Jeremiah 31

1 “At that time,” a declaration of YHWH, “I am the God of all families of Israel, And they are My people.”

At the same time, saith the Lord, will I be the God for all the families of Israel, and they shall be unto me for a people.

2 Thus said YHWH: “A people remaining from the sword Have found grace in the wilderness When Israel went to find rest.”

Thus hath said the Lord, The people of those that are escaped of the sword found grace in the wilderness, —even Israel, when it went to find rest.

3 YHWH has appeared to me from afar, “I have loved you with perpetual love, Therefore I have drawn you [with] kindness.

“From afar is the Lord appeared unto me,” [saying, ] Yea, with an everlasting love have I loved thee; therefore have I guided thee with loving-kindness.

4 I build you again, And you have been built, O virgin of Israel, You put on your tambourines again, And have gone out in the chorus of the playful.

Yet again will I build thee up, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: yet again shalt thou adorn thy timbrels, and go forth in the dances of those that make merry.

5 You plant vineyards in mountains of Samaria again, Planters have planted, and made common.

Yet again shalt thou plant vineyards upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall redeem the fruit.

6 For there is a day, Watchmen have cried on Mount Ephraim, Rise, and we go up to Zion, to our God YHWH”;

For there cometh a day, that the watchers call out upon the mountain of Ephraim, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the Lord our God.

7 For thus said YHWH: “Sing [with] joy for Jacob, And cry aloud at the head of the nations, Sound, praise, and say, Save, O YHWH, Your people, the remnant of Israel.

For thus hath said the Lord, Sing for Jacob with joy, and shout at the head of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, The Lord hath helped thy people, the remnant of Israel.

8 Behold, I am bringing them in from the north country, And have gathered them from the sides of the earth, Blind and lame [are] among them, Conceiving and travailing one—together, A great assembly—they return here.

Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and I will gather them from the farthest ends of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the pregnant woman and she that travaileth with child together: a great assembly shall they return hither.

9 They come in with weeping, And I bring them with supplications, I cause them to go to streams of waters, In a right way—they do not stumble in it, For I have been a Father to Israel, And Ephraim—he [is] My firstborn.”

With weeping shall they come, and with supplications will I bring them in: I will lead them by brooks of water in a straight way, whereon they shall not stumble; for I am become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first-born.

10 Hear a word of YHWH, O nations, And declare among the far off in the islands, and say: He who is scattering Israel gathers him, And has kept His flock as a shepherd,

Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and tell it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattereth Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd his flock.

11 For YHWH has ransomed Jacob, And redeemed him from a hand stronger than he.

For the Lord hath ransomed Jacob, and redeemed him out of the hand of one stronger than he.

12 And they have come in, And have sung in the high place of Zion, And flowed to the goodness of YHWH, For wheat, and for new wine, and for oil, And for the young of the flock and herd, And their soul has been as a watered garden, And they do not add to grieve anymore.

And they shall come and sing on the height of Zion, and shall come together as a stream to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flocks and of the herds, and their soul shall be as a well-watered garden; and they shall not farther experience grief any more.

13 “Then a virgin rejoices in a chorus, Both young men and old men—together, And I have turned their mourning to joy, And have comforted them, And gladdened them above their sorrow,

Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and youth and old men together: and I will change their mourning into gladness, and I will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

14 And satisfied the soul of the priests [with] fatness, And My people are satisfied with My goodness,” A declaration of YHWH.

And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord.

15 Thus said YHWH: “A voice is heard in Ramah, Wailing [and] the weeping of bitterness, Rachel is weeping for her sons, She has refused to be comforted for her sons, because they are not.”

Thus hath said the Lord, A voice is heard in Ramah, groaning, weeping, and bitter lamentation; Rachel is weeping for her children: she refuseth to be comforted for her children because they are not [here].

16 Thus said YHWH: “Withhold your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, For there is a reward for your work,” A declaration of YHWH, “And they have turned back from the land of the enemy.

Thus hath said the Lord, Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thy eyes from tears; for there is a reward for thy work, saith the Lord, and they shall return from the land of the enemy.

17 And there is hope for your latter end,” A declaration of YHWH, “And the sons have turned back [to] their border.

And there is hope for [thee in] thy future, saith the Lord, and thy children shall return to their own borders.

18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself, You have disciplined me, And I am disciplined, as a heifer [that is] not taught, Turn me back, and I turn back, For You [are] my God YHWH.

I have indeed heard Ephraim bemoaning himself, “Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as an untamed calf; cause me to return, and I will return; for thou art the Lord my God.

19 For after my turning back I regretted, And after my being instructed I struck on the thigh, I have been ashamed, I have also blushed, For I have borne the reproach of my youth.

Surely after my returning, I repent; and after I am made conscious [by punishment], I smite upon my thigh: I am ashamed, yea, I am confounded, because I bear the disgrace of my youth.”

20 Is Ephraim a precious son to Me? A child of delights? For since My speaking against him, I still thoroughly remember him, Therefore My bowels have been moved for him, I love him greatly,” A declaration of YHWH.

