Jeremiah 29-31
Christian Standard Bible
Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles
29 This is the text of the letter(A) that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining exiled elders, the priests, the prophets, and all the people Nebuchadnezzar(B) had deported from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah,[a](C) the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had left Jerusalem. 3 He sent the letter with Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah,(D) whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The letter stated:
4 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and live in them.(E) Plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Find wives for yourselves, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease.(F) 7 Pursue the well-being[b] of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf,(G) for when it thrives, you will thrive.”
8 For this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among you(H) and your diviners deceive you,(I) and don’t listen to the dreams you elicit from them, 9 for they are prophesying falsely to you in my name. I have not sent them.”(J) This is the Lord’s declaration.
10 For this is what the Lord says: “When seventy years for Babylon are complete,(K) I will attend to you and will confirm my promise concerning you to restore you to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you”(L)—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.(M) 13 You will seek me(N) and find me when you search for me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and I will restore your fortunes[c](O) and gather you from all the nations and places where I banished you”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “I will restore you to the place from which I deported you.”(P)
15 You have said, “The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon!” 16 But this is what the Lord says concerning the king sitting on David’s throne(Q) and concerning all the people living in this city—that is, concerning your brothers who did not go with you into exile. 17 This is what the Lord of Armies says: “I am about to send sword, famine, and plague against them,(R) and I will make them like rotten figs that are inedible because they are so bad. 18 I will pursue them with sword, famine, and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse and a desolation, an object of scorn and a disgrace among all the nations(S) where I have banished them.(T) 19 I will do this because they have not listened to my words”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“the words that I sent to them with my servants the prophets time and time again.[d](U) And you too have not listened.” This is the Lord’s declaration.
20 Hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.(V) 21 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, the ones prophesying a lie to you in my name:(W) “I am about to hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes. 22 Based on what happens to them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will create a curse(X) that says, ‘May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!’ (Y) 23 because they have committed an outrage(Z) in Israel by committing adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have spoken in my name a lie, which I did not command them. I am he who knows, and I am a witness.” This is the Lord’s declaration.
24 To Shemaiah the Nehelamite you are to say, 25 “This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: You[e] in your own name have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah(AA) son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying, 26 ‘The Lord has appointed you priest in place of the priest Jehoiada to be the chief officer(AB) in the temple of the Lord, responsible for every madman(AC) who acts like a prophet. You must confine him in the stocks(AD) and an iron collar. 27 So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who has been acting like a prophet among you?(AE) 28 For he has sent word to us in Babylon, claiming, “The exile will be long. Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce.”’” (AF)
29 The priest Zephaniah read this letter in the hearing of the prophet Jeremiah.
A Message about Shemaiah
30 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 31 “Send a message to all the exiles, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and made you trust a lie,(AG) 32 this is what the Lord says: I am about to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. There will not be even one of his descendants living among these people,(AH) nor will any ever see the good that I will bring to my people—this is the Lord’s declaration—for he has preached rebellion against the Lord.’”(AI)
Restoration from Captivity
30 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord. 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Write on a scroll all the words that I have spoken to you,(AJ) 3 for look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will restore the fortunes[f] of my people Israel and Judah,”(AK) says the Lord. “I will restore them to the land I gave to their ancestors and they will possess it.”
4 These are the words the Lord spoke to Israel and Judah. 5 This is what the Lord says:
We have heard a cry of terror,
of dread—there is no peace.
6 Ask and see
whether a male can give birth.
Why then do I see every man
with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor
and every face turned pale?(AL)
7 How awful that day will be!(AM)
There will be no other like it!(AN)
It will be a time of trouble for Jacob,
but he will be saved out of it.
8 On that day—
this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies—
I will break his yoke from your neck(AO)
and tear off your chains,(AP)
and strangers will never again enslave him.(AQ)
9 They will serve the Lord their God
and David their king,
whom I will raise up for them.(AR)
10 As for you, my servant Jacob,(AS)
do not be afraid—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
and do not be discouraged, Israel,
for without fail I will save you out of a distant place,
your descendants, from the land of their captivity!
Jacob will return and have calm and quiet
with no one to frighten him.(AT)
11 For I will be with you—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
to save you!(AU)
I will bring destruction on all the nations
where I have scattered you;
however, I will not bring destruction on you.
