Restoration of Israel and Judah

30 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, “Thus speaks the Lord God of Israel, saying: ‘Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you. For behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that (A)I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,’ says the Lord. (B)‘And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.’ ”

Now these are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah.

“For thus says the Lord:

‘We have heard a voice of trembling,
Of [a]fear, and not of peace.
Ask now, and see,
Whether a [b]man is ever in [c]labor with child?
So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins
(C)Like a woman in labor,
And all faces turned pale?
(D)Alas! For that day is great,
(E)So that none is like it;
And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble,
But he shall be saved out of it.

‘For it shall come to pass in that day,’
Says the Lord of hosts,
That I will break his yoke from your neck,
And will burst your bonds;
Foreigners shall no more enslave them.
But they shall serve the Lord their God,
And (F)David their king,
Whom I will (G)raise up for them.

10 ‘Therefore (H)do not fear, O My servant Jacob,’ says the Lord,
‘Nor be dismayed, O Israel;
For behold, I will save you from afar,
And your seed (I)from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet,
And no one shall make him afraid.
11 For I am with (J)you,’ says the Lord, ‘to save you;
(K)Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you,
(L)Yet I will not make a complete end of you.
But I will correct you (M)in justice,
And will not let you go altogether unpunished.’

12 “For thus says the Lord:

(N)‘Your affliction is incurable,
Your wound is severe.
13 There is no one to plead your cause,
That you may be bound up;
(O)You have no healing medicines.
14 (P)All your lovers have forgotten you;
They do not seek you;
For I have wounded you with the wound (Q)of an enemy,
With the chastisement (R)of a cruel one,
For the multitude of your iniquities,
(S)Because your sins have increased.
15 Why (T)do you cry about your affliction?
Your sorrow is incurable.
Because of the multitude of your iniquities,
Because your sins have increased,
I have done these things to you.

16 ‘Therefore all those who devour you (U)shall be devoured;
And all your adversaries, every one of them, shall go into (V)captivity;
Those who plunder you shall become (W)plunder,
And all who prey upon you I will make a (X)prey.
17 (Y)For I will restore health to you
And heal you of your wounds,’ says the Lord,
‘Because they called you an outcast saying:
“This is Zion;
No one seeks her.” ’

18 “Thus says the Lord:

‘Behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents,
And (Z)have mercy on his dwelling places;
The city shall be built upon its own [d]mound,
And the palace shall remain according to its own plan.
19 Then (AA)out of them shall proceed thanksgiving
And the voice of those who make merry;
(AB)I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish;
I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.
20 Their children also shall be (AC)as before,
And their congregation shall be established before Me;
And I will punish all who oppress them.
21 Their nobles shall be from among them,
(AD)And their governor shall come from their midst;
Then I will (AE)cause him to draw near,
And he shall approach Me;
For who is this who pledged his heart to approach Me?’ says the Lord.
22 ‘You shall be (AF)My people,
And I will be your God.’ ”

23 Behold, the (AG)whirlwind of the Lord
Goes forth with fury,
A [e]continuing whirlwind;
It will fall violently on the head of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger of the Lord will not return until He has done it,
And until He has performed the intents of His heart.

(AH)In the latter days you will consider it.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 30:5 dread
  2. Jeremiah 30:6 Lit. male can give birth
  3. Jeremiah 30:6 childbirth
  4. Jeremiah 30:18 ruins
  5. Jeremiah 30:23 Or sweeping

Freedom from Captivity Promised

30 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Write in a book all the words which I have spoken to you. For behold (hear this), the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will return them to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they will take possession of it.’”

Now these are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah:

“Thus says the Lord,

‘We have heard a terrified voice
Of panic and dread, and there is no peace.

‘Ask now, and see
Whether a man can give birth [to a child].
Why then do I see every man
With his hands on his [a]loins, as a woman in labor?
Why have all faces turned pale?

‘Alas! for that day is great,
There is none like it;
It is the time of Jacob’s [unequaled] trouble,
But he will be saved from it.(A)

‘It shall come about on that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘that I will break the yoke off your neck and I will tear off your bonds and force apart your shackles; and strangers will no longer make slaves of the people [of Israel]. But they shall serve the Lord their God and [the descendant of] David their King, whom I will raise up for them.(B)

10 
‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant,’ says the Lord,
‘Nor be dismayed or downcast, O Israel;
For behold, I will save you from a distant land [of exile]
And your descendants from the land of their captivity.
Jacob will return and will be quiet and at ease,
And no one will make him afraid.
11 
‘For I am with you,’ says the Lord, ‘to save you;
For I will destroy completely all the nations where I have scattered you,
But I will not destroy you completely.
But I will judge and discipline you fairly
And will by no means regard you as guiltless and leave you unpunished.’