Is not Ephraim a dear son unto me? or a child that I dandle? for whenever I speak of him, I do earnestly remember him again: therefore are my inward parts moved for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord.

21 “Set up signs for yourself, Make heaps for yourself, Set your heart to the highway, the way you went, Turn back, O virgin of Israel, Turn back to these cities of yours.

Set thyself up waymarks, place thyself pillars; direct thy heart toward the highway, the way which thou didst go: return, O virgin of Israel, return to these thy cities.

22 Until when do you withdraw yourself, O backsliding daughter? For YHWH has prepared a new thing in the land, Woman surrounds man.”

How long wilt thou roam about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the Lord hath created a new thing on the earth, The woman will go about [seeking for] the husband.

23 Thus said YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel: “Still they say this word in the land of Judah, And in its cities, In My turning back [to] their captivity, YHWH blesses you, habitation of righteousness, Mountain of holiness.

Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Yet again shall they say this word in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I will bring back again their captivity, —May the Lord bless thee, O habitation of righteousness, O holy mountain.

24 And farmers have dwelt in Judah, And in all its cities together, And they have journeyed in order.

And there shall dwell therein Judah, and in all his cities together, husbandmen, and they that move about with the flocks.

25 For I have satiated the weary soul, And I have filled every grieved soul.”

For I have satiated the weary soul, and every grieving soul have I gratified.

26 On this I have awoken, and I behold, and my sleep has been sweet to me.

For this did I awake, and looked about, and my sleep was sweet unto me.

27 “Behold, days are coming,” A declaration of YHWH, “And I have sown the house of Israel, And the house of Judah, With seed of man and seed of beast.

Behold, days are coming, saith the Lord, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man; and with the seed of cattle.

28 And it has been, as I watched over them to pluck up, And to break down, and to throw down, And to destroy, and to afflict; So I watch over them to build, and to plant,” A declaration of YHWH.

And it shall come to pass, that just as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to overthrow, and to destroy, and to do harm: so will I watch over them, to build up, and to plant, saith the Lord.

29 “In those days they no longer say: Fathers have eaten unripe fruit, And the sons’ teeth are blunted.

In those days shall they not say any more, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge;

30 But—each dies for his own iniquity, Every man who is eating the unripe fruit, His teeth are blunted.

But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grapes—his teeth shall be set on edge.

31 Behold, days are coming,” A declaration of YHWH, “And I have made a new covenant With the house of Israel And with the house of Judah,

Behold, days are coming, saith the Lord, when I will make with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, a new covenant;

32 Not like the covenant that I made with their fathers, In the day of My laying hold on their hand, To bring them out of the land of Egypt, In that they made My covenant void, And I ruled over them,” A declaration of YHWH.

Not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day that I took hold of them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they have broken, although I was become their husband, saith the Lord;

33 “For this [is] the covenant that I make, With the house of Israel, after those days,” A declaration of YHWH, “I have given My law in their inward part, And I write it on their heart, And I have been their God, And they are My people.

But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord, I place my law in their inward parts, and upon their heart will I write it; and I will be unto them for a God, and they shall be unto me for a people.

34 And they do not teach anymore Each his neighbor, and each his brother, Saying, Know YHWH, For they all know Me, from their least to their greatest,” A declaration of YHWH; “For I pardon their iniquity, And I make no more mention of their sin.”

And they shall not teach any more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for they all shall know me, from the least of them even unto their greatest, saith the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I not remember any more.

35 Thus said YHWH, Who is giving the sun for a light by day, The statutes of moon and stars for a light by night, Quieting the sea when its billows roar, YHWH of Hosts [is] His Name:

Thus hath said the Lord, who bestoweth the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who stirreth up the sea that its waves roar—The Lord of hosts is his name:

36 “If these statutes depart from before Me,” A declaration of YHWH, “Even the seed of Israel ceases From being a nation before Me [for] all the days.”

If these ordinances ever depart from before me, saith the Lord, then also shall the seed of Israel cease from being a nation before me during all time.

37 Thus said YHWH: “If the heavens above can be measured, And the foundations of earth searched below, Even I kick against all the seed of Israel, For all that they have done,” A declaration of YHWH.

Thus hath said the Lord, If the heavens can be measured above, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath: then also will I reject all the seed of Israel, for all that they have done, saith the Lord.

38 “Behold, days [are coming],” A declaration of YHWH, “And the city has been built for YHWH, From the Tower of Hananeel to the Corner Gate.

Behold, days are coming, saith the Lord, when the city shall be built up to the Lord from the tower of Chananel unto the corner-gate.

39 And the measuring line has gone out again before it, over the height of Gareb, And it has gone around to Goah.

And the measuring-line shall yet again go forth opposite it over the hill Gareb, and shall take a turn to Go'ath.

40 And all the valley of the carcasses and of the ashes, And all the fields to the Brook of Kidron, To the corner of the Horse Gate eastward, [Are] holy to YHWH, It is not plucked up, Nor is it thrown down anymore for all time!”

And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all fields as far as the brook Kidron, unto the corner of the horse-gate toward the east, shall be holy unto the Lord: it shall not be plucked up, nor overthrown any more to eternity.