Bible in 90 Days
False Prophets Condemned
9 As for the prophets:
My (A)heart is broken within me;
All my bones tremble;
I have become like a drunken man,
Even like a man overcome with wine,
Because of Yahweh
And because of His holy words.
10 For the land is full of (B)adulterers;
For the land (C)mourns because of the curse.
The (D)pastures of the wilderness have dried up.
Their course also is evil,
And their might is not right.
11 “For (E)both prophet and priest are polluted;
Even in My house I have found their evil,” declares Yahweh.
12 “Therefore their way will be like (F)slippery paths to them;
They will be driven away into the (G)thick darkness and fall down in it;
For I will bring their (H)evil upon them,
The year of their [a]punishment,” declares Yahweh.
13 “Moreover, among the prophets of Samaria I saw an (I)offensive thing:
They (J)prophesied by Baal and (K)led My people Israel astray.
14 Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen an (L)appalling thing:
The committing of (M)adultery and walking in lying;
And they strengthen the hands of (N)evildoers,
So that no one has turned back from his evil.
All of them have become to Me like (O)Sodom,
And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.
15 Therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts concerning the prophets,
‘Behold, I am going to (P)feed them wormwood
And make them drink [b]poisoned water,
For from the prophets of Jerusalem
Pollution has gone forth into all the land.’”
16 Thus says Yahweh of hosts,
“(Q)Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you.
They are (R)leading you into vanity;
They speak a (S)vision of their own heart,
Not (T)from the mouth of Yahweh.
17 They keep saying to those who (U)spurn Me,
‘Yahweh has said, “(V)You will have peace”’;
And as for everyone who walks in the (W)stubbornness of his own heart,
They say, ‘(X)Evil will not come upon you.’
18 But (Y)who has stood in the council of Yahweh,
That he should see and hear His word?
Who has given (Z)heed to [c]His word and heard?
19 Behold, the (AA)storm of Yahweh has gone forth in wrath,
Even a whirling storm;
It will whirl down on the head of the wicked.
20 The (AB)anger of Yahweh will not turn back
Until He has (AC)done and established the purposes of His heart;
(AD)In the last days you will clearly understand it.
21 (AE)I did not send these prophets,
But they ran.
I did not speak to them,
But they prophesied.
22 But if they had (AF)stood in My council,
Then they would have (AG)caused My words to be heard by My people
And would have turned them back from their evil way
And from the evil of their deeds.
23 “Am I a God who is (AH)near,” declares Yahweh,
“And not a God far off?
24 Can a man (AI)hide himself in hiding places
So I do not see him?” declares Yahweh.
“(AJ)Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares Yahweh.
25 “I have (AK)heard what the prophets have said who (AL)prophesy a lie in My name, saying, ‘I had a (AM)dream, I had a dream!’ 26 How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy a lie, even these prophets of the (AN)deception of their own heart, 27 who intend to (AO)make My people forget My name by their dreams which they recount to one another, just as their fathers (AP)forgot My name because of Baal? 28 The prophet who has a dream may recount his dream, but let him who has (AQ)My word speak My word in truth. (AR)What does straw have in common with grain?” declares Yahweh. 29 “Is not My word like (AS)fire?” declares Yahweh, “and like a (AT)hammer which shatters a rock? 30 Therefore behold, (AU)I am against the prophets,” declares Yahweh, “who steal My words from each other. 31 Behold, I am against the prophets,” declares Yahweh, “who take their tongues and declare, ‘Yahweh declares.’ 32 Behold, I am against those who have prophesied (AV)lying dreams,” declares Yahweh, “and who recounted them and led My people astray by their lying and (AW)reckless boasting; yet (AX)I did not send them, and I did not command them, and they do not (AY)furnish this people the slightest benefit,” declares Yahweh.
