The Lord Promises To Give the Land Back to His People
1-2 I was still being held prisoner in the courtyard of the palace guards when the Lord told me:
I am the Lord, and I created the whole world. 3 Ask me, and I will tell you things that you don't know and can't find out.
4-5 Many of the houses in Jerusalem and some of the buildings at the royal palace have been torn down to be used in repairing the walls to keep out the Babylonian attackers. Now there are empty spaces where the buildings once stood. But I am furious, and these spaces will be filled with the bodies of the people I kill. The people of Jerusalem will cry out to me for help, but they are evil, and I will ignore their prayers.
6 Then someday, I will heal this place and my people as well, and let them enjoy unending peace. 7 I will give this land to Israel and Judah once again, and I will make them as strong as they were before. 8 They sinned and rebelled against me, but I will forgive them and take away their guilt. 9 When that happens, all nations on earth will see the good things I have done for Jerusalem, and how I have given it complete peace. The nations will celebrate and praise and honor me, but they will also tremble with fear because of the powerful things I have done.
10 Jeremiah, you say that this land is a desert without people or animals, and for now, you are right. The towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem are deserted, and people and animals are nowhere to be seen. But someday you will hear 11 happy voices and the sounds of parties and wedding celebrations. And when people come to my temple to offer sacrifices to thank me, you will hear them say:
“We praise you,
Lord All-Powerful!
You are good to us,
and your love never fails.”
The land will once again be productive. 12-13 Now it is empty, without people or animals. But when that time comes, shepherds will take care of their flocks in pastures near every town in the hill country, in the foothills to the west, in the Southern Desert, in the land of the Benjamin tribe, and around Jerusalem and the towns of Judah.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
The Lord's Wonderful Promise
14 The Lord said:
I made a wonderful promise to Israel and Judah, and the days are coming when I will keep it.
15 I promise that the time will come
when I will appoint a king
from the family of David,
a king who will be honest
and rule with justice.
16 In those days,
Judah will be safe;
Jerusalem will have peace
and will be named,
“The Lord Gives Justice.”
17 The king of Israel will be one of David's descendants, 18 and there will always be priests from the Levi tribe serving at my altar and offering sacrifices to please me and to give thanks.
19 Then the Lord told me:
20 I, the Lord, have an agreement with day and night, so they always come at the right time. You can't break the agreement I made with them, 21 and you can't break the agreements I have made with David's family and with the priests from the Levi tribe who serve at my altar. A descendant of David will always rule as king of Israel, 22 and there will be more descendants of David and of the priests from the Levi tribe than stars in the sky or grains of sand on the beach.
23 The Lord also said:
24 You've heard foreigners insult my people by saying, “The Lord chose Israel and Judah, but now he has rejected them, and they are no longer a nation.”
25 Jeremiah, I will never break my agreement with the day and the night or let the sky and the earth stop obeying my commands. 26 In the same way, I will never reject the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob or break my promise that they will always have a descendant of David as their king. I will be kind to my people Israel, and they will be successful again.
1 Moreover, the worde of the Lord came vnto Ieremiah the second time (while he was yet shut vp in the court of prison) saying, 2 Thus sayth the Lord, the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, and established it, the Lord is his Name. 3 Call vnto me, and I will answere thee, and shewe thee great and mightie things, which thou knowest not. 4 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, concerning the houses of this citie, and concerning the houses of the Kings of Iudah, which are destroyed by the mounts, and by the sword, 5 They come to fight with the Caldeans, but it is to fill themselues with the dead bodies of men, whome I haue slaine in mine anger and in my wrath: for I haue hid my face from this citie, because of all their wickednes. 6 Behold, I will giue it health and amendment: for I wil cure them, and will reueile vnto them the abundance of peace, and trueth. 7 And I wil cause the captiuitie of Iudah and the captiuitie of Israel to returne, and will build them as at the first. 8 And I wil clense them from all their iniquitie, whereby they haue sinned against me: yea, I wil pardon all their iniquities, whereby they haue sinned against me, and whereby they haue rebelled against me. 9 And it shalbe to me a name, a ioy, a praise, and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall heare all ye good that I doe vnto them: and they shall feare and tremble for all the goodnes, and for all the wealth, that I shew vnto this citie. 10 Thus sayth the Lord, Againe there shalbe heard in this place (which ye say shalbe desolate, without man, and without beast, euen in the cities of Iudah, and in the streetes of Ierusalem, that are desolate without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast) 11 The voyce of ioy and the voyce of gladnes, the voyce of the bridegrome, and the voyce of the bride, the voyce of them that shall say, Prayse the Lord of hostes, because the Lord is good: for his mercy endureth for euer, and of them that offer the sacrifice of prayse in the House of the Lord, for I will cause to returne the captiuitie of the land, as at the first, sayth the Lord. 12 Thus sayth the Lord of hostes, Againe in this place, which is desolate, without man, and without beast, and in all the cities thereof there shall be dwelling for shepheards to rest their flockes. 13 In the cities of the mountaines, in the cities in the plaine, and in the cities of the South, and in the land of Beniamin, and about Ierusalem, and in the cities of Iudah shall the sheepe passe againe, vnder the hand of him that telleth them, sayth the Lord. 14 Beholde, the dayes come, sayth the Lord, that I wil performe that good thing, which I haue promised vnto the house of Israel, and to the house of Iudah. 15 In those dayes and at that time, wil I cause the branch of righteousnesse to growe vp vnto Dauid, and he shall execute iudgement, and righteousnes in the land. 16 In those dayes shall Iudah be saued, and Ierusalem shall dwell safely, and hee that shall call her, is the Lord our righteousnesse. 17 For thus sayth the Lord, Dauid shall neuer want a man to sit vpon the throne of the house of Israel. 18 Neither shall the Priests and Leuites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to offer meat offerings, and to doe sacrifice continually. 19 And the worde of the Lord came vnto Ieremiah, saying, 20 Thus sayth the Lord, If you can breake my couenant of the day, and my couenant of the night, that there should not be day, and night in their season, 21 Then may my couenant be broken with Dauid my seruant, that he should not haue a sonne to reigne vpon his throne, and with the Leuites, and Priests my ministers. 22 As the army of heauen can not be nombred, neither the sand of the sea measured: so wil I multiplie the seede of Dauid my seruant, and the Leuites, that minister vnto me. 23 Moreouer, the worde of the Lord came to Ieremiah, saying, 24 Considerest thou not what this people haue spoken, saying, The two families, which the Lord hath chosen, hee hath euen cast them off? thus they haue despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them. 25 Thus sayth the Lord, If my couenant be not with day and night, and if I haue not appointed the order of heauen and earth, 26 Then will I cast away the seede of Iaakob and Dauid my seruant, and not take of his seede to be rulers ouer the seede of Abraham, Izhak, and Iaakob: for I wil cause their captiuitie to returne, and haue compassion on them.