The Remnant of Israel Saved

31 “At (A)the same time,” says the Lord, (B)“I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.”

Thus says the Lord:

“The people who survived the sword
Found grace in the wilderness—
Israel, when (C)I went to give him rest.”

The Lord has appeared [a]of old to me, saying:
“Yes, (D)I have loved you with (E)an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have (F)drawn you.
Again (G)I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin of Israel!
You shall again be adorned with your (H)tambourines,
And shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.
(I)You shall yet plant vines on the mountains of Samaria;
The planters shall plant and [b]eat them as ordinary food.
For there shall be a day
When the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim,
(J)‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion,
To the Lord our God.’ ”

For thus says the Lord:

(K)“Sing with gladness for Jacob,
And shout among the chief of the nations;
Proclaim, give praise, and say,
‘O Lord, save Your people,
The remnant of Israel!’
Behold, I will bring them (L)from the north country,
And (M)gather them from the ends of the earth,
Among them the blind and the lame,
The woman with child
And the one who labors with child, together;
A great throng shall return there.
(N)They shall come with weeping,
And with supplications I will lead them.
I will cause them to walk (O)by the rivers of waters,
In a straight way in which they shall not stumble;
For I am a Father to Israel,
And Ephraim is My (P)firstborn.

10 “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
And declare it in the [c]isles afar off, and say,
‘He who scattered Israel (Q)will gather him,
And keep him as a shepherd does his flock.’
11 For (R)the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
And ransomed him (S)from the hand of one stronger than he.
12 Therefore they shall come and sing in (T)the height of Zion,
Streaming to (U)the goodness of the Lord
For wheat and new wine and oil,
For the young of the flock and the herd;
Their souls shall be like a (V)well-watered garden,
(W)And they shall sorrow no more at all.

13 “Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance,
And the young men and the old, together;
For I will turn their mourning to joy,
Will comfort them,
And make them rejoice rather than sorrow.
14 I will [d]satiate the soul of the priests with abundance,
And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord.”

Mercy on Ephraim

15 Thus says the Lord:

(X)“A voice was heard in (Y)Ramah,
Lamentation and bitter (Z)weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted for her children,
Because (AA)they are no more.”

16 Thus says the Lord:

“Refrain your voice from (AB)weeping,
And your eyes from tears;
For your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord,
And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.
17 There is (AC)hope in your future, says the Lord,
That your children shall come back to their own border.

18 “I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself:
‘You have (AD)chastised me, and I was chastised,
Like an untrained bull;
(AE)Restore me, and I will return,
For You are the Lord my God.
19 Surely, (AF)after my turning, I repented;
And after I was instructed, I struck myself on the thigh;
I was (AG)ashamed, yes, even humiliated,
Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’
20 Is Ephraim My dear son?
Is he a pleasant child?
For though I spoke against him,
I earnestly remember him still;
(AH)Therefore My [e]heart yearns for him;
(AI)I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord.

21 “Set up signposts,
Make landmarks;
(AJ)Set your heart toward the highway,
The way in which you went.
[f]Turn back, O virgin of Israel,
Turn back to these your cities.
22 How long will you (AK)gad about,
O you (AL)backsliding daughter?
For the Lord has created a new thing in the earth—
A woman shall encompass a man.”

Future Prosperity of Judah

23 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “They shall again use this speech in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I bring back their captivity: (AM)‘The Lord bless you, O home of justice, and (AN)mountain of holiness!’ 24 And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and (AO)in all its cities together, farmers and those going out with flocks. 25 For I have [g]satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.”

26 After this I awoke and looked around, and my sleep was (AP)sweet to me.

27 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that (AQ)I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. 28 And it shall come to pass, that as I have (AR)watched over them (AS)to pluck up, to break down, to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict, so I will watch over them (AT)to build and to plant, says the Lord. 29 (AU)In those days they shall say no more:

‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
And the children’s teeth are set on edge.’

30 (AV)But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.

A New Covenant

31 “Behold, the (AW)days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that (AX)I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, [h]though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33 (AY)But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: (AZ)I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their [i]hearts; (BA)and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for (BB)they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For (BC)I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

35 Thus says the Lord,
(BD)Who gives the sun for a light by day,
The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night,
Who disturbs (BE)the sea,
And its waves roar
(BF)(The Lord of hosts is His name):

36 “If (BG)those ordinances depart
From before Me, says the Lord,
Then the seed of Israel shall also cease
From being a nation before Me forever.”

37 Thus says the Lord:

(BH)“If heaven above can be measured,
And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath,
I will also (BI)cast off all the seed of Israel
For all that they have done, says the Lord.

