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Jeremiah 31
Evangelical Heritage Version
Jeremiah 31
Evangelical Heritage Version
The Lord’s Love for Israel
31 At that time, declares the Lord,
I will be the God of all the families of Israel,
and they will be my people.
2 This is what the Lord says.
The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness.
Israel had continual rest.
3 The Lord appeared to me[a] from a distance, saying:
I have loved you with an everlasting love.
I have drawn you with mercy.
4 I will build you up again,
and you will be built up, O Virgin Israel.
You will pick up your drums again,
and you will go out to dance with those who are joyful.
5 Again you will plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria.
The planters will plant and will enjoy its fruit.
6 For there will be a day
when the watchmen on the hills of Ephraim cry out,
“Come, let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.”
7 This is what the Lord says.
Sing with joy for Jacob,
and shout for the greatest of the nations.
Make your praises heard and say,
“Lord, save your people,
the remnant of Israel!”
8 Watch, I will bring them from a land in the north
and gather them from the ends of the earth.
The blind and the lame will be there,
the pregnant woman together with the woman in labor.
They will return as a huge community.
9 They will come weeping.
They will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead them beside streams of water,
on a level path where they will not stumble.
For I am a father to Israel.
Ephraim is my firstborn.
10 Hear the word of the Lord, you nations.
Declare it in the distant islands.
Say that he who scattered Israel will gather him
and watch over him like a shepherd watching his flock.
11 For the Lord will ransom Jacob
and redeem him from the hand of the one who is stronger than him.
12 They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion,
and they will rejoice in the goodness of the Lord,
for the grain, the new wine, the oil,
and the young of the flocks and herds.
Their lives will thrive like a well-watered garden.
They will not grow weak anymore.
13 Then the virgin will rejoice and dance.
The young men and the old will be glad together,
for I will turn their mourning into joy.
I will comfort them
and give them joy instead of sorrow.
14 I will satisfy the priests with abundance,
and my people will be filled with my goodness,
declares the Lord.
15 This is what the Lord says.
A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning.
Rachel is weeping for her children.
She refuses to be comforted for her children,
because they are no more.
16 This is what the Lord says.
Stop your crying.
Do not shed tears,
because your work will be rewarded, declares the Lord.
They will return from the land of the enemy.
17 There is hope for your future, declares the Lord.
Your children will return to their own borders.
Interjection by Israel
18 I have certainly heard Ephraim grieving:
“You have disciplined me.
I was disciplined like an untrained calf.
Cause me to turn, and I will turn,
because you are the Lord my God.
19 After I turned away, I was sorry.
After I was instructed, I slapped my thigh in grief.
I was ashamed and humiliated,
because I bore the disgrace of my youth.”
The Lord Speaks Again
20 Isn’t Ephraim my dear son?
Isn’t he my darling child?
I often speak against him,
but I still remember him.
My heart longs for him.
I will certainly be compassionate to him, declares the Lord.
21 Set up road signs.
Make guideposts.
Direct your attention toward the highway,
toward the way by which you came.
Turn back, Virgin Israel.
Turn back to your cities.
22 How long will you turn away,
you unfaithful daughter?
The Lord has created a new thing on the earth:
A female will surround a man.[b]
God’s People Will Prosper Once Again
23 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says.
When I bring them back from captivity,
they will once again say in the land of Judah and in its cities:
“The Lord bless you, you righteous dwelling place,
you holy mountain.”
24 Judah and all its cities will live there together,
the farmers and those who follow their flocks.
25 I will satisfy the thirsty,
and I will give rest to everyone who is weary.
26 Just after this I woke up and looked around.
My sleep had been pleasant for me.
27 Look, 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 with the seed of animal. 28 Just as I have watched over them to uproot and to tear down, to overthrow, destroy, and afflict, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the Lord.
29 In those days they will no longer say,
“The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge.”
30 But everyone will die for his own guilt.
Everyone who eats sour grapes—
his own teeth will be set on edge.
The New Covenant
31 Yes, 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 It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers,
when I took them by the hand
and led them out of the land of Egypt.
They broke that covenant of mine,
although I was a husband to them, declares the Lord.
33 But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after those days,
declares the Lord.
I will put my law[c] in their minds,
and I will write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
34 No longer will each one teach his neighbor,
or each one teach 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 guilt,
and I will remember their sins no more.
35 This is what the Lord says,
the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day,
who regulates the moon and stars for light by night,
who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar,
whose name is the Lord of Armies:
36 Only if these ordinances could vanish from my sight,
only then could the seed of Israel cease to be a nation before me,
declares the Lord.
37 This is what the Lord says:
Only if someone could measure what is above the sky,
only if someone could explore what is below the foundations
of the earth,
only then would I reject all the seed of Israel
for all that they have done, declares the Lord.
38 Look, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when the city will be rebuilt for the Lord from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 The measuring line will stretch from there straight out to the Hill of Gareb and turn toward Goah. 40 The whole valley with the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields out to the Kidron Valley, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, will be holy to the Lord. It will not be uprooted or torn down ever again.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 31:3 The Greek Old Testament reads him.
- Jeremiah 31:22 Or will embrace a man or will shelter a man. The church fathers understood this as an allusion to the virgin birth, but in the context it seems to refer to Judah’s future faithfulness to her husband, the Lord.
- Jeremiah 31:33 The term law here refers to the whole word of God. As verse 34 demonstrates, here the term law does not refer to the natural knowledge of the law written in our hearts, but rather to our knowledge of the gospel.
