Jeremiah 33

1 And the word of Yahweh came unto Jeremiah, the second time, when he was yet imprisoned in the guard-court, saying:

While I was still being guarded in the courtyard of the palace, Yahweh gave me this second message:

2 Thus, saith Yahweh, who doeth it, —Yahweh, who fashioneth it to establish it, Yahweh, is his name:

“This is what I, the one who made the earth, who formed/shaped it and put it in its place, say [to the people of Jerusalem]: ‘My name is Yahweh.

3 Call unto me that I may answer thee, —and tell thee things great and inaccessible, which thou hast not known.

Call out to me, and [then] I will tell you great and wonderful things that you have not known [before].’

4 For, Thus, saith Yahweh God of Israel, Concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, —which are thrown down against the earthworks and against the sword:

This is what [I, ] Yahweh, the God whom [you] Israeli people [say you belong to], say: ‘[The men in this city] have torn down [some of] their houses, and [even parts of] the king’s palace, to get materials to strengthen the walls around the city, in order that [the soldiers of Babylonia will not be able to break through the walls after they climb up] the ramps that they have built against the walls, and [kill the inhabitants with] their swords.

5 In entering to fight with the Chaldeans, it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have smitten in mine anger and in mine indignation, —and because of whom I have hidden my face from this city, —by reason of all their wickedness.

You are expecting to fight against the army from Babylonia, but [what will happen is that] the houses of this city will be filled with the corpses of the men of this city whom I will [allow to be killed] because I am extremely angry [DOU] with them. I have abandoned them because of all the wicked things that they have done.

6 Behold me! laying upon her a bandage of healing, so will I heal them, —And will reveal to them abundance of prosperity and truth;

However, [there will be a time when] I will cause the people in this city to be healthy and strong again. I will enable them to be prosperous and have peace.

7 And I will bring back Them of the captivity of Judah, and Them of the captivity of Israel, —And I will build them, as at the first;

I will bring the people of Judah and Israel back from the lands to which they were exiled. I will enable them to rebuild their towns.

8 And I will purify them, from all their iniquity wherewith they have sinned against me, —And I will grant pardon for all their iniquities Wherewith they have sinned against me, and Wherewith they have transgressed against me;

I will get rid of their guilt for all the sins that they have committed against me, and I will forgive them for their sin of rebelling against me.

9 So shall she become to me—A name of joy, A praise and An adorning, To all the nations of the earth, —Who will hear all the good which I am doing them, And will dread and be deeply moved over all the good and over all the prosperity which I am causing her.

[When that happens], all the nations of the world will rejoice, and they will praise me and honor me. They will hear about all the good things that I have done for this city and, because of that, they will revere me, and they will tremble because I have caused [the people in this city] to have peace and to prosper.’

10 Thus, saith Yahweh—Again, shall be heard in this place, as to which ye are saying, Deserted, it is without man or beast, In the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, Which are desolate without man or inhabitant or beast

And this is also what [I], Yahweh, say: ‘You people have said that this is a land where there are no [longer] any people or animals. But in the streets of Jerusalem that are now completely empty [DOU], and in the [other] towns in Judah,

11 The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness The voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, The voice of them who are saying, Praise ye Yahweh of hosts, For good is Yahweh For age-abiding is his lovingkindness, The voice of them who are bringing a thank-offering into the house of Yahweh, —For I will bring back the captives of the land, as at the first, Saith Yahweh.

[some day] people will again be happy and laugh. Brides and bridegrooms will [again] sing [joyfully]. And many other people will also sing joyfully as they bring their offerings to me to thank me [for what I have done for them]. [They will sing this song]: “[We] thank you, the Commander of the armies of angels, because you are good [to us]. You faithfully love [us] forever.” [They will sing that] because I will cause [the people of] land to be as prosperous as they were before.’

12 Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Again, shall there be in this place—Which is deserted without man or even beast—And all the cities thereof, —The home of shepherds, causing flocks to lie down.

This land is [now] desolate. There are no people or animals living here. But [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, say this: ‘In this land there will again be pastures/fields where shepherds will lead their sheep.

