Jeremiah 31
31
Israel Will Return to God
1The Lord said:
Israel, I promise
that someday 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.
6Someday 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 favorite 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
15 #
Gn 35.16-19;
Mt 2.18. In Ramah#31.15 In Ramah: Or “In the hills.” a voice is heard,
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.
* 16But 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.
17So 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 learned 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 road well,
my dear people.
The road by which you left
by will now lead you home.
22Will you ever decide
to be faithful?
I will make sure that someday
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 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.”
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.
27Someday, 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. 29#Ez 18.2. No longer will anyone go around saying,
“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
31 #
Mt 26.28; Mk 14.24; Lk 22.20; 1 Co 11.25; 2 Co 3.6. #He 8.8-12. The Lord said:
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.
33 #
He 10.16. 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 #
He 10.17. “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.”
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 forever,
even though they have sinned.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
Jerusalem Will Be Rebuilt
38The Lord said:
Someday, 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 toward 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 southwest 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: CEVDCI
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Jeremiah 31
31
The Remnant of Israel Saved
1“At #Jer. 30:24the same time,” says the Lord, #Jer. 30:22“I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.”
2Thus says the Lord:
“The people who survived the sword
Found grace in the wilderness—
Israel, when #Ex. 33:14; Num. 10:33; Deut. 1:33; Josh. 1:13; Ps. 95:11; Is. 63:14I went to give him rest.”
3The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying:
“Yes, #Deut. 4:37; 7:8; Mal. 1:2I have loved you with #Is. 43:4; Rom. 11:28an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have #Hos. 11:4drawn you.
4Again #Jer. 33:7I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin of Israel!
You shall again be adorned with your #Ex. 15:20; Judg. 11:34; Ps. 149:3tambourines,
And shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.
5#Ps. 107:37; Is. 65:21; Ezek. 28:26; Amos 9:14You shall yet plant vines on the mountains of Samaria;
The planters shall plant and eat them as ordinary food.
6For there shall be a day
When the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim,
#(Is. 2:3; Jer. 31:12; 50:4, 5; Mic. 4:2)‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion,
To the Lord our God.’ ”
7For thus says the Lord:
#Is. 12:5, 6“Sing with gladness for Jacob,
And shout among the chief of the nations;
Proclaim, give praise, and say,
‘O Lord, save Your people,
The remnant of Israel!’
8Behold, I will bring them #Jer. 3:12, 18; 23:8from the north country,
And #Deut. 30:4; Is. 43:6; Ezek. 20:34, 41; 34:13gather them from the ends of the earth,
Among them the blind and the lame,
The woman with child
And the one who labors with child, together;
A great throng shall return there.
9#(Ps. 126:5; Jer. 50:4)They shall come with weeping,
And with supplications I will lead them.
I will cause them to walk #Is. 35:8; 43:19; 49:10, 11by the rivers of waters,
In a straight way in which they shall not stumble;
For I am a Father to Israel,
And Ephraim is My #Ex. 4:22firstborn.
10“Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
And declare it in the isles afar off, and say,
‘He who scattered Israel #Is. 40:11; Ezek. 34:12–14will gather him,
And keep him as a shepherd does his flock.’
11For #Is. 44:23; 48:20; Jer. 15:21; 50:19the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
And ransomed him #Is. 49:24from the hand of one stronger than he.
12Therefore they shall come and sing in #Ezek. 17:23the height of Zion,
Streaming to #Hos. 3:5the goodness of the Lord—
For wheat and new wine and oil,
For the young of the flock and the herd;
Their souls shall be like a #Is. 58:11well-watered garden,
#Is. 35:10; 65:19; (John 16:22; Rev. 21:4)And they shall sorrow no more at all.
13“Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance,
And the young men and the old, together;
For I will turn their mourning to joy,
Will comfort them,
And make them rejoice rather than sorrow.
14I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance,
And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord.”
Mercy on Ephraim
15Thus says the Lord:
#Matt. 2:17, 18“A voice was heard in #Josh. 18:25; Judg. 4:5; Is. 10:29; Jer. 40:1Ramah,
Lamentation and bitter #Gen. 37:35weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted for her children,
Because #Jer. 10:20they are no more.”
16Thus says the Lord:
“Refrain your voice from #(Is. 25:8; 30:19)weeping,
And your eyes from tears;
For your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord,
And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.