38 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that the city shall be built for the Lord (BJ)from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 (BK)The surveyor’s line shall again extend straight forward over the hill Gareb; then it shall turn toward Goath. 40 And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Brook Kidron, (BL)to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, (BM)shall be holy to the Lord. It shall not be plucked up or thrown down anymore forever.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 31:3 Lit. from afar
  2. Jeremiah 31:5 Lit. treat them as common
  3. Jeremiah 31:10 Or coastlands
  4. Jeremiah 31:14 Fill to the full
  5. Jeremiah 31:20 Lit. inward parts
  6. Jeremiah 31:21 Or Return
  7. Jeremiah 31:25 fully satisfied
  8. Jeremiah 31:32 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX, Syr. and I turned away from them
  9. Jeremiah 31:33 Lit. inward parts

Israel’s Mourning Turned to Joy

31 “At that time,” says the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.”


Thus says the Lord,
“The people who survived the sword
Found grace in the wilderness [of exile]—
Israel (the Northern Kingdom), when it went to find its rest.”

The Lord appeared to me ([a]Israel) from ages past, saying,
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you and continued My faithfulness to you.(A)

“Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt,
O Virgin Israel!
You will again be adorned with your tambourines and [b]timbrels
And go out to the dances of those who celebrate.(B)

“Again you will plant vineyards
On the mountains of Samaria;
The planters will plant
And enjoy the [abundant] fruit [in peace].

“For there will be a day when the watchmen
On the hills of Ephraim cry out,
‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion,
To the Lord our God.’”


For thus says the Lord,
“Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,
And shout for the first and foremost of the nations [the chosen people, Israel];
Proclaim, give praise and say,
‘O Lord save Your people,
The remnant of Israel!’

“Behold, I am bringing them from the north country,
And I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth,
Among them [will be] the blind and the lame,
The woman with child and she who labors in childbirth, together;
A great company, they will return here [to Jerusalem].

“They will come with weeping [in repentance and for joy],
And by [their] prayer [for the future] I will lead them;
I will make them walk by streams of waters,
On a straight path in which they will not stumble,
For I am a Father to Israel,
And Ephraim (Israel) is My firstborn.”

10 
Hear the word of the Lord, O you nations,
And declare it in the isles and coastlands far away,
And say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him
And will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.”
11 
For the Lord has ransomed Jacob
And has redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.
12 
“They will come and sing aloud and shout for joy on the height of Zion,
And will be radiant [with joy] over the goodness of the Lord
For the grain, for the new wine, for the oil,
And for the young of the flock and the herd.
And their life will be like a watered garden,
And they shall never sorrow or languish again.
13 
“Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance,
And the young men and old, together,
For I will turn their mourning into joy
And will comfort them and make them rejoice after their sorrow.
14 
“I will fully satisfy the soul of the priests with abundance,
And My people will be satisfied with My goodness,” says the Lord.

15 
Thus says the Lord,
“A [c]voice is heard in Ramah,
Lamentation (songs of mourning) and bitter weeping.
Rachel (Israel) is weeping for her children;
She refuses to be comforted for her children,
Because they are gone.”(C)

16 Thus says the Lord,

“Restrain your voice from weeping
And your eyes from tears,
For your work will be rewarded,” says the Lord;
“And your children will return from the enemy’s land.
17 
“There is [confident] hope for your future,” says the Lord;
“Your children will come back to their own country.
18 
“I have surely heard Ephraim (Israel) moaning and grieving,
‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised,
Like a bull unaccustomed to the yoke or an untrained calf;
Bring me back that I may be restored,
For You are the Lord my God.
19 
‘After I turned away [from You], I repented;
After I was instructed, I struck my thigh [in remorse];
I was ashamed and even humiliated
Because I carried the disgrace of my youth [as a nation].’
20 
“Is Ephraim My dear son?
Is he a darling and beloved child?
For as often as I have spoken against him,
I certainly still remember him.
Therefore My affection is renewed and My heart longs for him;
I will surely have mercy on him,” says the Lord.

21 
“Place for yourself road signs [toward Canaan],
Make for yourself guideposts;
Turn your thought and attention to the highway,
To the way by which you went [into exile].
Retrace your steps, O virgin of Israel,
Return to these your cities.
22 
“How long will you hesitate [to return],
O you faithless and renegade daughter?
For the Lord has created a [d]new thing in the land [of Israel]:
A woman will encompass (tenderly love) a man.”

23 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Once more they will speak these words in the land of Judah (the Southern Kingdom) and in her cities when I restore their fortunes and release them from exile,

‘The Lord bless you, O habitation of justice and righteousness,
O holy mountain!’

