Jeremiæ 31
1 In tempore illo, dicit Dominus, ero Deus universis cognationibus Israël, et ipsi erunt mihi in populum.
At that time, I will be the God of all Israel's families, and they will be my people, declares the Lord.
2 Hæc dicit Dominus: Invenit gratiam in deserto populus qui remanserat a gladio: vadet ad requiem suam Israël.
This is what the Lord says: The Israelites who survive death by the sword were blessed by the Lord in the desert as they looked for peace and quiet.
3 Longe Dominus apparuit mihi. Et in caritate perpetua dilexi te: ideo attraxi te, miserans.
Long ago the Lord came and told us, My love for you will last forever. I hold you close to me with my trustworthy love.
4 Rursumque ædificabo te, et ædificaberis, virgo Israël: adhuc ornaberis tympanis tuis, et egredieris in choro ludentium.
I'm going to rebuild you, and it will happen. You will be rebuilt, Virgin Israel. You will pick up your tambourines again and run outside to dance with joy.
5 Adhuc plantabis vineas in montibus Samariæ: plantabunt plantantes, et donec tempus veniat, non vindemiabunt.
You will replant vineyards on Samaria's hills; those who plant and will enjoy the grapes.
6 Quia erit dies in qua clamabunt custodes in monte Ephraim: Surgite, et ascendamus in Sion ad Dominum Deum nostrum.
A day is coming when watchmen will call out from the hills of Ephraim, “Come on, let's go up to Zion, to worship the Lord our God!”
7 Quia hæc dicit Dominus: Exsultate in lætitia, Jacob, et hinnite contra caput gentium: personate, et canite, et dicite: Salva, Domine, populum tuum, reliquias Israël.
This is what the Lord says: Sing happily for the descendants of Jacob; shout for the greatest of all nations! Let everybody know! Praise and call out, “Lord, save your people, those who are left of Israel!”
8 Ecce ego adducam eos de terra aquilonis, et congregabo eos ab extremis terræ: inter quos erunt cæcus et claudus, prægnans et pariens simul, cœtus magnus revertentium huc.
Watch, because I will bring them back from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Everyone will return, even the blind and the lame, pregnant women, even mothers giving birth—a great gathering coming home,
9 In fletu venient, et in misericordia reducam eos: et adducam eos per torrentes aquarum in via recta, et non impingent in ea, quia factus sum Israëli pater, et Ephraim primogenitus meus est.
They will come back with tears in their eyes, and they will be praying as I take them home. I will lead them beside streams of waters, on level paths where they won't stumble. For I am Israel's Father; Ephraim is my firstborn.
10 Audite verbum Domini, gentes, et annuntiate in insulis quæ procul sunt, et dicite: Qui dispersit Israël congregabit eum, et custodiet eum sicut pastor gregem suum.
Listen, nations, to what the Lord has to say, and let others know about in faraway countries: The Lord who scattered Israel will gather them together and keep them safe, just like a shepherd looks after his flock.
11 Redemit enim Dominus Jacob, et liberavit eum de manu potentioris.
The Lord has redeemed the descendants of Jacob and rescued them from their enemies who had defeated them.
12 Et venient, et laudabunt in monte Sion: et confluent ad bona Domini, super frumento, et vino, et oleo, et fœtu pecorum et armentorum: eritque anima eorum quasi hortus irriguus, et ultra non esurient.
They will return and celebrate with happy shouts on Mount Zion; their faces will beam over the Lord's wonderful gifts—the grain, new wine, and olive oil, and the young of their flocks and herds. Their life will be like a well-watered garden; and they won't ever be depressed again.
13 Tunc lætabitur virgo in choro, juvenes et senes simul: et convertam luctum eorum in gaudium, et consolabor eos, et lætificabo a dolore suo.
The girls will dance in celebration; young men and old people will join in too. I will turn their sorrow into joy, and I will comfort them and change their sadness into happiness.