12 
“For thus says the Lord,
‘Your wound is incurable
And your injury is beyond healing.
13 
‘There is no one to plead your cause;
No [device to close and allow the] healing of your wound,
No recovery for you.
14 
‘All your lovers (allies) have forgotten you;
They do not seek and long for you.
For I have injured you with the wound of an enemy,
With the punishment of a cruel and merciless foe,
Because your guilt is great
And your sins are glaring and innumerable.
15 
‘Why do you cry out over your injury [since it is the natural result of your sin]?
Your pain is incurable (deadly).
Because your guilt is great
And your sins are glaring and innumerable,
I have done these things to you.
16 
‘Therefore all who devour you will be devoured;
And all your adversaries, every one of them, will go into captivity.
And they who plunder you will become plunder,
And all who prey upon you I will give for prey.
17 
‘For I will restore health to you
And I will heal your wounds,’ says the Lord,
‘Because they have called you an outcast, saying:
“This is Zion; no one seeks her and no one cares for her.”’

Restoration of Jacob

18 
“Thus says the Lord,
‘Behold (hear this), I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob
And have mercy on his dwelling places;
The city will be rebuilt on its [old, mound-like] ruin,
And the palace will stand on its rightful place.
19 
‘From them (city, palace) will come [songs of] thanksgiving
And the voices of those who dance and celebrate.
And I will multiply them and they will not be diminished [in number];
I will also honor them and they will not be insignificant.
20 
‘Their children too will be as in former times,
And their congregation will be established before Me;
And I will punish all their oppressors.
21 
‘Their prince will be one of them,
And their ruler will come forward from among them.
I will bring him near and he shall approach Me,
For who is he who would have the boldness and would dare [on his own initiative] to risk his life to approach Me?’ says the Lord.
22 
‘Then you shall be My people,
And I will be your God.’”(C)

23 
Behold, the tempest of the Lord!
Wrath has gone forth,
A sweeping and gathering tempest;
It will burst on the head of the wicked.
24 
The fierce (righteous) anger of the Lord will not turn back
Until He has fulfilled and until He has accomplished
The intent of His heart (mind);
In the latter days you will understand this.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 30:6 The midsection of the body between the lower ribs and the hips.

Promises of Deliverance

30 The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Write down for the record everything I have said to you, Jeremiah. For the time is coming when I will restore the fortunes of my people of Israel and Judah. I will bring them home to this land that I gave to their ancestors, and they will possess it again. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

This is the message the Lord gave concerning Israel and Judah. This is what the Lord says:

“I hear cries of fear;
    there is terror and no peace.
Now let me ask you a question:
    Do men give birth to babies?
Then why do they stand there, ashen-faced,
    hands pressed against their sides
    like a woman in labor?
In all history there has never been such a time of terror.
    It will be a time of trouble for my people Israel.[a]
    Yet in the end they will be saved!
For in that day,”
    says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
“I will break the yoke from their necks
    and snap their chains.
Foreigners will no longer be their masters.
    For my people will serve the Lord their God
and their king descended from David—
    the king I will raise up for them.

10 “So do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant;
    do not be dismayed, Israel,”
    says the Lord.
“For I will bring you home again from distant lands,
    and your children will return from their exile.
Israel will return to a life of peace and quiet,
    and no one will terrorize them.
11 For I am with you and will save you,”
    says the Lord.
“I will completely destroy the nations where I have scattered you,
    but I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you, but with justice;
    I cannot let you go unpunished.”

12 This is what the Lord says:
“Your injury is incurable—
    a terrible wound.
13 There is no one to help you
    or to bind up your injury.
    No medicine can heal you.
14 All your lovers—your allies—have left you
    and do not care about you anymore.
I have wounded you cruelly,
    as though I were your enemy.
For your sins are many,
    and your guilt is great.
15 Why do you protest your punishment—
    this wound that has no cure?
I have had to punish you
    because your sins are many
    and your guilt is great.