33 “Now when this people or the prophet or a priest asks you, saying, ‘What is the [d](AZ)oracle of Yahweh?’ then you shall say to them, ‘What oracle?’ Yahweh declares, ‘I will (BA)abandon you.’ 34 Then as for the prophet or the priest or the people who say, ‘The (BB)oracle of Yahweh,’ I will bring punishment upon that man and his household. 35 Thus will each of you say to his neighbor and to his brother, ‘(BC)What has Yahweh answered?’ or, ‘What has Yahweh spoken?’ 36 For you will no longer remember the oracle of Yahweh because every man’s own word will become the oracle, and you have (BD)perverted the words of the (BE)living God, Yahweh of hosts, our God. 37 Thus you will say to that prophet, ‘What has Yahweh answered you?’ and, ‘What has Yahweh spoken?’ 38 For if you all say, ‘The oracle of Yahweh!’ surely thus says Yahweh, ‘Because you said this word, “The oracle of Yahweh!” I have also sent to you, saying, “You shall not say, ‘The oracle of Yahweh!’”’ 39 Therefore behold, (BF)I will surely forget you and abandon you, along with the city which I gave you and your fathers, so that you are out of My presence. 40 I will put an everlasting (BG)reproach on you and an everlasting humiliation which will not be forgotten.”
The Good and the Rotten Figs
24 After (BH)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken away into exile Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the officials of Judah with the craftsmen and smiths from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon, Yahweh showed me: behold, two (BI)baskets of figs set before the temple of Yahweh! 2 One basket had very good figs, like (BJ)first-ripe figs, and the other basket had (BK)very rotten figs which could not be eaten due to rottenness. 3 Then Yahweh said to me, “(BL)What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “Figs, the good figs, very good; and the rotten figs, very rotten, which cannot be eaten due to rottenness.”
4 Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 5 “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Like these good figs, so I will recognize (BM)as good the exiles of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans. 6 For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will (BN)return them to this land; and I will (BO)build them up and not pull them down, and I will (BP)plant them and not uproot them. 7 I will give them a (BQ)heart to know Me, for I am Yahweh; and they will be (BR)My people, and I will be their God, for they will (BS)return to Me with their whole heart.
8 ‘But like the (BT)rotten figs which cannot be eaten due to rottenness—indeed, thus says Yahweh—so I will give over (BU)Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials and the (BV)remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land and the ones who inhabit the land of (BW)Egypt. 9 I will (BX)give them over to be a terror and an evil for all the kingdoms of the earth, as a (BY)reproach and a proverb, a byword and a (BZ)curse in all places where I will banish them. 10 I will send the (CA)sword, the famine, and the pestilence upon them until they come to an end from being upon the land which I gave to them and their fathers.’”
Seventy Years of Captivity
25 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the (CB)fourth year of (CC)Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the (CD)first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), 2 which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the (CE)people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 3 “From the (CF)thirteenth year of (CG)Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, [e]these (CH)twenty-three years the word of Yahweh has come to me, and I have spoken to you, [f](CI)rising up early and speaking, but you have not listened. 4 And Yahweh has sent to you all His (CJ)slaves the prophets, rising up early and sending, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear, 5 saying, ‘(CK)Turn now everyone from his evil way and from the evil of your deeds, and live on the ground which Yahweh has given to you and your fathers (CL)forever and ever; 6 and (CM)do not walk after other gods to [g]serve them and to [h]worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands, and I will bring no evil against you.’ 7 Yet you have not listened to Me,” declares Yahweh, “in order that you might (CN)provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands to your own evil demise.
8 “Therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘Because you have not listened to My words, 9 behold, I will (CO)send and take all the families of the north,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, (CP)My servant, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these surrounding nations; and I will [i]devote them to destruction and (CQ)make them an object of horror and of hissing and an everlasting waste place. 10 Moreover, I will [j](CR)make the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the (CS)sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp, to perish from them. 11 (CT)This whole land will be a waste place and an object of horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon (CU)seventy years.
Punishment Against Babylon
12 ‘Then it will be (CV)when seventy years are fulfilled, that I will (CW)punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares Yahweh, ‘for their iniquity, even the land of the Chaldeans; and (CX)I will make it an everlasting desolation. 13 I will bring upon that land all My words which I have spoken against it, all that is written in (CY)this book which Jeremiah has prophesied against (CZ)all the nations. 14 —[k]For (DA)many nations and great kings will make slaves of them, even them; and I will (DB)repay them according to their deeds and according to the work of their hands—’”
15 For thus Yahweh, the God of Israel, says to me, “Take this (DC)cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. 16 They will (DD)drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them.”