14 Et inebriabo animam sacerdotum pinguedine, et populus meus bonis meis adimplebitur, ait Dominus.
I will give my priests everything they need and more, and my people will be more than satisfied with my goodness towards them, declares the Lord.
15 Hæc dicit Dominus: Vox in excelso audita est lamentationis: luctus, et fletus Rachel plorantis filios suos, et nolentis consolari super eis, quia non sunt.
This is what the Lord says: The sound of terrible weeping and mourning is heard in Ramah. It's Rachel crying for her children. They are dead, and she can't be comforted
16 Hæc dicit Dominus: Quiescat vox tua a ploratu, et oculi tui a lacrimis, quia est merces operi tuo, ait Dominus, et revertentur de terra inimici:
This is what the Lord says: Don't cry anymore, don't weep anymore, because you're going to be rewarded for what you've done, declares the Lord. Your children will return from the country of your enemies.
17 et est spes novissimis tuis, ait Dominus, et revertentur filii ad terminos suos.
So you can have hope for the future, declares the Lord. Your children will return to their own country.
18 Audiens audivi Ephraim transmigrantem: Castigasti me, et eruditus sum, quasi juvenculus indomitus: converte me, et convertar, quia tu Dominus Deus meus.
Don't worry, I've heard Ephraim's groans, saying, “You disciplined me really hard as if I was a calf that hadn't been trained. Please bring me back, let me return, for you are the Lord my God.
19 Postquam enim convertisti me, egi pœnitentiam: et postquam ostendisti mihi, percussi femur meum. Confusus sum, et erubui, quoniam sustinui opprobrium adolescentiæ meæ.
When I came back to you I was sorry, and once I understood, I held my head in sadness. I was ashamed and I blushed, embarrassed at what I'd done when I was young.”
20 Si filius honorabilis mihi Ephraim, si puer delicatus! quia ex quo locutus sum de eo, adhuc recordabor ejus. Idcirco conturbata sunt viscera mea super eum: miserans miserebor ejus, ait Dominus.
But isn't Ephraim still my precious son, my lovely child? Even though I often have to scold him, I can't forget him. So I'm torn inside with longing, wanting to show how much I care about him! declares the Lord.
21 Statue tibi speculam; pone tibi amaritudines; dirige cor tuum in viam rectam in qua ambulasti: revertere, virgo Israël, revertere ad civitates tuas istas.
Put up markers on the road; make signposts for yourselves. You need to be sure you can find the highway, the road you traveled on. Come back, Virgin Israel, come back to your towns.
22 Usquequo deliciis dissolveris, filia vaga? quia creavit Dominus novum super terram: femina circumdabit virum.
How long are you going to waver in your decision, you unfaithful daughter? For the Lord has made something new happen here: a woman is going to protect a man.
23 Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum, Deus Israël: Adhuc dicent verbum istud in terra Juda et in urbibus ejus, cum convertero captivitatem eorum: Benedicat tibi Dominus, pulchritudo justitiæ, mons sanctus:
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: When I bring them back home from exile, they will say again in the land of Judah and in its towns: “May the Lord bless you, holy mountain of Jerusalem, home of what is good and right.
24 et habitabunt in eo Judas et omnes civitates ejus simul, agricolæ et minantes greges.
The people of Judah and all its towns will live together in the land, the farmers and those who move around with their flocks,
25 Quia inebriavi animam lassam, et omnem animam esurientem saturavi.
because I'm going to give rest to those who are tired and give strength to all those who are weak.”
26 Ideo quasi de somno suscitatus sum: et vidi, et somnus meus dulcis mihi.
At this I woke up and looked around. I'd had a very pleasant sleep.
27 Ecce dies veniunt, dicit Dominus, et seminabo domum Israël et domum Juda semine hominum et semine jumentorum.
Look! The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make the numbers of people and livestock grow in Israel and Judah.
28 Et sicut vigilavi super eos ut evellerem, et demolirer, et dissiparem, et disperderem, et affligerem, sic vigilabo super eos ut ædificem et plantem, ait Dominus.
