Restoration of Israel and Judah
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from theLord, saying,
2 “Thus speaks theLordGod of Israel, saying: ‘Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you.
3 For behold, the days are coming,’ says theLord, ‘thatI will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,’ says theLord.‘And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.’ ”
4 Now thesearethe words that theLordspoke concerning Israel and Judah.
5 “For thus says theLord:
‘We have heard a voice of trembling,
Of fear, and not of peace.
6 Ask now, and see,
Whether a man is ever in labor with child?
So why do I see every manwithhis hands on his loins
# Like a woman in labor,
And all faces turned pale?
7 Alas! For that dayisgreat,
# So that noneislike it;
And itisthe time of Jacob’s trouble,
But he shall be saved out of it.
8 ‘For it shall come to pass in that day,’
Says theLordof hosts,
‘ThatI will break his yoke from your neck,
And will burst your bonds;
Foreigners shall no more enslave them.
9 But they shall serve theLordtheir God,
# AndDavid their king,
# Whom I willraise up for them.
10 ‘Thereforedo not fear, O My servant Jacob,’ says theLord,
‘Nor be dismayed, O Israel;
For behold, I will save you from afar,
# And your seedfrom the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet,
And no one shall makehimafraid.
11 For Iamwithyou,’ says theLord, ‘to save you;
# Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you,
# Yet I will not make a complete end of you.
# But I will correct youin justice,
And will not let you go altogether unpunished.’
12 “For thus says theLord:
# ‘Your afflictionisincurable,
Your woundissevere.
13 Thereisno one to plead your cause,
That you may be bound up;
# You have no healing medicines.
14 All your lovers have forgotten you;
They do not seek you;
# For I have wounded you with the woundof an enemy,
# With the chastisementof a cruel one,
For the multitude of your iniquities,
# Becauseyour sins have increased.
15 Whydo you cry about your affliction?
Your sorrowisincurable.
Because of the multitude of your iniquities,
Becauseyour sins have increased,
I have done these things to you.
16 ‘Therefore all those who devour youshall be devoured;
# And all your adversaries, every one of them, shall go intocaptivity;
# Those who plunder you shall becomeplunder,
# And all who prey upon you I will make aprey.
17 For I will restore health to you
And heal you of your wounds,’ says theLord,
‘Because they called you an outcastsaying:
“ThisisZion;
No one seeks her.” ’
18 “Thus says theLord:
‘Behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents,
# Andhave mercy on his dwelling places;
The city shall be built upon its own mound,
And the palace shall remain according to its own plan.
19 Thenout of them shall proceed thanksgiving
And the voice of those who make merry;
# 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 beas 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,
# And their governor shall come from their midst;
# Then I willcause him to draw near,
And he shall approach Me;
For whoisthis who pledged his heart to approach Me?’ says theLord.
22 ‘You shall beMy people,
And I will be your God.’ ”
23 Behold, thewhirlwind of theLord
Goes forth with fury,
A continuing whirlwind;
It will fall violently on the head of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger of theLordwill not return until He has done it,
And until He has performed the intents of His heart.
# In the latter days you will consider it.