Jeremiah 30

The Lord Will Rescue Israel and Judah

1-2 1-2 The Lord God of Israel said, “Jeremiah, get a scrollt and write down everything I have told you.

3 Someday I will let my people from both Israelt and Judah return to the land I gave their ancestors.”

4-5 Then the Lord told me to say to Israel and Judah: I, the Lord, hear screams of terror,
and there is no 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 t 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 tt10Israel,t 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 t14Your 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. t

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.

Jeremiah 31

Israel Will Return to God

1 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. t I, the Lord, have spoken.

The Lord Will Rebuild Israel

3 Some time ago, the Lord appeared to met 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 t 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 levelt road and not stumble.
I am a father to Israel, t 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 t15In Ramaht a voice is heard, crying and weeping loudly.
Rachel mourns for her children t and refuses to be comforted,
because they are dead.

16 t16But 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 Israelt 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 way home,
my dear people.
It is the same road
by which you left.

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. t

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. t
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 t29 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

31 t The Lord said: 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 t 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 t “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 Valleyt 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.

Jeremiah 32

Jeremiah Buys a Field

1 t The Lord spoke to me in the tenth year that Zedekiaht was king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year that Nebuchadnezzart was king of Babylonia.2 At that time, the Babylonian army had surrounded Jerusalem, and I was in the prison at the courtyard of the palace guards.3 Zedekiah had ordered me to be held there because I told everyone that the Lord had said: I am the Lord, and I am about to let the king of Babylonia conquer Jerusalem.4 King Zedekiah will be captured and taken to King Nebuchadnezzar, who will speak with him face to face.

5 Then Zedekiah will be led away to Babylonia, where he will stay until I am finished with him. So, if you people of Judah fight against the Babylonians, you will lose. I, the Lord, have spoken.

6 Later, when I was in prison, the Lord said:

7 Jeremiah, your cousin Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, will visit you. He must sell his field near the town of Anathoth, and because you are his nearest relative, you have the right and the responsibility to buy it and keep it in the family. t
8 Hanamel came, just as the Lord had promised. And he said, “Please buy my field near Anathoth in the territory of the Benjamin tribe. You have the right to buy it, and if you do, it will stay in our family.” The Lord had told me to buy it9 from Hanamel, and so I did. The price was seventeen pieces of silver, and I weighed out the full amount on a scale.10-11 I had two copies of the bill of sale written out, each containing all the details of our agreement. Some witnesses and I signed the official copy, which was folded and tied, before being sealed shut with hot wax.t Then I gave Hanamel the silver.

12 And while he, the witnesses, and all the other Jews sitting in the courtyard were still watching, I gave both copies to Baruch son of Neriah. t
13-14 I told Baruch that the Lord had said: Take both copies of this bill of sale, one sealed shut and the other open, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time.15 I am the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, and I promise you that people will once again buy and sell houses, farms, and vineyards in this country.

Jeremiah Questions the Lord

16 Then I prayed:

17 Lord God, you stretched out your mighty arm and made the sky and the earth. You can do anything.18 You show kindness for a thousand generations,t but you also punish people for the sins of their parents. You are the Lord All-Powerful.

19 With great wisdom you make plans, and with your great power you do all the mighty things you planned. Nothing we do is hidden from your eyes, and you reward or punish us as we deserve.
20 You are famous because you worked miracles in Egypt, and you are still working them in Israel and in the rest of the world as well.21 You terrified the Egyptians with your miracles, and you reached out your mighty arm and rescued your people Israel from Egypt.

22 Then you gave Israel this land rich with milk and honey, just as you had promised our ancestors.
23 But when our ancestors took over the land, they did not obey you. And now you have punished Israel with disaster.

24 Jerusalem is under attack, and we suffer from hunger and disease. The Babylonians have already built dirt ramps up to the city walls, and you can see that Jerusalem will be captured just as you said.
25 So why did you tell me to get some witnesses and buy a field with my silver, when Jerusalem is about to be captured by the Babylonians?

The Lord Explains About the Field

26 The Lord explained:

27 Jeremiah, I am the Lord God. I rule the world, and I can do anything!
28 t It is true that I am going to let King Nebuchadnezzart of Babylonia capture Jerusalem.

29 The Babylonian army is already attacking, and they will capture the city and set it on fire. The people of Jerusalem have made me angry by going up to the flat roofs of their houses and burning incense to Baal and offering wine sacrifices to other gods. Now these houses will be burned to the ground!
30-33 The kings and the officials, the priests and the prophets, and everyone else in Israel and Judah have turned from me and made me angry by worshiping idols. Again and again I have tried to teach my people to obey me, but they refuse to be corrected. I am going to get rid of Jerusalem, because its people have done nothing but evil.34 t34 They have set up disgusting idols in my temple, and now it isn’t a fit place to worship me.

35 t35 And they led Judah into sin by building places to worship Baal in Hinnom Valley, where they also sacrificed their sons and daughters to the god Molech. I have never even thought of telling them to commit such disgusting sins.

36 Jeremiah, what you said is true. The people of Jerusalem are suffering from hunger and disease, and so the king of Babylonia will be able to capture Jerusalem.
37 I am angry at the people of Jerusalem, and I will scatter them in foreign countries. But someday I will bring them back here and let them live in safety.38 They will be my people, and I will be their God.39-41 I will make their thoughts and desires pure. Then they will realize that, for their own good and the good of their children, they must worship only me. They will even be afraid to turn away from me. I will make an agreement with them that will never end, and I won’t ever stop doing good things for them. With all my heart I promise that they will be planted in this land once again.

42 Even though I have brought disaster on the people, I will someday do all these good things for them.
43 Jeremiah, when you bought the field, you showed that fields will someday be bought and sold again. You say that this land has been conquered by the Babylonians and has become a desert, emptied of people and animals.

44 But someday, people will again spend their silver to buy fields everywhere—in the territory of Benjamin, the region around Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, and in the hill country, the foothills to the west, and the Southern Desert. Buyers and sellers and witnesses will sign and seal the bills of sale for the fields. It will happen, because I will give this land back to my people. I, the Lord, have spoken.