13 In the cities of the hill country, In the cities of the lowland, and In the cities of the South, and In the land of Benjamin, and In the places round about Jerusalem, and In the cities of Judah, Again shall the flock pass over the hands of the numberer, Saith Yahweh.

Shepherds will again count their sheep as the sheep walk by, outside the towns in the hilly area, in the western foothills, in the southern desert area, in the land [where the descendants] of Benjamin live, around Jerusalem, and outside [all] the [other] towns in Judah.’ [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it.

14 Lo! days are coming, Declareth Yahweh, —when I will establish my good word, which I have spoken—As to the house of Israel And concerning the house of Judah:

Listen to this! [I], Yahweh, say that there will be a time when I will do for the people of Israel and Judah [all the good things that] I promised to do [for them].

15 In those days and at that time, will I cause to bud unto David A Bud of righteousness, —And he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land:

At that time [DOU] I will appoint a righteous man who will be a descendant [MET] of King David. Throughout the land, he will do what is just and right.

16 In those days, Judah shall be saved, and, Jerusalem abide, securely, —And, this, is that which shall be proclaimed to her—Yahweh, our righteousness!

At that time, [the people of] Judah will be rescued [from their enemies], and [the people of] Jerusalem will be safe. And people will say that the name of the city is ‘Yahweh [is the one who] vindicates/defends us’.

17 For, Thus, saith Yahweh, —There shall not be wanting to David—A man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;

And this is [also] what [I], Yahweh, say: ‘There will be descendants of King David ruling [MTY] Israel forever.

18 Nor to the priests the Levites, shall there be wanting—A man, before me, To offer an ascending-sacrifice, or To make a perfume with a gift, or To offer a [peace-] offering, all the days!

And there will always be priests who are descendants of Levi who [stand] in front of me and offer sacrifices that will be completely burned [on the altar] and who will burn grain offerings and [other] sacrifices.’”

19 And the word of Yahweh came unto Jeremiah saying:

[Then] Yahweh gave me this message:

20 Thus, saith Yahweh, If ye can break, My covenant of the day, and My covenant of the night, That there be not day and night in their season,

“This is what [I], Yahweh, say: ‘[You] certainly cannot annul my promise/agreement to cause nighttime to follow daytime each day.

21 My covenant also, may be broken With David my servant, that he shall not have a son, to reign upon his throne, —And with the Levites the priests, mine attendants:

Similarly, you cannot annul the promise/agreement [that I made] with King David, who served me [well], that there will always be descendants of his who will rule [Judah]. The same is true for my agreement with the descendants of Levi who are priests who do work for me.

22 As, the host of the heavens, cannot be recorded, Nor the sand of the sea, be measured, So, will I multiply, The seed of David my servant, And the Levites who attend upon me.

No one can count the stars in the sky, and no one can count the grains of sand at the seashore. Similarly, I will cause there to be a huge number of priests who are descendants of David and descendants of Levi who will work for me.’”

23 And the word of Yahweh came unto Jeremiah, saying:

Yahweh gave another message to me. He said,

24 Hast thou not observed what, this people, have spoken saying, The two families which Yahweh did choose, he hath even cast them off? And so, my people, they despise, as though they could not again become a nation in their sight!

“Have you noticed/heard that some people are saying, ‘Yahweh chose two groups, the people [of Judah] and the people [of Israel], and [later] abandoned them.’ They are despising my people and saying that Israel no longer deserves to be considered a nation.

25 Thus, saith Yahweh, If my covenant of day and night, the ordinances of the heavens and the earth, I did not appoint,

But this is what I say: ‘I will not change my laws that control the day and the night, the sky and the earth.

26 The seed of Jacob also and of David my servant, might I cast off so as not to take of his seed as rulers unto the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, —For I will bring back them of their captivity, and will have compassion upon them.

Similarly, I will never abandon the descendants of David or the [other] descendants of Jacob, and I will always allow descendants of David to rule the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will bring my people back to their land, and I will act mercifully toward them.’”