My 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.
13Young women and young men,
together with the elderly,
will celebrate and dance,
because I will comfort them
and turn their sorrow
into happiness.
14I 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
15In Ramah#31.15 In Ramah: Or “In the hills”. a voice is heard,#Gn 35.16-19; Mt 2.18.
crying and weeping loudly.
Rachel mourns for her children#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.
and refuses to be comforted,
because they are dead.
16-17But I, the LORD, tell you
to dry your tears.
Some day your children
will come home
from the enemy's land.
Then all you have done for them
will be greatly rewarded.
So don't lose hope.
I, the LORD, have spoken.
18The people of Israel#31.18 Israel: Hebrew “Ephraim” (see the note at 31.9). moan
and say to me,
“We were like wild bulls,
but you, LORD, broke us,
and we learnt to obey.
You are our God—
please let us come home.
19When 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.”
20People 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.
21With rock piles and signposts,
mark the way home,
my dear people.
It is the same road
by which you left.
22Will you ever decide
to be faithful?
I will make sure that some day
things will be different,
as different as a woman
protecting a man.#31.22 I will make sure…a woman protecting a man: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
The LORD will bring Judah home
23The LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, said:
I promise to set the people of Judah free and to lead them back to their home towns. 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.”
24The people will live in Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah. Some will be farmers, and others will be shepherds. 25Those who feel tired and worn out will find new life and energy, 26and when they sleep, they will wake up refreshed.#31.26 and when they sleep…refreshed: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
27Some day, Israel and Judah will be my field where my people and their livestock will grow. 28In 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. 29No longer will anyone go around saying,#Ez 18.2.
“Sour grapes eaten by parents
leave a sour taste in the mouths
of their children.”
30When 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
31The LORD said:#Mt 26.28; Mk 14.24; Lk 22.20; 1 Co 11.25; 2 Co 3.6.#He 8.8-12.
The time will surely come when I will make a new agreement with the people of Israel and Judah. 32It 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.
33Here is the new agreement that I, the LORD, will make with the people of Israel:#He 10.16.
“I will write my laws
on their hearts and minds.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
34“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.”#He 10.17.
35I 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.
36I will never forget
to give those commands,
and I will never let Israel
stop being a nation.
I, the LORD, have spoken.
37Can you measure the heavens?
Can you explore
the depths of the earth?
That's how hard it would be
for me to reject Israel for ever,
even though they have sinned.
I, the LORD, have spoken.
Jerusalem will be rebuilt
38The LORD said:
Some day, Jerusalem will truly belong to me. It will be rebuilt with a boundary line running from Hananel Tower to Corner Gate. 39From there, the boundary will go in a straight line to Gareb Hill, then turn towards Goah. 40Even that disgusting Hinnom Valley#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 south-west of Jerusalem, where human sacrifices had been offered to foreign gods. 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.
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Jeremiah 31: CEVUK
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012
Jeremiah 31
31
1“At that time I will be the God of all the families of Israel,” announces the Lord. “And they will be my people.”
2The Lord says,
“Some of my people will live through
everything their enemies do to them.
They will find help in the desert.
I will come to give peace and rest to Israel.”
3The Lord appeared to us in the past. He said,
“I have loved you with a love that lasts forever.
I have kept on loving you with a kindness that never fails.
4I will build you up again.
Nation of Israel, you will be rebuilt.
Once again you will use your tambourines to celebrate.
You will go out and dance with joy.
5Once again you will plant vineyards
on the hills of Samaria.
Farmers will plant them.
They will enjoy their fruit.
6There will be a day when those on guard duty will cry out.
They will stand on the hills of Ephraim.
And they will shout,
‘Come! Let’s go up to Zion.
Let’s go up to where the Lord our God is.’ ”
7The Lord says,
“Sing for joy because the people of Jacob are blessed.
Shout because the Lord has made them the greatest nation.
Make your praises heard.
Say, ‘Lord, save your people.
Save the people who are left alive in Israel.’
8I will bring them from the land of the north.
I will gather them from one end of the earth to the other.
Even those who are blind and those who can’t walk
will be among them.
Pregnant women and women having their babies
will be among them also.
Many of them will return.
9Their eyes will be filled with tears as they come.
They will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead them beside streams of water.
I will lead them on a level path
where they will not trip or fall.
I am Israel’s father.
And Ephraim is my oldest son.
10“Listen to my message, you nations.
Announce it on shores far away.
Say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather them.
He will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’
11I will set the people of Jacob free.