I will discipline you justly,
and I will by no means leave you unpunished.(AV)
Healing Zion’s Wounds
12 For this is what the Lord says:
Your injury is incurable;
your wound most severe.(AW)
13 You have no defender for your case.(AX)
There is no remedy for your sores,
and no healing for you.[g]
14 All your lovers have forgotten you;(AY)
they no longer look for you,
for I have struck you as an enemy would,
with the discipline(AZ) of someone cruel,(BA)
because of your enormous guilt
and your innumerable sins.
15 Why do you cry out about your injury?
Your pain has no cure!
I have done these things to you
because of your enormous guilt
and your innumerable sins.(BB)
16 Nevertheless, all who devoured you will be devoured,(BC)
and all your adversaries—all of them—
will go off into exile.
Those who plunder you will be plundered,
and all who raid you will be raided.(BD)
17 But I will bring you health(BE)
and will heal you of your wounds—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
for they call you Outcast,
Zion whom no one cares about.
Restoration of the Land
18 This is what the Lord says:
I will certainly restore the fortunes[h] of Jacob’s tents(BF)
and show compassion(BG) on his dwellings.
Every city will be rebuilt on its mound;
every citadel will stand on its proper site.
19 Thanksgiving will come out of them,
a sound of rejoicing.
I will multiply them, and they will not decrease;(BH)
I will honor them, and they will not be insignificant.
20 His children will be as in past days;
his congregation will be established in my presence.
I will punish all his oppressors.(BI)
21 Jacob’s leader will be one of them;
his ruler will issue from him.
I will invite him to me, and he will approach me,(BJ)
for who would otherwise risk his life to approach me?
This is the Lord’s declaration.
22 You will be my people,
and I will be your God.(BK)
The Wrath of God
23 Look, a storm from the Lord!(BL)
Wrath has gone out,
a churning storm.
It will whirl about the heads of the wicked.
24 The Lord’s burning anger will not turn back
until he has completely fulfilled the purposes of his heart.
In time to come you will understand it.(BM)
God’s Relationship with His People
31 “At that time”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“I will be the God of all the families of Israel,(BN) and they will be my people.”
2 This is what the Lord says:
The people who survived the sword
found favor in the wilderness.(BO)
When Israel went to find rest,(BP)
3 the Lord appeared to him[i] from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;(BQ)
therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you.(BR)
4 Again I will build you so that you will be rebuilt,
Virgin Israel.(BS)
You will take up your tambourines again(BT)
and go out in joyful dancing.
5 You will plant vineyards again(BU)
on the mountains of Samaria;
the planters will plant and will enjoy the fruit.(BV)
6 For there will be a day when watchmen will call out
in the hill country of Ephraim,
“Come, let’s go up to Zion,(BW)
to the Lord our God!”
God’s People Brought Home
7 For this is what the Lord says:
Sing with joy for Jacob;
shout for the foremost of the nations!
Proclaim, praise, and say,
“Lord, save your people,(BX)
the remnant of Israel!” (BY)
8 Watch! I am going to bring them from the northern land.
I will gather them from remote regions of the earth(BZ)—
the blind and the lame will be with them,(CA)
along with those who are pregnant and those about to give birth.
They will return here as a great assembly!(CB)
9 They will come weeping,
but I will bring them back with consolation.[j](CC)
I will lead them to wadis filled with water,
by a smooth way where they will not stumble,(CD)
for I am Israel’s Father,
and Ephraim is my firstborn.(CE)
10 Nations, hear the word of the Lord,
and tell it among the far off coasts and islands!(CF)
Say, “The one who scattered Israel will gather him.(CG)
He will watch over him as a shepherd guards his flock,
11 for the Lord has ransomed Jacob
and redeemed him from the power of one stronger than he.”(CH)
12 They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;(CI)
they will be radiant with joy(CJ)
because of the Lord’s goodness,
because of the grain, the new wine, the fresh oil,(CK)
and because of the young of the flocks and herds.
Their life will be like an irrigated garden,
and they will no longer grow weak from hunger.
13 Then the young women will rejoice with dancing,
while young and old men rejoice together.
I will turn their mourning into joy,(CL)
give them consolation,
and bring happiness out of grief.
