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VI. Oracles of the Restoration of Israel and Judah

Chapter 30

The Restoration.[a] This word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write down on a scroll all the words I have spoken to you.(A) For indeed, the days are coming—oracle of the Lord—when I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel and Judah—oracle of the Lord. I will bring them back to the land which I gave to their ancestors, and they shall take possession of it.(B)

These are the words the Lord spoke to Israel and to Judah: Thus says the Lord:

We hear a cry of fear:
    terror, not peace.
Inquire and see:
    does a male give birth?
Why, then, do I see all these men,
    their hands on their loins
Like women in labor,
    all their faces drained of color?(C)
Ah! How mighty is that day—
    there is none like it!
A time of distress for Jacob,
    though he shall be saved from it.(D)

On that day—oracle of the Lord of hosts—I will break his yoke off your neck and snap your bonds. Strangers shall no longer enslave them;(E) instead, they shall serve the Lord, their God, and David, their king,[b] whom I will raise up for them.(F)

10 But you, my servant Jacob, do not fear!—oracle of the Lord
    do not be dismayed, Israel!
For I will soon deliver you from places far away,
    your offspring from the land of their exile;
Jacob shall again find rest,
    secure, with none to frighten him,(G)
11     for I am with you—oracle of the Lord—to save you.
I will bring to an end all the nations
    among whom I have scattered you;
    but you I will not bring to an end.
I will chastise you as you deserve,
    I will not let you go unpunished.(H)
12     For thus says the Lord:
Incurable is your wound,
    grievous your injury;(I)
13 There is none to plead your case,
    no remedy for your running sore,
    no healing for you.
14 All your lovers have forgotten you,
    they do not seek you out.
I struck you as an enemy would strike,
    punishing you cruelly.(J)
15 Why cry out over your wound?
    There is no relief for your pain.
Because of your great guilt,
    your numerous sins,
    I have done this to you.(K)
16 Yet all who devour you shall be devoured,
    all your enemies shall go into exile.
All who plunder you shall become plunder,
    all who pillage you I will hand over to be pillaged.(L)
17 For I will restore your health;
    I will heal your injuries—oracle of the Lord.
“The outcast” they have called you,
    “whom no one looks for.”(M)
18     Thus says the Lord:
See! I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents,
    on his dwellings I will have compassion;
A city shall be rebuilt upon its own ruins,
    a citadel restored where it should be.(N)
19 From them will come praise,
    the sound of people rejoicing.
I will increase them, they will not decrease,
    I will glorify them, they will not be insignificant.(O)
20 His children shall be as of old,
    his assembly shall stand firm in my presence,
    I will punish all his oppressors.(P)
21 His leader[c] shall be one of his own,
    and his ruler shall emerge from his ranks.
He shall approach me when I summon him;
    Why else would he dare
    approach me?—oracle of the Lord.
22 You shall be my people,
    and I will be your God.(Q)
23 Look! The storm of the Lord!
    His wrath breaks out
In a whirling storm
    that bursts upon the heads of the wicked.(R)
24 The anger of the Lord will not abate
    until he has carried out completely
    the decisions of his heart.
In days to come
    you will fully understand it.(S)

Footnotes

  1. 30:1–31:40 These two chapters contain salvation oracles that originally expressed the double expectation that the Lord would return the exiled survivors of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and reunite Israel and Judah as one kingdom under a just Davidic king. They were probably composed early in Josiah’s reign (the reference of v. 9), when he took advantage of Assyria’s internal disintegration and asserted control over northern Israel (cf. 2 Kgs 23:15–17). With the destruction of Jerusalem, the oracles were re-worked to include Judah and their fulfillment along with the renewal of the Davidic dynasty became associated with the eschatological “day of the Lord.”
  2. 30:9 David, their king: a descendant of David (“his leader” in v. 21) who, like his ancestor, would rule a unified kingdom and “walk in the ways of the Lord,” as the Deuteronomistic historians claimed David did. Other prophets also refer to this idealized ruler as “David”; cf. Ez 34:23–24; 37:24–25; Hos 3:5.
  3. 30:21 His leader: cf. v. 9. Approach me: i.e., in the sanctuary of the Temple for worship. This new David is given a priestly function to perform on behalf of the assembly. To approach God on one’s own brings death; cf. Lv 16:1–2.

Restoration of Israel

30 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write(A) in a book all the words I have spoken to you. The days(B) are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will bring(C) my people Israel and Judah back from captivity[a] and restore(D) them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the Lord.”

These are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: “This is what the Lord says:

“‘Cries of fear(E) are heard—
    terror, not peace.
Ask and see:
    Can a man bear children?
Then why do I see every strong man
    with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor,(F)
    every face turned deathly pale?(G)
How awful that day(H) will be!
    No other will be like it.
It will be a time of trouble(I) for Jacob,
    but he will be saved(J) out of it.

“‘In that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty,
    ‘I will break the yoke(K) off their necks
and will tear off their bonds;(L)
    no longer will foreigners enslave them.(M)
Instead, they will serve the Lord their God
    and David(N) their king,(O)
    whom I will raise up for them.

10 “‘So do not be afraid,(P) Jacob my servant;(Q)
    do not be dismayed, Israel,’
declares the Lord.
‘I will surely save(R) you out of a distant place,
    your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,(S)
    and no one will make him afraid.(T)
11 I am with you(U) and will save you,’
    declares the Lord.
‘Though I completely destroy all the nations
    among which I scatter you,
    I will not completely destroy(V) you.
I will discipline(W) you but only in due measure;
    I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’(X)

12 “This is what the Lord says:

“‘Your wound(Y) is incurable,
    your injury beyond healing.(Z)
13 There is no one to plead your cause,(AA)
    no remedy for your sore,
    no healing(AB) for you.
14 All your allies(AC) have forgotten you;
    they care nothing for you.
I have struck you as an enemy(AD) would
    and punished you as would the cruel,(AE)
because your guilt is so great
    and your sins(AF) so many.
15 Why do you cry out over your wound,
    your pain that has no cure?(AG)
Because of your great guilt and many sins
    I have done these things to you.(AH)

16 “‘But all who devour(AI) you will be devoured;
    all your enemies will go into exile.(AJ)
Those who plunder(AK) you will be plundered;
    all who make spoil of you I will despoil.
17 But I will restore you to health
    and heal(AL) your wounds,’
declares the Lord,
‘because you are called an outcast,(AM)
    Zion for whom no one cares.’(AN)

18 “This is what the Lord says:

“‘I will restore the fortunes(AO) of Jacob’s tents(AP)
    and have compassion(AQ) on his dwellings;
the city will be rebuilt(AR) on her ruins,
    and the palace will stand in its proper place.
19 From them will come songs(AS) of thanksgiving(AT)
    and the sound of rejoicing.(AU)
I will add to their numbers,(AV)
    and they will not be decreased;
I will bring them honor,(AW)
    and they will not be disdained.
20 Their children(AX) will be as in days of old,
    and their community will be established(AY) before me;
    I will punish(AZ) all who oppress them.
21 Their leader(BA) will be one of their own;
    their ruler will arise from among them.(BB)
I will bring him near(BC) and he will come close to me—
    for who is he who will devote himself
    to be close to me?’
declares the Lord.
22 “‘So you will be my people,(BD)
    and I will be your God.(BE)’”

23 See, the storm(BF) of the Lord
    will burst out in wrath,
a driving wind swirling down
    on the heads of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger(BG) of the Lord will not turn back(BH)
    until he fully accomplishes
    the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
    you will understand(BI) this.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 30:3 Or will restore the fortunes of my people Israel and Judah