The New Israel
31 The Lord says, “At that time I will be God of all Israel’s ·family groups [clans], and they will be my people [30:22].”
2 This is what the Lord says:
“The people who ·were not killed by the enemy’s [L survived the] sword
found ·help [grace; favor] in the ·desert [wilderness; C as during the exodus from Egypt].
I came to give rest to Israel.”
3 And from far away the Lord appeared to his people and said,
“I love you people
with a ·love that will last forever [eternal love].
That is why I have continued
showing you ·kindness [loyalty].
4 ·People [L Virgin daughter] of Israel, I will build you up again,
and you will be rebuilt.
You will pick up your tambourines again
and dance with those who are joyful.
5 You will plant vineyards again
on the hills around Samaria [C in northern Israel].
The ·farmers [L planters] will plant them
and enjoy their fruit.
6 There will be a time when ·watchmen [sentinels; guards] in the mountains of Ephraim [C northern Israel] ·shout this message [L proclaim]:
‘·Come [L Get up], let’s go up to ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] to the Lord our God [C to worship]!’”
7 This is what the Lord says:
“·Be happy and sing [L Sing with joy] for the people of Jacob.
Shout for Israel, the ·greatest [head; foremost] of the nations.
·Sing your praises and shout this [L Make yourself heard, praise, and say]:
‘Lord, ·save [rescue] your people,
·those who are left alive from the nation [L the remnant] of Israel!’
8 Look, I will soon bring them [C the remnant of Israel] from the country in the north [C Babylon],
and I will gather them from the faraway places on earth.
Some of the people are blind and ·crippled [lame; Is. 35:5–6; Mic. 4:6–8].
Some of the women are pregnant, and some are ready to give birth.
A great ·many people [assembly] will ·come back [return].
9 They will be crying as they come,
·but they will pray as [L with supplications] I ·bring [lead] them back.
I will lead those people by streams of water [Ps. 23]
on an ·even road [straight way] where they will not stumble.
I am Israel’s father,
and ·Israel [L Ephraim; C the dominant tribe of the northern kingdom of Israel] is my firstborn son.
10 “Nations, listen to the ·message from [L word of] the Lord.
Tell this message in the faraway ·lands by the sea [coastlands]:
‘The one who scattered the people of Israel will ·bring them back [gather them],
and he will ·watch over [keep; guard] his people like a shepherd of a flock. [Num. 27:17; 2 Sam. 7:7; Ps. 78:70–72; Ezek. 34].’
11 The Lord will ·pay for [ransom] the people of Jacob
and will ·buy them back [redeem them] from ·people [L a hand/power] stronger than they were.
12 They [C people of Israel] will come to the high points of Jerusalem
and shout for joy.
·Their faces will shine with happiness [L They will be radiant] about all the good things from the Lord:
the grain, new wine, oil, young sheep, and young cows.
They will be like a garden that has plenty of water,
and they will not ·be troubled [languish] anymore.
13 Then ·young women [or virgins; C of Israel] will be happy and dance,
the young men and old men also.
I will change their ·sadness [mourning] into ·happiness [joy];
I will give them comfort and joy instead of ·sadness [lament; Ps. 30:11–12; 126].
14 The priests will have ·more than enough sacrifices [L their fill of fatness],
and my people will be ·filled [satisfied; sated] with the good things I give them!” says the Lord.
15 This is what the Lord says:
“A voice was heard in Ramah [C a place from which God’s people were deported into exile; 40:1; Matt. 2:18]
of ·painful crying [lamentation] and ·deep sadness [L bitter weeping]:
Rachel crying for her children [C the Israelites].
She refused to be comforted,
because her children are ·dead [L no more]!”
16 But this is what the Lord says:
“·Stop crying [L Refrain your voice from weeping];
·don’t let your eyes fill with tears [L your eyes from tears].
You will be rewarded for your work!” says the Lord.
“The people will return from their enemy’s land.
17 So there is hope for you in the future,” says the Lord.
“Your children will return to their own ·land [borders].
18 “I have heard ·Israel [L Ephraim] ·moaning [pleading]:
‘Lord, you ·punished [disciplined; instructed] me, and I ·have learned my lesson [was disciplined/instructed].
I was like a calf that had never been trained [Hos. 10:11].
Take me back so that I may come back.
You truly are the Lord my God.
19 Lord, after I ·wandered away [turned away] from you,
I ·changed my heart and life [L repented].
After I understood,
I beat my ·breast [L thigh; C showing sorrow].
I was ashamed and ·disgraced [humiliated],
because I ·suffered for the foolish things I did when I was young [L carried the reproach of my youth].’
20 “·You know that Israel is my dear son [L Do you know how precious Ephraim is to me…?],
The child I ·love [delight in].
Yes, I often speak against him [C Israel],
but I still remember him.
·I love him very much [L My innards roil/churn toward him],
and I want to ·comfort [be compassionate toward] him,” says the Lord.