14 I will refresh the priests with an abundance,[k](CM)
and my people will be satisfied with my goodness.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Lament Turned to Joy
15 This is what the Lord says:
A voice was heard in Ramah,(CN)
a lament with bitter weeping—
Rachel weeping for her children,
refusing to be comforted for her children
because they are no more.(CO)
16 This is what the Lord says:
Keep your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears,
for the reward for your work will come—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
and your children will return from the enemy’s land.
17 There is hope for your future(CP)—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
and your children will return to their own territory.
18 I have surely heard Ephraim moaning,
“You disciplined me, and I have been disciplined
like an untrained calf.(CQ)
Take me back, so that I can return,
for you, Lord, are my God.(CR)
19 After my return, I felt regret;
After I was instructed, I struck my thigh in grief.(CS)
I was ashamed and humiliated(CT)
because I bore the disgrace of my youth.”
20 Isn’t Ephraim a precious son to me,
a delightful child?(CU)
Whenever I speak against him,
I certainly still think about him.
Therefore, my inner being yearns for him;
I will truly have compassion on him.(CV)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Repentance and Restoration
21 Set up road markers(CW) for yourself;
establish signposts!
Keep the highway in mind,
the way you have traveled.
Return, Virgin Israel!
Return to these cities of yours.
22 How long will you turn here and there,
faithless daughter?(CX)
For the Lord creates something new in the land[l]—
a female[m] will shelter[n] a man.
23 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “When I restore their fortunes,[o] they will once again speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities: ‘May the Lord bless you, righteous settlement,(CY) holy mountain.’(CZ) 24 Judah and all its cities will live in it together—also farmers and those who move[p] with the flocks— 25 for I satisfy the thirsty person and feed all those who are weak.”(DA)
26 At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been most pleasant to me.
27 “Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will sow the house of Israel(DB) and the house of Judah with the seed of people and the seed of animals. 28 Just as I watched over them to uproot and to tear them down, to demolish and to destroy, and to cause disaster,(DC) so will I watch over them to build and to plant them”(DD)—this is the Lord’s declaration. 29 “In those days, it will never again be said,
‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’(DE)
30 Rather, each will die for his own iniquity.(DF) Anyone who eats sour grapes—his own teeth will be set on edge.
The New Covenant
31 “Look, the days are coming”(DG)—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will make a new covenant(DH) with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—my covenant that they broke even though I am their master”[q](DI)—the Lord’s declaration. 33 “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’(DJ) for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them”(DK)—this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity(DL) and never again remember their sin.
35 “This is what the Lord says:
The one who gives the sun for light by day,
the fixed order of moon and stars for light by night,
who stirs up the sea and makes its waves roar(DM)—
the Lord of Armies is his name:
36 If this fixed order departs from before me—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
only then will Israel’s descendants cease
to be a nation before me forever.(DN)
37 “This is what the Lord says:
Only if the heavens above can be measured
and the foundations of the earth below explored,
will I reject all of Israel’s descendants
because of all they have done—
this is the Lord’s declaration.
38 “Look, the days are coming”—the Lord’s declaration—“when the city[r] from the Tower of Hananel(DO) to the Corner Gate(DP) will be rebuilt for the Lord. 39 A measuring line will once again stretch out straight to the hill of Gareb(DQ) and then turn toward Goah. 40 The whole valley—the corpses, the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Kidron Valley(DR) to the corner of the Horse Gate(DS) to the east—will be holy to the Lord. It will never be uprooted or demolished again.”
Footnotes
- 29:2 = Jehoiachin
- 29:7 Or peace
- 29:14 Or will end your captivity
- 29:19 Lit prophets, rising up early and sending
- 29:25 Lit Because you
- 30:3 Or will end the captivity
- 30:13 Or No one pleads that your sores should be healed. There is no remedy for you.
- 30:18 Or certainly end the captivity
- 31:3 LXX; MT reads me
- 31:9 LXX; MT reads supplications
- 31:14 Lit fatness
- 31:22 Or new on earth
- 31:22 Or woman
- 31:22 Or female surrounds, or female courts; Hb obscure
- 31:23 Or I end their captivity
- 31:24 Tg, Vg, Aq, Sym; MT reads and they will move
- 31:32 Or husband
- 31:38 = Jerusalem
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
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