I will save them from those who are stronger than they are.
12They will come and shout for joy on Mount Zion.
They will be joyful because of everything I give them.
I give them grain, olive oil and fresh wine.
I give them the young animals in their flocks and herds.
Israel will be like a garden that has plenty of water.
And they will not be sad anymore.
13Then young women will dance and be glad.
And so will the men, young and old alike.
I will turn their mourning into gladness.
I will comfort them.
And I will give them joy instead of sorrow.
14I will satisfy the priests. I will give them more than enough.
And my people will be filled with the good things I give them,”
announces the Lord.
15The Lord says,
“A voice is heard in Ramah.
It is the sound of weeping and deep sadness.
Rachel is weeping for her children.
She refuses to be comforted,
because they are gone.”
16The Lord says,
“Do not weep anymore.
Do not let tears fall from your eyes.
I will reward you for your work,”
announces the Lord.
“Your children will return from the land of the enemy.
17So there is hope for your children,”
announces the Lord.
“Your children will return to their own land.
18“I have heard the groans of Ephraim’s people. They say,
‘You corrected us like a calf you were training.
And we have been trained.
Bring us back to you, and we will come back.
You are the Lord our God.
19After we wandered away from you,
we turned away from our sins.
After we learned our lesson,
we beat our chests in sorrow.
We were full of shame.
What we did when we were young brought dishonor on us.’
20Aren’t the people of Ephraim my dear children?
Aren’t they the children I take delight in?
I often speak against them.
But I still remember them.
So my heart longs for them.
I love them with a tender love,”
announces the Lord.
21The Lord says, “Put up road signs.
Set up stones to show the way.
Look carefully for the highway.
Look for the road you will take.
Return, people of Israel.
Return to your towns.
22How long will you wander,
my people Israel, who are not faithful to me?
I will create a new thing on earth.
The woman will return to the man.”
23The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, “I will bring them back from the place where they were taken. Here is what the people in Judah and its towns will say once again. ‘May the Lord bless you, you successful city. Sacred mountain, may he bless you.’ 24People will live together in Judah and all its towns. Farmers and shepherds will live there. 25I will give rest to those who are tired. I will satisfy those who are weak.”
26When I heard this, I woke up and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.
27Here is what the Lord announces. “The days are coming when I will plant the kingdoms of Israel and Judah again. I will plant them with children and young animals. 28I watched over Israel and Judah to pull them up by the roots. I tore them down. I crushed them. I destroyed them. I brought horrible trouble on them. But now I will watch over them to build them up and plant them,” announces the Lord. 29“In those days people will no longer say,
“ ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes.
But the children have a bitter taste in their mouths.’
30Instead, everyone will die for their own sin. The one who eats sour grapes will taste how bitter they are.
31“The days are coming,” announces the Lord.
“I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel.
I will also make it with the people of Judah.
32It will not be like the covenant
I made with their people of long ago.
That was when I took them by the hand.
I led them out of Egypt.
But they broke my covenant.
They did it even though I was like a husband to them,”
announces the Lord.
33“This is the covenant I will make with Israel
after that time,” announces the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds.
I will write it on their hearts.
I will be their God.
And they will be my people.
34They will not need to teach their neighbor anymore.
And they will not need to teach one another anymore.
They will not need to say, ‘Know the Lord.’
That’s because everyone will know me.
From the least important of them to the most important,
all of them will know me,”
announces the Lord.
“I will forgive their evil ways.
I will not remember their sins anymore.”
35The Lord speaks.
He makes the sun
shine by day.
He orders the moon and stars
to shine at night.
He stirs up the ocean.
He makes its waves roar.
His name is the Lord Who Rules Over All.
36“Suppose my orders for creation disappear from my sight,”
announces the Lord.
“Only then will the people of Israel stop being
a nation in my sight.”
37The Lord says,
“Suppose the sky above could be measured.
Suppose the foundations of the earth below could be completely discovered.
Only then would I turn away the people of Israel.
Even though they have committed many sins,
I will still accept them,”
announces the Lord.
38“The days are coming,” announces the Lord. “At that time Jerusalem will be rebuilt for me. It will be rebuilt from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39The measuring line will reach out from there. It will go straight to the hill of Gareb. Then it will turn and reach as far as Goah. 40There is a valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown. That whole valley will be holy to me. The side of the Kidron Valley east of the city will be holy to me. It will be holy all the way to the corner of the Horse Gate. The city will never again be pulled up by the roots. It will never be destroyed.”
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