Jeremiah 30

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

This is the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord:

2 The Lord, the God of Israel, has said, Put down in a book all the words which I have said to you.

This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Write down in a book everything I've told you.

3 For see, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will let the fate of my people Israel and Judah be changed, says the Lord: and I will make them come back to the land which I gave to their fathers, so that they may take it for their heritage.

Look, the time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will bring back my people Israel and Judah from captivity, declares the Lord. I will bring them back to the country I gave to their forefathers, and they will own it again.

4 And these are the words which the Lord said about Israel and about Judah.

This what the Lord said about Israel and Judah.

5 This is what the Lord has said: A voice of shaking fear has come to our ears, of fear and not of peace.

This is what the Lord says: Hear the cries of panic, cries of fear, not peace.

6 Put the question and see if it is possible for a man to have birth-pains: why do I see every man with his hands gripping his sides, as a woman does when the pains of birth are on her, and all faces are turned green?

Think about it! Can men give birth? No. So why do I see every man holding his stomach with his hands like a woman in labor. Why is every face white as a sheet?

7 Ha! for that day is so great that there is no day like it: it is the time of Jacob's trouble: but he will get salvation from it.

What a terrible day it will be—a day like never before! This is the time of trouble for Jacob's descendants, but they will be rescued from it.

8 For it will come about on that day, says the Lord of armies, that his yoke will be broken off his neck, and his bands will be burst; and men of strange lands will no longer make use of him as their servant:

On that day, declares the Lord Almighty, I will break the yoke from their necks and tear off their chains. Foreigners won't make them slaves anymore.

9 But they will be servants to the Lord their God and to David their king, whom I will give back to them.

They will serve the Lord their God, and their king, David's descendant whom I will give them.

10 So have no fear, O Jacob, my servant, says the Lord; and do not be troubled, O Israel: for see, I will make you come back from far away, and your seed from the land where they are prisoners; and Jacob will come back, and will be quiet and at peace, and no one will give him cause for fear.

As far as you're concerned, my servant Jacob, don't be afraid, declares the Lord, Israel, don't be discouraged. I promise to save you from your distant places of exile, your descendants from the countries where they're being held captive. The descendants of Jacob will go home to a quiet and comfortable life, free from any threats.

11 For I am with you, says the Lord, to be your saviour: for I will put an end to all the nations where I have sent you wandering, but I will not put an end to you completely: though with wise purpose I will put right your errors, and will not let you go quite without punishment.

I am with you and I will save you, declares the Lord. Even though I'm going to completely destroy all the nations where I scattered you, I won't completely destroy you. However, I will discipline you as you deserve, and you can be sure I won't leave you unpunished.

12 For the Lord has said, Your disease may not be made well and your wound is bitter.

This is what the Lord says: You have a wound that cannot be healed, you have a terrible injury.

13 There is no help for your wound, there is nothing to make you well.

There's no one to take care of your case, no cure for your sores, no healing for you.

14 Your lovers have no more thought for you, they go after you no longer; for I have given you the wound of a hater, even cruel punishment;

All your lovers have forgotten about you; they don't bother looking for you anymore, because I have beaten you as if I were your enemy, the discipline of a cruel person, because of how wicked you are, because of your many sins.

15 Why are you crying for help because of your wound? for your pain may never be taken away: because your evil-doing was so great and because your sins were increased, I have done these things to you.

Why are you crying over your wound? You pain can't be cured. I did this to you because of how wicked you are, because of your many sins.

16 For this cause, all those who take you for their food will themselves become your food; and all your attackers, every one of them, will be taken prisoners; and those who send destruction on you will come to destruction; and all those who take away your goods by force will undergo the same themselves.

Even so, everyone who destroys you will be destroyed. All your enemies, every last one, will be sent into exile. Those who plundered you will be plundered, and all who robbed you will be robbed.

17 For I will make you healthy again and I will make you well from your wounds, says the Lord; because they have given you the name of an outlaw, saying, It is Zion cared for by no man.

But I will give you back your health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord, because people say you've been abandoned and that no one cares about you, Zion.

18 The Lord has said, See, I am changing the fate of the tents of Jacob, and I will have pity on his houses; the town will be put up on its hill, and the great houses will be living-places again.

This is what the Lord says: I will bring Jacob's descendants back to their homes and have mercy on their families. The city will be rebuilt on top of its ruins, and the palace once again stand where it should.

19 And from them will go out praise and the sound of laughing: and I will make them great in number, and they will not become less; and I will give them glory, and they will not be small.

People will be singing songs of thanks, the sounds of celebration. I will increase their number—they will not become less. I will honor them—they will not be treated as insignificant.

20 And their children will be as they were in the old days, and the meeting of the people will have its place before me, and I will send punishment on all who are cruel to them.

Their children will be looked after like they used to be. I will make their nation strong again, and punish anyone who attacks them.

21 And their chief will be of their number; their ruler will come from among themselves; and I will let him be present before me, so that he may come near to me: for who may have strength of heart to come near me? says the Lord.

Their leader will be from their own country, their ruler will be chosen from among them. I will invite him to come close to me, and he will do so, for would anyone dare to approach me without being asked? declares the Lord.

22 And you will be my people, and I will be your God.

You will be my people, and I will be your God.

23 See, the storm-wind of the Lord, even the heat of his wrath, has gone out, a rolling storm, bursting on the heads of the evil-doers.

Watch out! The Lord has sent out a furious storm, a tornado swirling around the heads of the wicked.

24 The wrath of the Lord will not be turned back till he has done, till he has put into effect, the purposes of his heart: in days to come you will have full knowledge of this.

The Lord's anger won't fade until he's finished doing everything he wants. Only then will you really understand.