Jeremiah 31
1AT that time, said the Lord, I will be the God of the family of Israel and they shall be My people.
2among them who had perished by the sword. Go: you shall not destroy Israel.
3The Lord from afar hath appeared for him [and said]: With everlasting love I have loved thee; therefore I have drawn thee into compassion.
4For I will rebuild thee, and thou shalt be rebuilt. 0 virgin of Israel, again thou shalt take thy timbrel, and go forth with a congregation of rejoicers.
5As you have planted vineyards on the mountains of Samarla, plant and sing praises;
6for there shall be a day of invitation to them who make apologies on the mountains of Ephraim: Arise and go up to Sion to the Lord your God.
7For thus said the Lord to Jacob, Rejoice and shout at the head of nations; issue proclamations and sing praises; say: The Lord hath saved His people, the remnant of Israel.
8Behold I will bring them from the north and gather them from the extremity of the earth. At the festival of Phasek he shall have a multitude of children who shall return hither.
9They set out with weeping; but I will bring them up with consolation, causing them to rest at fountains of water in a straight road; and in it they shall not be led astray, for I am become a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My first-born.
10Hear the words of the Lord, ye nations! and proclaim them to the far distant isles. Say, He who scattered Israel will gather them, and guard them as a shepherd doth his flock.
11Because the Lord hath redeemed Jacob-hath rescued him out of the hand of them who were stronger than he;
12therefore they sha’l I come and rejoice on mount Sion. They shall indeed come to the good things of the Lord-to a land of corn and wine, and of fruits and herds and flocks; and their soul shall be like a fruitful tree; and they shall no more be hungry.
13Then shall virgins rejoice in the assembly of youths; the elders also shall be filled with joy; for I will turn their mourning into joy and make them glad.
14I will enlarge and satisfy the soul of the priests the sons of Levi. And My people shall be regaled with My good things.
15Thus said the Lord: There was heard at Rama a sound of lamentation and weeping and wailing-Rachel, weeping for her children, refused to be comforted, because they are no more.
16Thus saith the Lord, Let thy voice refrain from lamentation and thine eyes from tears.
17For there is a reward for thy works and they shall return from the enemies’ land. It is firmly established for thy children.
18I have heard the voice of Ephraim moaning, Thou hast chastised me and I have been chas tised. I like a bullock was uninstructed, bring me back that I may return; for Thou art the Lord my God.
19For after my captivity I reformed and after I gained knowledge I groaned for my days of shame and shewed Thee that I was ashamed of my youth.
20Ephraim is a beloved son—My darling child; since My words are in him I will surely remember him. For this cause I have been anxious for him, I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord.
21Establish thyself, O Sion; take revenge—rouse up thy courage. By the way thou wentest return, O virgin of Israel—re-turn to thy cities, O mourner.
22How long shall it be, ere thou wilt return, O despised daughter! Since the Lord hath created safety for a new plantation, with safety men may walk about.
23For thus saith the Lord, Again they shall use these words in the land of Juda and in his cities when I have brought back his captivity: Blessed be the Lord on His righteous, His holy mountain.
24It shall be used by them who dwell in the cities of Juda and in all His land, and shall be repeated by the husbandman and among the flocks.
25For I have satisfied with drink every thirsty soul; and every soul that was hungry I have filled.
26(p) Upon this I awoke and beheld, and my sleep was sweet to me.
27Therefore behold, the days are coming, saith the Lord, when I will sow Israel and Juda with the seed of man and the seed of beast.
28And it shall be, that as I watched over them to pull down and waste, so I will watch over them to build up and plant, saith the Lord.
29In those days they shall no more say, Our fathers ate a sour grape and the childrens’ teeth are set on edge.
30But every one shall die for his own sin. And whoever eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.
31Behold the days are coming, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Juda.
32Not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. Because they did not abide by this covenant of Mine, therefore I took no care of them.
33For this, saith the Lord, is My covenant which I will make with the house of Israel: After those days, saith the Lord, I will adapt My laws to their understanding and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God and they shall be My people.
34And they shall no more teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for all will know Me from the greatest to the least of them: for I will be merciful to their iniquities and no more remember their sins.
37Though the heaven is exalted very high, saith the Lord, and the surface of the earth is depressed far below, yet I will not reject the race of Israel, saith the Lord, for all that they have done.
35Thus said the Lord Who hath given the sun to enlighten the day and the moon and stars to enlighten the night, and hath caused the sea to roar and its billows to resound,—the Lord Almighty is His name:
36If these laws cease to operate in My presence, saith the Lord, then may the race of Israel cease from being a nation before Me forever.
38Behold days are coming, saith the Lord, when a city shall be built to the Lord from the tower of Anameel to the gate of the corner;
39and the diameter thereof shall extend forward as far as the hills of Gareb:
40and it shall be enclosed around with choice stones; and all the Asaremoth as far as Nachal Kedron, even to the corner of the horse gate eastward shall be dedicated to the Lord, and it shall no more fail nor shall it ever be demolished.