The Lord Will Rescue Israel and Judah
1-2 The Lord God of Israel said, “Jeremiah, get a scroll and write down everything I have told you. 3 Someday I will let my people from both Israel and Judah return to the land I gave their ancestors.”
4-5 Then the Lord told me to say to Israel and Judah:
Screams of terror are heard,
with no word of peace.
6 Can men give birth?
Then why do I see them
looking so pale
and clutching their stomachs
like women in labor?
7 My people, soon you will suffer
worse than ever before,
but I will save you.
8 Now you are slaves
of other nations,
but I will break the chains
and smash the yokes
that keep you in slavery.
9 Then you will be my servants,
and I will choose a king for you
from the family of David.
* 10 Israel, you belong to me,
so don't be afraid.
You deserved to be punished;
that's why I scattered you
in distant nations.
But I am with you,
and someday I will destroy
those nations.
11 Then I will bring you
and your descendants
back to your land,
where I will protect you
and give you peace.
Then your fears will be gone.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
The Lord Will Heal Israel and Judah
12 The Lord said:
My people, you are wounded
and near death.
13 You are accused of a crime
with no one to defend you,
and you are covered with sores
that no medicine can cure.
* 14 Your friends have forgotten you;
they don't care anymore.
Even I have acted like an enemy.
And because your sins
are horrible and countless,
I will be cruel
as I punish you.
15 So don't bother to cry out
for relief from your pain.
16 But if your enemies try to rob
or destroy you,
I will rob and destroy them,
and they will be led as captives
to foreign lands.
17 No one wants you as a friend
or cares what happens to you.
But I will heal your injuries,
and you will get well.
The Lord Will Rescue Israel and Judah
18 The Lord said:
Israel, I will be kind to you
and let you come home.
Jerusalem now lies in ruins,
but you will rebuild it,
complete with a new palace.
19 Other nations will respect
and honor you.
Your homes will be filled
with children,
and you will celebrate,
singing praises to me.
20 It will be just like old times.
Your nation will worship me,
and I will punish anyone
who abuses you.
21 One of your own people
will become your ruler.
And when I invite him
to come near me
at the place of worship,
he will do so.
No one would dare to come near
without being invited.
22 You will be my people,
and I will be your God.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
23 I am furious!
And like a violent storm
I will strike those
who do wrong.
24 I won't calm down
until I have finished
what I have decided to do.
Someday, you will understand
what I mean.
1 The worde, that came to Ieremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 Thus speaketh the Lord God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the wordes, that I haue spoken vnto thee in a booke. 3 For loe, the dayes come, saith the Lord, that I wil bring againe the captiuitie of my people Israel and Iudah, saith the Lord: for I will restore them vnto the lande, that I gaue to their fathers, and they shall possesse it. 4 Againe, these are the wordes that the Lord spake concerning Israel, and concerning Iudah. 5 For thus saith the Lord, wee haue heard a terrible voyce, of feare and not of peace. 6 Demand now and beholde, if man trauayle with childe? wherefore doe I beholde euery man with his hands on his loynes as a woman in trauaile, and all faces are turned into a palenesse? 7 Alas, for this day is great: none hath bene like it: it is euen the time of Iaakobs trouble, yet shall he be deliuered from it. 8 For in that day, sayth the Lord of hostes, I will breake his yoke from off thy necke, and breake thy bondes, and strangers shall no more serue themselues of him. 9 But they shall serue the Lord their God, and Dauid their King, whom I will raise vp vnto them. 10 Therefore feare not, O my seruant Iaakob, saith the Lord, neither be afrayde, O Israel: for loe, I will deliuer thee from a farre countrey, and thy seede from the lande of their captiuitie, and Iaakob shall turne againe, and shalbe in rest and prosperitie and none shall make him afraide. 11 For I am with thee, sayth the Lord, to saue thee: though I vtterly destroy all the nations where I haue scattered thee, yet will I not vtterly destroy thee, but I will correct thee by iudgement, and not vtterly cut thee off. 12 For thus saith the Lord, Thy bruising is incurable, and thy wound is dolorous. 13 There is none to iudge thy cause, or to lay a plaister: there are no medicines, nor help for thee. 14 All thy louers haue forgotten thee: they seeke thee not: for I haue striken thee with the wound of an enemie, and with a sharpe chastisement for ye multitude of thine iniquities, because thy sinnes were increased. 15 Why cryest thou for thine affliction? thy sorowe is incurable, for the multitude of thine iniquities: because thy sinnes were increased, I haue done these things vnto thee. 16 Therefore all they that deuoure thee, shall be deuoured, and all thine enemies euery one shall goe into captiuitie: and they that spoyle thee, shalbe spoyled, and all they that robbe thee, wil I giue to be robbed. 17 For I will restore health vnto thee, and I will heale thee of thy woundes, saith the Lord, because they called thee, The cast away, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after. 18 Thus saith the Lord, Beholde, I will bring againe the captiuitie of Iaakobs tentes, and haue compassion on his dwelling places: and the citie shalbe builded vpon her owne heape, and the palace shall remaine after the maner thereof. 19 And out of them shall proceede thankesgiuing, and the voyce of them that are ioyous, and I will multiplie them, and they shall not bee fewe: I will also glorifie them, and they shall not be diminished. 20 Their children also shall be as afore time, and their congregation shall be established before me: and I will visite all that vexe them. 21 And their noble ruler shall be of themselues, and their gouernour shall proceede from the middes of them, and I will cause him to draw neere, and approche vnto me: for who is this that directeth his heart to come vnto mee, saith the Lord? 22 And ye shall be my people, and I will bee your God. 23 Beholde, the tempest of the Lord goeth foorth with wrath: the whirlewinde that hangeth ouer, shall light vpon the head of the wicked. 24 The fierce wrath of the Lord shall not returne, vntill he haue done, and vntill he haue performed the intents of his heart: in the latter dayes ye shall vnderstand it.