21 “·Fix [L Put up; Erect] the road ·signs [markers].
·Put up signs to show you the way home [L Make guideposts].
·Watch the road [L Set your heart toward the highway].
Pay attention to the road on which you travel.
·People [L Virgin daughter; Young woman] of Israel, ·come home [L return; repent],
·come back to [L return to these] your towns.
22 You are an unfaithful daughter.
How long will you ·wander before you come home [L waver]?
The Lord has ·made [created] something new happen in the land:
A woman will ·go seeking [or protect; or embrace; L surround] a man.”
23 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: “I will again do good things for the people of Judah. At that time the people in the land of Judah and its towns will again use these words: ‘May the Lord bless you, ·home of what is good [L abode of righteousness], holy mountain.’ 24 People in all the towns of Judah will live together [C in peace]. Farmers and those who ·move around [wander] with their flocks will live together [C in peace]. 25 I will ·give rest [satisfy] and ·strength to [replenish] those who ·are weak [languish] and ·tired [faint].”
26 After hearing that, I [C Jeremiah], woke up and looked around. My sleep had been very pleasant.
27 The Lord says, “The ·time is [L days are] coming when I will ·help [L sow] the ·families [L houses] of Israel and Judah ·and their children [L with the seed of humans] and ·animals to grow [L seed of animals]. 28 In the past I watched over them [C Israel and Judah; 1:12], to ·pull [pluck] them up and ·tear [pull] them down, to destroy them and bring them ·disaster [harm; trouble]. But now I will watch over them to build them up and ·make them strong [to plant them; 1:10],” says the Lord.
29 “·At that time [L In those days] people will no longer say:
‘The ·parents [fathers] have eaten sour grapes,
and that caused the children to ·grind their teeth from the sour taste [L be set on edge].’
30 Instead, each person will die for his own ·sin [iniquity]; the person who eats sour grapes ·will grind his own teeth [L his teeth are set on edge; Lam. 5:7; Ezek. 18:2].
The New Agreement
31 “Look, the ·time is [L days are] coming,” says the Lord,
“when I will ·make [L cut] a new ·agreement [covenant; treaty]
with the ·people [L house] of Israel
and the ·people [L house] of Judah.
32 It will not be like the ·agreement [covenant; treaty]
I ·made [L cut] with their ·ancestors [fathers]
when I took them by the hand
to bring them out of Egypt [C the Mosaic Covenant; Ex. 19–24].
I was a ·husband [or master] to them [2:2],
but they broke ·that agreement [my covenant/treaty],” says the Lord.
33 “This is the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] I will ·make [L cut]
with the ·people [L house] of Israel ·at that time [L after those days],” says the Lord:
“I will put my ·teachings [laws; instructions] in their ·minds [L innards]
and write them on their hearts [Joel 2:28–29].
I will be their God,
and they will be my people [Ex. 6:6–8].
34 People will no longer have to teach their neighbors and ·relatives [brothers]
to know the Lord,
because all people will know me,
from the least to the most important,” says the Lord.
“I will forgive them for ·the wicked things they did [L their iniquities],
and I will not remember their sins anymore [32:37–44; 50:4–5; Ezek. 37:15–28; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25; 2 Cor. 3:5–14; Heb. 8:8–12; 10:16–17].”
The Lord Will Never Leave Israel
35 The Lord ·makes [L gives] the sun to ·shine in [L light] the day
and [L regulates; fixes the order of] the moon and stars to ·shine at [L light the] night [Gen. 1:14–18].
He stirs up the sea so that its waves ·crash on the shore [L roar].
The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] is his name.
This is what the Lord says:
36 “Only if these ·laws [statutes; ordinances; requirements; C that uphold the natural order] should ever ·fail [give way; Gen. 8:22; 9:8–17],”
says the Lord,
“will Israel’s ·descendants [L seed] ever ·stop [cease]
being a nation before me ·forever [L for all days].”
37 This is what the Lord says:
“Only if people can measure the ·sky [heavens] above
and ·learn [investigate] the ·secrets [L foundations] of the earth below,
will I reject all the ·descendants [L seed] of Israel
because of what they have done,” says the Lord.
The New Jerusalem
38 The Lord says, “The ·time is [L days are] coming when this city [C Jerusalem] will be rebuilt for me—everything from the Tower of Hananel [Neh. 3:1; 12:39; Zech. 14:10] to the Corner Gate [2 Kin. 14:13; 2 Chr. 25:23; 26:9; Zech. 14:10]. 39 The measuring line will stretch from ·the Corner Gate [L before it] straight to the hill of Gareb. Then it will turn to the place named Goah. 40 The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown [C the Hinnom; ch. 19], and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate [2 Chr. 23:15; Neh. 3:28]—all that area will be holy to the Lord. It [C Jerusalem] will never again be torn down or destroyed [1:10].”