17There is #Jer. 29:11hope in your future, says the Lord,
That your children shall come back to their own border.
18“I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself:
‘You have #Job 5:17; Ps. 94:12chastised me, and I was chastised,
Like an untrained bull;
#Ps. 80:3, 7, 19; Jer. 17:4; Lam. 5:21; (Acts 3:26)Restore me, and I will return,
For You are the Lord my God.
19Surely, #Deut. 30:2after my turning, I repented;
And after I was instructed, I struck myself on the thigh;
I was #Ezek. 36:31; (Zech. 12:10)ashamed, yes, even humiliated,
Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’
20Is Ephraim My dear son?
Is he a pleasant child?
For though I spoke against him,
I earnestly remember him still;
#Gen. 43:30; Deut. 32:36; Judg. 10:16; Is. 63:15; Hos. 11:8Therefore My heart yearns for him;
#Is. 57:18; Jer. 3:12; 12:15; (Hos. 14:4); Mic. 7:18I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord.
21“Set up signposts,
Make landmarks;
#Jer. 50:5Set your heart toward the highway,
The way in which you went.
Turn back, O virgin of Israel,
Turn back to these your cities.
22How long will you #Jer. 2:18, 23, 36gad about,
O you #Jer. 3:6, 8, 11, 12, 14, 22backsliding daughter?
For the Lord has created a new thing in the earth—
A woman shall encompass a man.”
Future Prosperity of Judah
23Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “They shall again use this speech in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I bring back their captivity: #Ps. 122:5–8; Is. 1:26‘The Lord bless you, O home of justice, and #(Zech. 8:3)mountain of holiness!’ 24And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and #Jer. 33:12in all its cities together, farmers and those going out with flocks. 25For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.”
26After this I awoke and looked around, and my sleep was #Prov. 3:24sweet to me.
27“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that #Ezek. 36:9–11; Hos. 2:23I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. 28And it shall come to pass, that as I have #Jer. 44:27; Dan. 9:14watched over them #Jer. 1:10; 18:7to pluck up, to break down, to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict, so I will watch over them #Jer. 24:6to build and to plant, says the Lord. 29#Lam. 5:7; Ezek. 18:2, 3In those days they shall say no more:
‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
And the children’s teeth are set on edge.’
30#Deut. 24:16; 2 Chr. 25:4; Is. 3:11; (Ezek. 18:4, 20; Gal. 6:5, 7)But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.
A New Covenant
31“Behold, the #Jer. 32:40; 33:14; Ezek. 37:26; Heb. 8:8–12; 10:16, 17days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 32not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that #Deut. 1:31; Is. 63:12I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33#Jer. 32:40; Heb. 10:16But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: #Ps. 40:8; (Ezek. 11:19; 36:26, 27; 2 Cor. 3:3)I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; #Jer. 24:7; 30:22; 32:38and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for #Is. 11:9; 54:13; Jer. 24:7; Hab. 2:14; (John 6:45; 1 Cor. 2:10; 1 John 2:20)they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For #Jer. 33:8; 50:20; Mic. 7:18; (Acts 10:43; 13:39; Rom. 11:27)I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
35Thus says the Lord,
#Gen. 1:14–18; Deut. 4:19; Ps. 72:5, 17; 89:2, 36; 119:91Who gives the sun for a light by day,
The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night,
Who disturbs #Is. 51:15the sea,
And its waves roar
#Jer. 10:16(The Lord of hosts is His name):
36“If #Ps. 148:6; Is. 54:9, 10; Jer. 33:20those ordinances depart
From before Me, says the Lord,
Then the seed of Israel shall also cease
From being a nation before Me forever.”
37Thus says the Lord:
#Is. 40:12; Jer. 33:22“If heaven above can be measured,
And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath,
I will also #Jer. 33:24–26; (Rom. 11:2–5, 26, 27)cast off all the seed of Israel
For all that they have done, says the Lord.
38“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that the city shall be built for the Lord #Neh. 3:1; 12:39; Zech. 14:10from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39#Ezek. 40:8; Zech. 2:1, 2The surveyor’s line shall again extend straight forward over the hill Gareb; then it shall turn toward Goath. 40And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Brook Kidron, #2 Kin. 11:16; 2 Chr. 23:15; Neh. 3:28to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, #(Joel 3:17); Zech. 14:20shall be holy to the Lord. It shall not be plucked up or thrown down anymore forever.”
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.