I took care of them by uprooting them and tearing them down, by wiping them out and destroying them and bringing them disaster. Now I will take care of them by building them up and helping them grow, declares the Lord.
29 In diebus illis non dicent ultra: Patres comederunt uvam acerbam, et dentes filiorum obstupuerunt.
At that time people won't repeat this proverb, “The fathers ate the unripe grapes, but their children got the sour taste.”
30 Sed unusquisque in iniquitate sua morietur: omnis homo qui comederit uvam acerbam, obstupescent dentes ejus.
No. Each person will die because of their own sins. If anyone eats unripe grapes, they will get the sour taste themselves.
31 Ecce dies venient, dicit Dominus, et feriam domui Israël et domui Juda fœdus novum,
Look! The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new agreement with the people of Israel and Judah.
32 non secundum pactum quod pepigi cum patribus eorum in die qua apprehendi manum eorum ut educerem eos de terra Ægypti, pactum quod irritum fecerunt: et ego dominatus sum eorum, dicit Dominus.
It won't be like the agreement that I made with their forefathers when I held their hands and led them out of Egypt. They broke that agreement, even though I was faithful like a husband to them, declares the Lord.
33 Sed hoc erit pactum quod feriam cum domo Israël post dies illos, dicit Dominus: dabo legem meam in visceribus eorum, et in corde eorum scribam eam, et ero eis in Deum, et ipsi erunt mihi in populum:
But this is the agreement I'm going to make with the people of Israel at that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws inside them and write them in their minds. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
34 et non docebit ultra vir proximum suum et vir fratrem suum, dicens: Cognosce Dominum: omnes enim cognoscent me, a minimo eorum usque ad maximum, ait Dominus: quia propitiabor iniquitati eorum, et peccati eorum non memorabor amplius.
No one will need to teach a neighbor or their brother, telling them, “You ought to know the Lord.” For everyone will know me, from the smallest to the greatest. I will forgive them when they do wrong, and I will forget about their sins.
35 Hæc dicit Dominus qui dat solem in lumine diei, ordinem lunæ et stellarum in lumine noctis: qui turbat mare, et sonant fluctus ejus: Dominus exercituum nomen illi:
This is what the Lord says, who provides the sun to give light during the day, who places in order the moon and stars to give light at night, who makes the sea rough so that its waves roar; his name is the Lord Almighty:
36 Si defecerint leges istæ coram me, dicit Dominus, tunc et semen Israël deficiet, ut non sit gens coram me cunctis diebus.
Only if I allowed this order to fell apart, declares the Lord, would Israel's descendants stop being my people.
37 Hæc dicit Dominus: Si mensurari potuerint cæli sursum, et investigari fundamenta terræ deorsum, et ego abjiciam universum semen Israël, propter omnia quæ fecerunt, dicit Dominus.
This is what the Lord says: Only if the heavens above could be measured, and the foundations of the earth below could be investigated, would I reject all of Israel's descendants because of everything they've done, declares the Lord.
38 Ecce dies veniunt, dicit Dominus, et ædificabitur civitas Domino, a turre Hananeel usque ad portam anguli.
The time is coming, declares the Lord, when this city will be rebuilt for the Lord, all the way from the tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.
39 Et exibit ultra norma mensuræ in conspectu ejus super collem Gareb, et circuibit Goatha,
The builder's measuring line will again stretch out directly to Gareb Hill and then turn toward Goah.
40 et omnem vallem cadaverum, et cineris, et universam regionem mortis usque ad torrentem Cedron, et usque ad angulum portæ equorum orientalis, Sanctum Domini: non evelletur, et non destruetur ultra in perpetuum.
The entire valley, where the dead are buried and the trash is dumped, and all the fields from the Kidron Valley as far as the Horse Gate to the east, will be holy to the Lord. Jerusalem will never again be torn down or destroyed.
