Jeremiah 31

1 "At that time," says YHWH, "will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people."

“At that time,” declares the LORD, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be My people.”

2 Thus says YHWH, "The people who were left of the sword found favor in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.

This is what the LORD says: “The people who survived the sword found favor in the wilderness when Israel went to find rest.”

3 YHWH appeared to him from afar. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you.

The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with loving devotion.

4 Again will I build you, and you shall be built, O virgin of Israel: again you shall be adorned with your tambourines, and shall go forth in the dances of those who make merry.

Again I will build you, and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out in joyful dancing.

5 Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant, and shall enjoy its fruit.

Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant and enjoy the fruit.

6 For there shall be a day, that the watchmen on the hills of Ephraim shall cry, "Arise, and let us go up to Zion to YHWH our God."'"

For there will be a day when watchmen will call out on the hills of Ephraim, ‘Arise, let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God!’”

7 For thus says YHWH, "Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout for the chief of the nations: publish, praise, and say, 'For YHWH has saved your people, the remnant of Israel.'

For this is what the LORD says: “Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the foremost of the nations! Make your praises heard, and say, ‘O LORD, save Your people, the remnant of Israel!’

8 'Look, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the uttermost parts of the earth, along with the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her who travails with child together: a great company shall they return here.

Behold, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, including the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor. They will return as a great assembly!

9 They shall come with weeping; and with petitions will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they shall not stumble; for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.'"

They will come with weeping, and by their supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk beside streams of waters, on a level path where they will not stumble. For I am Israel’s Father, and Ephraim is My firstborn.”

10 Hear the word of YHWH, you nations, and declare it in the islands afar off; and say, "He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as shepherd does his flock."

Hear, O nations, the word of the LORD, and proclaim it in distant coastlands: “The One who scattered Israel will gather them and keep them as a shepherd keeps his flock.

11 For YHWH has ransomed Jacob, and redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.

For the LORD has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand that had overpowered him.

12 They shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and they shall be radient over the goodness of YHWH, to the grain, and to the new wine, and to the oil, and to the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.

They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will be radiant over the bounty of the LORD— the grain, new wine, and oil, and the young of the flocks and herds. Their life will be like a well-watered garden, and never again will they languish.

13 "Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

Then the maidens will rejoice with dancing, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into joy, and give them comfort and joy for their sorrow.

14 I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness," says YHWH.

I will fill the souls of the priests abundantly, and will fill My people with My goodness,”

15 Thus says YHWH: "A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and weeping and great bitterness, Rachel weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more."

This is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

16 Thus says YHWH: "Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded," says YHWH; "and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

This is what the LORD says: “Keep your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for the reward for your work will come, declares the LORD. Then your children will return from the land of the enemy.

17 There is hope for your latter end," says YHWH; "and your children shall come again to their own border.

So there is hope for your future, declares the LORD, and your children will return to their own land.

18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, 'You have chastised me, and I was chastised, as an untrained calf: turn me, and I shall be turned; for you are YHWH my God.

I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning: ‘You disciplined me severely, like an untrained calf. Restore me, that I may return, for You are the LORD my God.

19 Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I struck on my thigh: I was ashamed, yes, even confounded, because I bore the reproach of my youth.'

After I returned, I repented; and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh in grief. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’

20 Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a darling child? For as often as I speak against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him," says YHWH.

Is not Ephraim a precious son to Me, a delightful child? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore My heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,”

21 "Set up road signs, make guideposts; set your heart toward the highway, even the way by which you went: turn again, virgin of Israel, turn again to these your cities.

“Set up the roadmarks, establish the signposts. Keep the highway in mind, the road you have traveled. Return, O Virgin Israel, return to these cities of yours.

22 How long will you go here and there, you backsliding daughter? For YHWH has created a new thing in the earth: a woman shall encompass a man."

How long will you wander, O faithless daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the land— a woman will shelter a man.”

23 Thus says YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel, "Yet again shall they use this speech in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I shall bring again their captivity: 'YHWH bless you, habitation of righteousness, mountain of holiness.'

This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “When I restore them from captivity, they will once again speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities: ‘May the LORD bless you, O righteous dwelling place, O holy mountain.’

24 Judah and all its cities shall dwell in it together, the farmers, and those who go about with flocks.

And Judah and all its cities will dwell together in the land, the farmers and those who move with the flocks,

25 For I have satiated the weary soul, and every sorrowful soul have I replenished."

for I will refresh the weary soul and replenish all who are weak.”

26 On this I awakened, and saw; and my sleep was sweet to me.

At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been most pleasant to me.

27 "Look, the days come," says YHWH, "that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of animal.

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and of beast.

28 It shall happen that, like as I have watched over them to pluck up and to break down and to overthrow and to destroy and to afflict, so will I watch over them to build and to plant," says YHWH.

Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, to demolish, destroy, and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD.

29 "In those days they shall say no more, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.'

“In those days, it will no longer be said: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.’

30 But everyone shall die for his own iniquity: every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.

Instead, each will die for his own iniquity. If anyone eats the sour grapes, his own teeth will be set on edge.

31 Look, the days come," says YHWH, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.

32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they broke, and I disregarded them," says YHWH.

It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt— a covenant they broke, though I was a husband to them,”

33 "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days," says YHWH: "I will put my law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people:

“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.

34 and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know YHWH'; for they shall all know me, from their least to their greatest, for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sins I will remember no more."

No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.”

35 Thus says YHWH, who gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who stirs up the sea, so that its waves roar; YHWH of hosts is his name:

Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day, who sets in order the moon and stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of Hosts is His name:

36 "If this fixed order departs from before me," says YHWH, "then the descendants of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever."

“Only if this fixed order departed from My presence, declares the LORD, would Israel’s descendants ever cease to be a nation before Me.”

37 Thus says YHWH: "If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, then will I also cast off all the descendants of Israel for all that they have done," says YHWH.

This is what the LORD says: “Only if the heavens above could be measured and the foundations of the earth below searched out would I reject all of Israel’s descendants because of all they have done,”

38 "Look, the days come," says YHWH, "that the city shall be built to YHWH from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when this city will be rebuilt for Me, from the tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.

39 The measuring line shall go out further straight onward to the hill Gareb, and shall turn about to Goah.

The measuring line will once again stretch out straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn toward Goah.

40 The whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields to the Kidron Valley, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to YHWH; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more forever."

The whole valley of the dead bodies and ashes, and all the fields as far as the Kidron Valley, to the corner of the Horse Gate to the east, will be holy to the LORD. It will never again be uprooted or demolished.”