17 Then I took the cup from the hand of Yahweh and (DE)made all the nations to whom Yahweh sent me drink it: 18 (DF)Jerusalem and the cities of Judah and its kings and its princes, to make them a waste place, an object of horror, an object of hissing, and a curse, as it is this day; 19 (DG)Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his princes, and all his people, 20 and all the [l](DH)foreign people, all the kings of the (DI)land of Uz, all the kings of the land of the (DJ)Philistines (even Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of (DK)Ashdod), 21 (DL)Edom, (DM)Moab, and the sons of (DN)Ammon, 22 and all the kings of (DO)Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of (DP)the coastlands which are beyond the sea, 23 and (DQ)Dedan, Tema, (DR)Buz, and all who (DS)cut [m]the corners of their hair, 24 and all the kings of (DT)Arabia and all the kings of the [n](DU)foreign people who dwell in the desert, 25 and all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of (DV)Elam, and all the kings of (DW)Media, 26 and all the kings of the north, near and far, one with another; and (DX)all the kingdoms of the earth which are upon the face of the ground, and the king of [o](DY)Sheshach shall drink after them.
27 “You shall say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “(DZ)Drink, be drunk, vomit, fall, and rise no more because of the (EA)sword which I will send among you.”’ 28 And it will be, if they (EB)refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you will say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts: “(EC)You shall surely drink! 29 For behold, I am (ED)beginning to bring evil against this city which is (EE)called by My name. But shall you be completely free from punishment? You will not be free from punishment, for (EF)I am calling for a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth,” declares Yahweh of hosts.’
30 “Therefore you shall prophesy against them all these words, and you shall say to them,
‘(EG)Yahweh will (EH)roar from on high
And give forth His voice from His holy habitation;
He will roar mightily against His [p]pasture.
He will bellow a shout like those who tread the grapes,
Against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 A rumbling has come to the end of the earth
Because Yahweh has (EI)a contention against the nations.
He is entering into (EJ)judgment with all flesh;
As for the wicked, He has given them to the sword,’ declares Yahweh.”
32 Thus says Yahweh of hosts,
“Behold, evil is going forth
From (EK)nation to nation,
And a great (EL)storm is being stirred up
From the remotest parts of the earth.
33 “Those (EM)slain by Yahweh on that day will be from one end of the earth to the [q]other. They will (EN)not be lamented, gathered, or buried; they will be like (EO)dung on the face of the ground.
34 Wail, you shepherds, and cry out;
And (EP)roll yourselves in ashes, you masters of the flock;
For the days of your (EQ)slaughter and your scatterings are being fulfilled,
And you will fall like a desirable vessel.
35 (ER)Refuge will perish from the shepherds
And escape from the mighty ones of the flock.
36 Hear the sound of the cry of the shepherds,
And the wailing of the mighty ones of the flock!
For Yahweh is destroying their pasture,
37 And the peaceful (ES)pastures are made silent
Because of the (ET)burning anger of Yahweh.
38 He has forsaken His hiding place (EU)like the lion;
For their land has become an object of horror
Because of the burning desire of [r]the oppressor
And because of His burning anger.”
The Words of Yahweh Against Judah
26 In the beginning of the reign of (EV)Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from Yahweh, saying, 2 “Thus says Yahweh, ‘(EW)Stand in the court of the house of Yahweh, and you shall speak to all the cities of Judah who have (EX)come to worship in the house of Yahweh (EY)all the words that I have commanded you to speak to them. (EZ)Do not take away a word! 3 (FA)Perhaps they will listen and everyone will turn from his evil way, that (FB)I may [s]relent of the evil which I am devising to [t]bring against them because of the evil of their deeds.’ 4 And you will say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “(FC)If you will not listen to Me, to (FD)walk in My law which I have given before you, 5 to listen to the words of (FE)My slaves the prophets, whom I have been sending to you, rising up early and sending, but you have not listened, 6 then I will make this house like (FF)Shiloh, and this city I will make a (FG)curse to all the nations of the earth.”’”