24 And [the people of] Judah and all its cities will live there together—the farmer and they who wander about with flocks. 25 For I [fully] satisfy the weary soul, and I replenish every languishing and sorrowful person.” 26 At this I (Jeremiah) awoke and looked, and my [trancelike] sleep was sweet [in the assurance it gave] to me.

A New Covenant

27 “Behold (listen carefully), the days are coming,” says 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 beast. 28 It will be that as I have watched over them to uproot and to break down, to overthrow, destroy, and afflict with disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant [with good],” says the Lord.

29 
“In those days they will not say again,
‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
And the children’s teeth are set on edge.’(D)

30 But everyone will die [only] for his own wickedness; every man who eats sour grapes—his [own] teeth shall be set on edge.

31 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the [e]house of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and with the house of Judah (the Southern Kingdom),(E) 32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” says the Lord. 33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says the Lord, “I will put My law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. 34 And each man will no longer teach his neighbor and his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me [through personal experience], from the least of them to the greatest,” says the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness, and I will no longer remember their sin.”(F)

35 
Thus says the Lord,
Who gives the sun for light by day
And the fixed order of the moon and of the stars for light by night,
Who stirs up the sea’s roaring billows or stills the waves when they roar;
The Lord of hosts is His name:
36 
“If this fixed order departs
From before Me,” says the Lord,
“Then the descendants of Israel also will cease
From being a nation before Me forever.”

37 Thus says the Lord,

“If the heavens above can be measured
And the foundations of the earth searched out below,
Then I will also cast off and abandon all the descendants of Israel
For all that they have done,” says the Lord.

38 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when the city [of Jerusalem] will be rebuilt for the Lord from the [f]Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 The measuring line will go out farther straight ahead to the hill Gareb; then it will turn to [g]Goah. 40 And the whole valley (Hinnom) of the dead bodies and [the hill] of the ashes [long dumped there from the temple sacrifices], and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to the Lord. It (the city) will not be uprooted or overthrown anymore to the end of the age.”(G)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 31:3 Also referred to as Samaria, Ephraim, Jacob, and Rachel in this chapter.
  2. Jeremiah 31:4 Small one-headed drums.
  3. Jeremiah 31:15 The mourning at Ramah is associated with the cry of the mothers of the boy babies and toddlers of Bethlehem who would be killed by Herod the Great during his attempt to destroy young Jesus (Matt 2:17, 18). Rachel, Jacob’s favorite wife, was the mother of Joseph (Gen 35:24). The tribes descended from Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, were the most powerful in the Northern Kingdom.
  4. Jeremiah 31:22 This passage probably personifies Israel as an erring but deeply penitent wife, who will devote herself to winning back and being worthy of the love of her divine husband and Lord, who had rejected her.
  5. Jeremiah 31:31 The kingdom was united under David and his successor, Solomon, but split after Solomon’s son, Rehoboam became king.
  6. Jeremiah 31:38 Many times after the days of the Old Testament, Jerusalem was destroyed. Travelers in later centuries reported it to be an almost deserted city—its buildings were ruins filled with rubble, its inhabitants were few. Yet not only did God’s word declare that it would be rebuilt, but also drew a detailed word map of the outline the city would follow—from a well-known tower to the gate at a certain corner, then on over a particular hill, coming now outside the walls of the original city and taking in a large area marked by familiar landmarks. Eight recognizable details are given here, and Zechariah adds another (14:10). Also, the city’s expansion was to be toward the northwest. Twenty-five hundred years later, in 1935, the prophecy had been fulfilled, as if indeed with God’s “measuring line” (v 39). So unlikely seemed this prophecy’s fulfillment that some early commentators suggested that it should be interpreted spiritually.
  7. Jeremiah 31:39 The exact location of Goah remains unknown.

Hope for Restoration

31 “In that day,” says the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people. This is what the Lord says:

“Those who survive the coming destruction
    will find blessings even in the barren land,
    for I will give rest to the people of Israel.”

Long ago the Lord said to Israel:
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
    With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel.
    You will again be happy
    and dance merrily with your tambourines.
Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria
    and eat from your own gardens there.
The day will come when watchmen will shout
    from the hill country of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Jerusalem[a]
    to worship the Lord our God.’”

Now this is what the Lord says:
“Sing with joy for Israel.[b]
    Shout for the greatest of nations!
Shout out with praise and joy:
‘Save your people, O Lord,
    the remnant of Israel!’
For I will bring them from the north
    and from the distant corners of the earth.
I will not forget the blind and lame,
    the expectant mothers and women in labor.
    A great company will return!
Tears of joy will stream down their faces,
    and I will lead them home with great care.
They will walk beside quiet streams
    and on smooth paths where they will not stumble.
For I am Israel’s father,
    and Ephraim is my oldest child.