Jeremiah 31
New International Version
Jeremiah 31
New International Version
31 “At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the God(A) of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”
2 This is what the Lord says:
“The people who survive the sword
will find favor(B) in the wilderness;
I will come to give rest(C) to Israel.”
3 The Lord appeared to us in the past,[a] saying:
“I have loved(D) you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn(E) you with unfailing kindness.
4 I will build you up again,
and you, Virgin(F) Israel, will be rebuilt.(G)
Again you will take up your timbrels(H)
and go out to dance(I) with the joyful.(J)
5 Again you will plant(K) vineyards
on the hills of Samaria;(L)
the farmers will plant them
and enjoy their fruit.(M)
6 There will be a day when watchmen(N) cry out
on the hills of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Zion,
to the Lord our God.’”(O)
7 This is what the Lord says:
“Sing(P) with joy for Jacob;
shout for the foremost(Q) of the nations.
Make your praises heard, and say,
‘Lord, save(R) your people,
the remnant(S) of Israel.’
8 See, I will bring them from the land of the north(T)
and gather(U) them from the ends of the earth.
Among them will be the blind(V) and the lame,(W)
expectant mothers and women in labor;
a great throng will return.
9 They will come with weeping;(X)
they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead(Y) them beside streams of water(Z)
on a level(AA) path where they will not stumble,
because I am Israel’s father,(AB)
and Ephraim is my firstborn son.
10 “Hear the word of the Lord, you nations;
proclaim it in distant coastlands:(AC)
‘He who scattered(AD) Israel will gather(AE) them
and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’(AF)
11 For the Lord will deliver Jacob
and redeem(AG) them from the hand of those stronger(AH) than they.
12 They will come and shout for joy(AI) on the heights(AJ) of Zion;
they will rejoice in the bounty(AK) of the Lord—
the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,(AL)
the young of the flocks(AM) and herds.
They will be like a well-watered garden,(AN)
and they will sorrow(AO) no more.
13 Then young women will dance and be glad,
young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning(AP) into gladness;
I will give them comfort(AQ) and joy(AR) instead of sorrow.
14 I will satisfy(AS) the priests(AT) with abundance,
and my people will be filled with my bounty,(AU)”
declares the Lord.
15 This is what the Lord says:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,(AV)
mourning and great weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,(AW)
because they are no more.”(AX)
16 This is what the Lord says:
“Restrain your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears,(AY)
for your work will be rewarded,(AZ)”
declares the Lord.
“They will return(BA) from the land of the enemy.
17 So there is hope(BB) for your descendants,”
declares the Lord.
“Your children(BC) will return to their own land.
18 “I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:
‘You disciplined(BD) me like an unruly calf,(BE)
and I have been disciplined.
Restore(BF) me, and I will return,
because you are the Lord my God.
19 After I strayed,(BG)
I repented;
after I came to understand,
I beat(BH) my breast.
I was ashamed(BI) and humiliated
because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’(BJ)
20 Is not Ephraim my dear son,
the child(BK) in whom I delight?
Though I often speak against him,
I still remember(BL) him.
Therefore my heart yearns for him;
I have great compassion(BM) for him,”
declares the Lord.
21 “Set up road signs;
put up guideposts.(BN)
Take note of the highway,(BO)
the road that you take.
Return,(BP) Virgin(BQ) Israel,
return to your towns.
22 How long will you wander,(BR)
unfaithful(BS) Daughter Israel?
The Lord will create a new thing(BT) on earth—
the woman will return to[b](BU) the man.”
23 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity,[c](BV) the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: ‘The Lord bless(BW) you, you prosperous city,(BX) you sacred mountain.’(BY) 24 People will live(BZ) together in Judah and all its towns—farmers and those who move about with their flocks.(CA) 25 I will refresh the weary(CB) and satisfy the faint.”(CC)
26 At this I awoke(CD) and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.
27 “The days are coming,”(CE) declares the Lord, “when I will plant(CF) the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals. 28 Just as I watched(CG) over them to uproot(CH) and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster,(CI) so I will watch over them to build and to plant,”(CJ) declares the Lord. 29 “In those days people will no longer say,
30 Instead, everyone will die for their own sin;(CM) whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.
31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will make a new covenant(CN)
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant(CO)
I made with their ancestors(CP)
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,(CQ)
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband(CR) to[d] them,[e]”
declares the Lord.
33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds(CS)
and write it on their hearts.(CT)
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.(CU)
34 No longer will they teach(CV) their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know(CW) me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive(CX) their wickedness
and will remember their sins(CY) no more.”
35 This is what the Lord says,
he who appoints(CZ) the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,(DA)
who stirs up the sea(DB)
so that its waves roar(DC)—
the Lord Almighty is his name:(DD)
36 “Only if these decrees(DE) vanish from my sight,”
declares the Lord,
“will Israel(DF) ever cease
being a nation before me.”
37 This is what the Lord says:
“Only if the heavens above can be measured(DG)
and the foundations of the earth below be searched out
will I reject(DH) all the descendants of Israel
because of all they have done,”
declares the Lord.
38 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this city will be rebuilt(DI) for me from the Tower of Hananel(DJ) to the Corner Gate.(DK) 39 The measuring line(DL) will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. 40 The whole valley(DM) where dead bodies(DN) and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley(DO) on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate,(DP) will be holy(DQ) to the Lord. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 31:3 Or Lord has appeared to us from afar
- Jeremiah 31:22 Or will protect
- Jeremiah 31:23 Or I restore their fortunes
- Jeremiah 31:32 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac / and I turned away from
- Jeremiah 31:32 Or was their master
Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.