Plot to Murder Jeremiah
7 The (FH)priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of Yahweh. 8 Now it happened that when Jeremiah finished speaking all that Yahweh had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “(FI)You must surely die! 9 Why have you prophesied in the name of Yahweh saying, ‘This house will be like Shiloh, and this city will be (FJ)laid waste, without inhabitant’?” And (FK)all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of Yahweh.
10 When the (FL)officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of Yahweh and sat in the (FM)entrance of the New Gate of the house of Yahweh. 11 Then the priests and the prophets (FN)spoke to the officials and to all the people, saying, “A (FO)judgment of death for this man! For he has prophesied (FP)against this city as you have heard in your hearing.”
12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and to all the people, saying, “(FQ)Yahweh sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard. 13 So now, (FR)make good your ways and your deeds and listen to the voice of Yahweh your God; and Yahweh will [u]relent of the evil demise which He has spoken against you. 14 But as for me, behold, (FS)I am in your hands; do with me as is good and right in your eyes. 15 Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring (FT)innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on its inhabitants; for truly Yahweh has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”
Jeremiah Spared from Death
16 Then the officials and all the people (FU)said to the priests and to the prophets, “No (FV)judgment of death for this man! For he has spoken to us in the name of Yahweh our God.” 17 Then (FW)some of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying, 18 “[v](FX)Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘Thus Yahweh of hosts has said,
“(FY)Zion will be plowed as a field,
And Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins,
And the (FZ)mountain of the house will become [w]the high places of a forest.”’
19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not (GA)fear Yahweh and entreat the favor of Yahweh, and (GB)Yahweh [x]relented of the evil demise which He had spoken against them? But we are (GC)committing a great evil against ourselves.”
20 Indeed, there was also a man who prophesied in the name of Yahweh, Uriah the son of Shemaiah from (GD)Kiriath-jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land words similar to all those of Jeremiah. 21 And King Jehoiakim and all his mighty men and all the officials heard his words. So the (GE)king sought to put him to death; but Uriah heard it, and he was afraid and (GF)fled and went to Egypt. 22 Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: (GG)Elnathan the son of Achbor and certain men with him went into Egypt. 23 And they brought Uriah out from Egypt and led him to King Jehoiakim, who (GH)struck him down with a sword and cast his dead body into the [y]burial place of the [z]common people.
24 But the hand of (GI)Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that he was (GJ)not given into the hands of the people to put him to death.
The Yoke of Nebuchadnezzar
27 In the beginning of the reign of [aa](GK)Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying— 2 thus says Yahweh to me—“Make for yourself (GL)bonds and the (GM)bars of a yoke and put them on your neck, 3 and you shall send [ab]word to the king of (GN)Edom, to the king of (GO)Moab, to the king of the sons of (GP)Ammon, to the king of (GQ)Tyre, and to the king of (GR)Sidon by the hand of messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4 And you shall command them to go to their masters, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, thus you shall say to your masters, 5 “(GS)I have made the earth, the men, and the animals which are on the face of the earth (GT)by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I will (GU)give it to the one who is right in My eyes. 6 So now, I (GV)have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, (GW)My servant, and I have given him even the (GX)wild beasts of the field to serve him. 7 (GY)All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson (GZ)until the time of his own land comes; then (HA)many nations and great kings will [ac]make him their servant.
8 “And it will be, that the nation or the kingdom which (HB)will not serve him, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and which will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the (HC)sword, with famine, and with pestilence,” declares Yahweh, “until I have brought [ad]it to an end by his hand. 9 But as for you, (HD)do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your [ae]dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers who speak to you, saying, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’ 10 For they prophesy a (HE)lie to you in order to (HF)remove you far from your land; and I will banish you, and you will perish. 11 But the nation which will (HG)bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will (HH)leave it on its land,” declares Yahweh, “and they will serve it and inhabit it.”’”
12 I spoke words like all these to (HI)Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people, and live! 13 Why will you (HJ)die, you and your people, by the sword, famine, and pestilence, as Yahweh has spoken to that nation which will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 So (HK)do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they prophesy a (HL)lie to you; 15 for (HM)I have not sent them,” declares Yahweh, “but they (HN)prophesy a lie in My name, in order that I may (HO)banish you and that you may perish, (HP)you and the prophets who prophesy to you.”