10 “Listen to this message from the Lord,
    you nations of the world;
    proclaim it in distant coastlands:
The Lord, who scattered his people,
    will gather them and watch over them
    as a shepherd does his flock.
11 For the Lord has redeemed Israel
    from those too strong for them.
12 They will come home and sing songs of joy on the heights of Jerusalem.
    They will be radiant because of the Lord’s good gifts—
the abundant crops of grain, new wine, and olive oil,
    and the healthy flocks and herds.
Their life will be like a watered garden,
    and all their sorrows will be gone.
13 The young women will dance for joy,
    and the men—old and young—will join in the celebration.
I will turn their mourning into joy.
    I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing.
14 The priests will enjoy abundance,
    and my people will feast on my good gifts.
    I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Rachel’s Sadness Turns to Joy

15 This is what the Lord says:

“A cry is heard in Ramah—
    deep anguish and bitter weeping.
Rachel weeps for her children,
    refusing to be comforted—
    for her children are gone.”

16 But now this is what the Lord says:
“Do not weep any longer,
    for I will reward you,” says the Lord.
“Your children will come back to you
    from the distant land of the enemy.
17 There is hope for your future,” says the Lord.
    “Your children will come again to their own land.
18 I have heard Israel[c] saying,
‘You disciplined me severely,
    like a calf that needs training for the yoke.
Turn me again to you and restore me,
    for you alone are the Lord my God.
19 I turned away from God,
    but then I was sorry.
I kicked myself for my stupidity!
    I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days.’

20 “Is not Israel still my son,
    my darling child?” says the Lord.
“I often have to punish him,
    but I still love him.
That’s why I long for him
    and surely will have mercy on him.
21 Set up road signs;
    put up guideposts.
Mark well the path
    by which you came.
Come back again, my virgin Israel;
    return to your towns here.
22 How long will you wander,
    my wayward daughter?
For the Lord will cause something new to happen—
    Israel will embrace her God.[d]

23 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity, the people of Judah and its towns will again say, ‘The Lord bless you, O righteous home, O holy mountain!’ 24 Townspeople and farmers and shepherds alike will live together in peace and happiness. 25 For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing.”

26 At this, I woke up and looked around. My sleep had been very sweet.

27 “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will greatly increase the human population and the number of animals here in Israel and Judah. 28 In the past I deliberately uprooted and tore down this nation. I overthrew it, destroyed it, and brought disaster upon it. But in the future I will just as deliberately plant it and build it up. I, the Lord, have spoken!

29 “The people will no longer quote this proverb:

‘The parents have eaten sour grapes,
    but their children’s mouths pucker at the taste.’

30 All people will die for their own sins—those who eat the sour grapes will be the ones whose mouths will pucker.

31 “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord.

33 “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”

35 It is the Lord who provides the sun to light the day
    and the moon and stars to light the night,
    and who stirs the sea into roaring waves.
His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    and this is what he says:
36 “I am as likely to reject my people Israel
    as I am to abolish the laws of nature!”
37 This is what the Lord says:
“Just as the heavens cannot be measured
    and the foundations of the earth cannot be explored,
so I will not consider casting them away
    for the evil they have done.
    I, the Lord, have spoken!

38 “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when all Jerusalem will be rebuilt for me, from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 A measuring line will be stretched out over the hill of Gareb and across to Goah. 40 And the entire area—including the graveyard and ash dump in the valley, and all the fields out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the Horse Gate—will be holy to the Lord. The city will never again be captured or destroyed.”

Footnotes

  1. 31:6 Hebrew Zion; also in 31:12.
  2. 31:7 Hebrew Jacob; also in 31:11. See note on 5:20.
  3. 31:18 Hebrew Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of Israel; also in 31:20.
  4. 31:22 Hebrew a woman will surround a man.