16 “But all who devour you will be devoured,
    and all your enemies will be sent into exile.
All who plunder you will be plundered,
    and all who attack you will be attacked.
17 I will give you back your health
    and heal your wounds,” says the Lord.
“For you are called an outcast—
    ‘Jerusalem[b] for whom no one cares.’”

18 This is what the Lord says:
“When I bring Israel home again from captivity
    and restore their fortunes,
Jerusalem will be rebuilt on its ruins,
    and the palace reconstructed as before.
19 There will be joy and songs of thanksgiving,
    and I will multiply my people, not diminish them;
I will honor them, not despise them.
20     Their children will prosper as they did long ago.
I will establish them as a nation before me,
    and I will punish anyone who hurts them.
21 They will have their own ruler again,
    and he will come from their own people.
I will invite him to approach me,” says the Lord,
    “for who would dare to come unless invited?
22 You will be my people,
    and I will be your God.”

23 Look! The Lord’s anger bursts out like a storm,
    a driving wind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger of the Lord will not diminish
    until it has finished all he has planned.
In the days to come
    you will understand all this.

Footnotes

  1. 30:7 Hebrew Jacob; also in 30:10b, 18. See note on 5:20.
  2. 30:17 Hebrew Zion.

Return From Exile

30 The word came to Jeremiah from Adonai, saying: thus says Adonai, the God of Israel: “Write all the words that I have spoken to you in a scroll. For behold, the days are coming,” declares Adonai, “when I will return My people Israel and Judah from exile,” declares Adonai. “I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they will possess it.”

Dread of Jacob’s Trouble

Now these are the words that Adonai spoke to Israel and to Judah. For thus says Adonai:

“We heard a sound of trembling,
of dread—there is no shalom.
Ask now, and see
whether a man can give birth.
Why do I see every man
with his hands on his loins, like a woman giving birth?
Why have all faces turned pale?
Oy! For that day is monumental.
There will be none like it—
a time of trouble for Jacob!
Yet out of it he will be saved.

A Davidic King Brings Healing

It will be in that day”
—it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot
“that I will break his yoke from off your neck,
and will tear off your bonds.
Foreigners will no longer enslave him.
Instead they will serve Adonai their God
and David their king,
whom I will raise up for them.
10 So now, do not fear, Jacob My servant,”
says Adonai, “nor be dismayed, O Israel,
for behold, I will save you from afar,
your seed from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again be quiet and at ease,
and no one will make him afraid.
11 For I am with you,” declares Adonai,
“to save you,
for I will make a full end of all the nations
where I scatter you.
but I will not make a full end of you.
For I will discipline you justly,
but will not leave you unpunished.”
12 For thus says Adonai:
“Your hurt is incurable,
and your wound is severe.
13 No one pleads your cause,
for there is no remedy for your wound,
no healing for you.
14 All your lovers have forgotten you.
They are not looking for you.
For I wounded you as an enemy—
    with cruel punishment—
because your iniquity is vast,
    your sins innumerable.
15 Why cry about your fracture?
Your pain has no cure.
Because your iniquity is vast,
your sins innumerable,
I did these things to you.
16 Yet all who devour you will be devoured,
and all your foes—all of them—
will go into captivity.
Those plundering you will be plundered,
and all preying on you I give as prey.
17 For I will restore health to you
and will heal you of your wounds.”
It is a declaration of Adonai.
“For they called you an outcast:
‘Zion—no one cares about her.’”
18 Thus says Adonai, “Indeed,
I will return Jacob’s tents from exile,
and have compassion on his dwellings.
The city will be rebuilt on her mound[a].
The citadel will stand in its rightful place.
19 Out of them will come thanksgiving
and the sound of celebration.
I will multiply them,
so they will not decrease.
I will also honor them,
so they will not be insignificant.
20 His children also will be as formerly
—his community set up before Me—
and I will punish all his oppressors.
21 His noble one will be one of His own.
His ruler will come forth from among His own.
I will bring Him near, and He will approach Me.
For who is he who will pledge his heart to approach Me?”
It is a declaration of Adonai.
22 “So you will be My people,
and I will be your God.”

23 Look! A storm of Adonai!
Fury has burst out as a churning storm,
whirling about the head of the wicked.
24 Adonai’s fierce anger will not turn back
until He has done it,
until He fulfills the purposes of His heart.
in the last days you will understand it.
25 “At that time,” declares Adonai,
“I will be God to all families of Israel,
and they will be My people.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 30:18 Heb. tel.