16 Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says Yahweh: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, ‘Behold, the (HQ)vessels of the house of Yahweh will now shortly be returned from Babylon’; for they are prophesying a (HR)lie to you. 17 Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city (HS)become a waste place? 18 But (HT)if they are prophets, and if the word of Yahweh is with them, let them now (HU)intercede with Yahweh of hosts that the vessels which are left in the house of Yahweh, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem may not go to Babylon. 19 For thus says Yahweh of hosts concerning the (HV)pillars, concerning the sea, concerning the stands, and concerning the rest of the vessels that are left in this city, 20 which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he (HW)carried away into exile Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. 21 Indeed, thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of Yahweh and in the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem, 22 ‘They will be (HX)brought to Babylon, and they will be there until the (HY)day I [af]visit them,’ declares Yahweh. ‘Then I will (HZ)bring them up and return them to this place.’”
Hananiah’s Rebellion Against Yahweh
28 Now it happened in the same year, (IA)in the beginning of the reign of (IB)Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, that (IC)Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet, who was from (ID)Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of Yahweh in the sight of the priests and all the people, saying, 2 “(IE)Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3 Within two years I am going to return to this place (IF)all the vessels of the house of Yahweh, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. 4 I am (IG)also going to return to this place (IH)Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the (II)exiles of Judah who went to Babylon,’ declares Yahweh, ‘for I will break the (IJ)yoke of the king of Babylon.’”
5 Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the sight of the priests and in the sight of all the people who were standing in the (IK)house of Yahweh, 6 and the prophet Jeremiah said, “(IL)Amen! May Yahweh do so; may Yahweh establish your words which you have prophesied to return the vessels of the house of Yahweh and all the exiles, from Babylon to this place. 7 Yet (IM)hear now this word which I am about to speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people! 8 The prophets who were before me and before you from ancient times (IN)prophesied against many lands and against great kingdoms, of war and of calamity and of pestilence. 9 The prophet who prophesies of peace, (IO)when the word of the prophet comes to pass, then that prophet will be known as one whom Yahweh has truly sent.”
10 Then Hananiah the prophet took (IP)the bar of the yoke from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke it. 11 And Hananiah spoke in the sight of all the people, saying, “(IQ)Thus says Yahweh, ‘Even so will I break within two full years the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations.’” Then the prophet Jeremiah went his way.
12 Then the (IR)word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah after Hananiah the prophet had broken the bar of the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying, 13 “Go and speak to Hananiah, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “You have broken the bars of a yoke made of wood, but you have made in their place the (IS)bars of a yoke made of iron.” 14 For thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “I have put a (IT)yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will (IU)serve him. And (IV)I have even given him the beasts of the field.”’” 15 Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen now, Hananiah, Yahweh has not sent you, and (IW)you have made this people trust in a lie. 16 Therefore thus says Yahweh, ‘(IX)Behold, I am about to [ag]remove you from the face of the earth. This year you are going to (IY)die because you have (IZ)spoken rebellion against Yahweh.’”
17 So Hananiah the prophet died in the same year in the seventh month.
Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles
29 Now these are the words of the (JA)letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exile, the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken away into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 (This was after King (JB)Jeconiah and the (JC)queen mother, the court officials, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths had gone out from Jerusalem.) 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of (JD)Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying, 4 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have (JE)sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, 5 ‘(JF)Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their fruit. 6 Take (JG)wives and [ah]become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. 7 (JH)Seek the peace of the city where I have sent you into exile, and (JI)pray to Yahweh on its behalf; for in its peace you will have peace.’ 8 For thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Do not let your (JJ)prophets who are in your midst and your diviners (JK)deceive you, and do not listen to (JL)your dreams which you dream. 9 For they (JM)prophesy a lie to you in My name; (JN)I have not sent them,’ declares Yahweh.
10 “For thus says Yahweh, ‘When (JO)seventy years have been fulfilled for Babylon, I will [ai]visit you and establish My (JP)good word to you, to return you to this place. 11 For I know the (JQ)plans that I [aj]have for you,’ declares Yahweh, ‘plans for (JR)peace and not for calamity, to give you a future and a (JS)hope. 12 Then you will (JT)call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will (JU)listen to you. 13 You will (JV)seek Me and find Me when you (JW)search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be (JX)found by you,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and I will [ak](JY)return your [al]fortunes and will (JZ)gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have banished you,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and I will (KA)cause you to return to the place from where I sent you into exile.’