Saving the Remnant

31 Thus says Adonai:
“The people surviving the sword
found grace in the wilderness—
where I gave Israel rest.”[a]

“From afar Adonai appeared to me.”
“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love.
Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.
Again I will build you,
so you will be rebuilt, virgin Israel!
Again you will take up your tambourines as ornaments,
and go out to dances of merrymakers.
Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria—
planters will plant and use them.
For there will be a day when watchmen will call out
        in the hill country of Ephraim,
‘Arise, let us go up to Zion,
to Adonai our God.’”
For thus says Adonai:
“Sing aloud with joy for Jacob!
Shout with the chief of the nations!
Proclaim, give praise, and say:
Adonai, save your people,
the remnant of Israel!’[b]
Behold, I will bring them from the north country,
and I will gather them from the ends of the earth—
among them the blind and the lame,
the pregnant together with she who is in labor with child.
A great throng will return here.
With weeping and supplications they will come.
I will bring them,
leading them to walk by streams of water
on a straight path where they will not stumble.
For I am Israel’s father,
and Ephraim is My firstborn.”
Hear the word of Adonai, O nations,
and declare it in the distant islands,
and say: ‘He who scattered Israel will gather
and watch over him, as a shepherd does his flock.’
10 For Adonai has ransomed Jacob.
He redeemed him from the hand of one stronger than he.
11 They will come and sing on Zion’s height,
radiant over the bounty of Adonai
over the grain, the wine, the oil,
and the young of the flock.
Their life will be like a watered garden,
and they will never languish again.
12 Then will the virgin rejoice in the dance,
both young men and old men together.
For I will turn their mourning into joy,
and I will comfort them, and make them rejoice out of their sorrow.
13 I will fill the soul of the kohanim with fatness
and My people will be satisfied with My goodness.”
It is a declaration of Adonai.

Grief Turned to Joy

14 Thus says Adonai:
“A voice is heard in Ramah
—lamentation and bitter weeping—
Rachel weeping for her children,
refusing to be comforted for her children,
because they are no more.”[c]
15 Thus says Adonai:
“Restrain your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears.
For your work will be rewarded”
—it is declaration of Adonai
“when they will return from the land of the enemy.
16 So there is hope for your future”
—it is declaration of Adonai
“when your children will return to their own territory.
17 I indeed heard Ephraim grieving:
‘You have disciplined me—
I was disciplined like an untrained calf.
Restore me, and I will return,
for you are Adonai my God.
18 For after I returned, I repented,
and after that I was instructed,
I struck my thigh—
I was ashamed and also humiliated,
for I bore the disgrace of my youth.’

19 Is Ephraim a precious son to Me?
Is he a delightful child?
For as often as I spoke against him,
I still certainly remember him.
Therefore My heart yearns for him.
I will surely have compassion on him.”
It is a declaration of Adonai.

20 Erect road markers,
set up signposts!
Set your heart toward the highway,
the way by which you traveled!
Return, O virgin Israel,
return to your cities.
21 How long will you waver,
O backsliding daughter?
For Adonai has created a new thing on earth:
a woman surrounds a man.

22 Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Israel: “Yet again will they use this expression in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I will return them from exile:

Adonai bless you,
O dwelling of righteousness,
O mountain of holiness.’

23 Judah and all its cities will dwell there together—the farmer and those who go about with flocks. 24 For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul will refresh.”

25 At this point I awoke, and looked around, and my sleep was sweet to me.

26 “Behold, days are coming”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast. 27 Now just as I have watched over them to uproot and to pull down, to overthrow, to destroy, and to bring disaster, then I will watch over them to build and to plant,” says Adonai. 28 “In those days they will no longer say:

‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are blunted.’
29 Rather each will die for his own iniquity:
if anyone eats the sour grapes,
his own teeth will be blunted.”

New Covenant Foretold

30 “Behold, days are coming”
—it is a declaration of Adonai
“when I will make a new covenant[d]
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah—
31 not like the covenant
I made with their fathers
in the day I took them by the hand
to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
For they broke My covenant,
though I was a husband to them.”
it is a declaration of Adonai.
32 “But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”
—it is a declaration of Adonai
“I will put My Torah within them.
Yes, I will write it on their heart.[e]
I will be their God
and they will be My people.
33 No longer will each teach his neighbor
or each his brother, saying: ‘Know Adonai,’
for they will all know Me,
from the least of them to the greatest.”
it is a declaration of Adonai.
“For I will forgive their iniquity,
their sin I will remember no more.”[f]
34 Thus says Adonai,
who gives the sun as a light by day
and the fixed order of the moon
and the stars as a light by night,
who stirs up the sea so its waves roar,
Adonai-Tzva’ot is His Name:
35 “Only if this fixed order departs from before Me”
—it is a declaration of Adonai
“then also might Israel’s offspring cease
from being a nation
before Me—for all time.”
36 Thus says Adonai:
“Only if heaven above can be measured
and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath,
then also I will cast off the offspring of Israel
—for all they have done.”[g]
It is a declaration of Adonai.

37 “Behold, days are coming”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“when the city will be rebuilt for Adonai, from the tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 38 The measuring line will go out farther, straight to the Gareb Hill, then turn to Goah. 39 Then the whole valley—the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields up to the Kidron Valley to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east—will be holy to Adonai. It will never be uprooted or thrown down again—forever.”