15 “Because you have said, ‘Yahweh has raised up (KB)prophets for us in Babylon’— 16 for thus says Yahweh concerning the king who sits on the throne of David and concerning all the people who live in this city, your brothers who did (KC)not go with you into exile— 17 thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘Behold, I am sending upon them the (KD)sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like (KE)split-open figs that cannot be eaten due to rottenness. 18 I will pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence; and I will (KF)give them over to be a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a (KG)curse and an object of horror and of (KH)hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have banished them, 19 because they have (KI)not listened to My words,’ declares Yahweh, ‘which I sent to them by (KJ)My slaves the prophets, rising up early and sending; but you did not listen,’ declares Yahweh. 20 You, therefore, hear the word of Yahweh, all you exiles, whom I have (KK)sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.
21 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who are (KL)prophesying to you falsely in My name, ‘Behold, I will give them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will strike them down before your eyes. 22 And because of them a (KM)curse will be [am]used by all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon, saying, “May Yahweh make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon (KN)roasted in the fire 23 because they have (KO)acted with wicked foolishness in Israel and (KP)have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have (KQ)spoken words in My name falsely, which I did not command them; and I am He who (KR)knows and am a witness,” declares Yahweh.’”
24 And to (KS)Shemaiah the Nehelamite you shall speak, saying, 25 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have sent (KT)letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem and to (KU)Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying, 26 “Yahweh has given you to be a priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to be the [an](KV)overseer in the house of Yahweh over every (KW)madman who (KX)prophesies, to (KY)put him in the stocks and in the iron collar, 27 so now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of (KZ)Anathoth who prophesies to you? 28 For he has (LA)sent to us in Babylon, saying, ‘The exile will be (LB)long; (LC)build houses and live in them and plant gardens and eat their fruit.’”’”
29 (LD)So Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. 30 Then came the word of Yahweh to Jeremiah, saying, 31 “Send to (LE)all the exiles, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh concerning (LF)Shemaiah the Nehelamite, “Because Shemaiah has (LG)prophesied to you, although I did not send him, and he has (LH)made you trust in a lie,” 32 therefore thus says Yahweh, “Behold, I am about to (LI)punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his seed; he will (LJ)not have anyone living among this people, (LK)and he will not see the good that I am about to do to My people,” declares Yahweh, “because he has (LL)spoken rebellion against Yahweh.”’”
Yahweh Will Return the Fortunes of His People
30 The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying, 2 “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘(LM)Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book. 3 For behold, (LN)days are coming,’ declares Yahweh, ‘when I will [ao](LO)return the [ap]fortunes of My people (LP)Israel and Judah.’ Yahweh says, ‘I will also (LQ)cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.’”
4 Now these are the words which Yahweh spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah:
5 “For thus says Yahweh,
‘We have heard a sound of (LR)trembling,
Of dread, and there is no peace.
6 Ask now, and see
If a male can give birth.
Why do I see every man
With his hands on his loins, (LS)as a woman in childbirth?
And why have all faces turned pale?
7 Alas! For that (LT)day is great,
There is (LU)none like it;
And it is the time of Jacob’s (LV)distress,
But he will be (LW)saved from it.
8 ‘And it will be in that day,’ declares Yahweh of hosts, ‘that I will (LX)break his yoke from off your neck and will tear off your (LY)bonds; and strangers will no longer (LZ)make [aq]them their slaves. 9 But they shall be a slave to Yahweh their God and (MA)David their king, whom I will raise up for them.
10 (MB)Fear not, O Jacob My [ar]servant,’ declares Yahweh,
‘And do not be dismayed, O Israel;
For behold, I will save you (MC)from afar
And your seed from the land of their captivity.
And Jacob will return and will be (MD)quiet and at ease,
And (ME)no one will make him tremble.
11 For (MF)I am with you,’ declares Yahweh, ‘to save you;
For I will (MG)make a complete destruction of all the nations where I have scattered you,
Only I will (MH)not make a complete destruction of you.
But I will (MI)chasten you justly
And will by no means leave you unpunished.’
12 “For thus says Yahweh,
‘Your injury is incurable,
And your (MJ)wound is desperately sick.
13 There is no one to plead your cause;
No healing for your sore,
(MK)No recovery for you.
14 All your (ML)lovers have forgotten you;
They do not seek you;
For I have [as](MM)wounded you with the wound of an enemy,
With the (MN)punishment of a (MO)cruel one,
Because your (MP)iniquity is numerous
And your (MQ)sins are mighty.
15 Why do you cry out over your injury?
Your pain is incurable.
Because your iniquity is numerous
And your sins are mighty,
I have done these things to you.
16 Therefore all who (MR)devour you will be devoured;
And all your adversaries, every one of them, (MS)will go into captivity;
And those who take you as spoil will be spoil,
And all who plunder you I will give as plunder.
17 For I will [at]restore you to [au](MT)health,
And I will heal you of your wounds,’ declares Yahweh,
‘Because they have called you a (MU)banished one, saying:
“It is Zion; no one is seeking her.”’
18 “Thus says Yahweh,
‘Behold, I will [av](MV)return the [aw]fortunes of the tents of Jacob
And (MW)have compassion on his dwelling places;
And the (MX)city will be rebuilt on its ruin,
And the (MY)palace will sit on its just place.
19 From them will come forth (MZ)thanksgiving
And the voice of those who [ax](NA)celebrate;
And I will (NB)multiply them, and they will not decrease;
I will also (NC)honor them, and they will not be insignificant.
20 [ay]Their children also will be as formerly,
And [az]their congregation shall be (ND)established before Me;
And I will punish all [ba]their oppressors.
21 And [bb]their (NE)mighty one shall be one of them,
And [bc]their ruler shall come forth from [bd]their midst;
And I will (NF)bring Him near, and He shall approach Me;
For who would dare to give his heart as security to (NG)approach Me?’ declares Yahweh.
22 ‘You shall be (NH)My people,
And I will be your God.’”
23 Behold, the (NI)storm of Yahweh!
Wrath has gone forth,
A [be]sweeping storm;
It will burst on the head of the wicked.
24 The (NJ)burning anger of Yahweh will not turn back
Until He has done and until He has established
The intent of His heart;
In the (NK)last days you will understand this.
Israel’s Mourning Turned to Joy
31 “At that time,” declares Yahweh, “I will be the (NL)God of all the (NM)families of Israel, and they shall be My people.”
2 Thus says Yahweh,
“The people who survived the sword
(NN)Found grace in the wilderness—
Israel, when it went to (NO)find its relief.”
3 Yahweh appeared to [bf]him from afar, saying,
“I have (NP)loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore I have drawn you with (NQ)lovingkindness.
4 (NR)Again I will build you, and you will be rebuilt,
O virgin of Israel!
Again you will [bg]take up your (NS)tambourines
And go forth to the dances of those (NT)celebrating.
5 Again you will (NU)plant vineyards
On the [bh]hills of Samaria;
The planters will plant
And will [bi]enjoy them.
6 For there will be a day when watchmen
On the hills of Ephraim call out,
‘Arise, and (NV)let us go up to Zion,
To Yahweh our God.’”
7 For thus says Yahweh,
“(NW)Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,
And shout among the (NX)head of the nations;
Make it heard, give praise, and say,
‘O Yahweh, (NY)save Your people,
The (NZ)remnant of Israel.’
8 Behold, I am (OA)bringing them from the north country,
And I will (OB)gather them from the remote parts of the earth,
Among them the (OC)blind and the (OD)lame,
The woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together;
A great assembly, they will return here.
9 (OE)With weeping they will come,
And by supplication I will lead them;
I will make them walk by (OF)streams of waters,
On a straight path in which they will (OG)not stumble;
For I am a (OH)father to Israel,
And Ephraim is (OI)My firstborn.”
10 Hear the word of Yahweh, O nations,
And declare in the (OJ)coastlands far away,
And say, “He who dispersed Israel will (OK)gather him
And keep him as a (OL)shepherd keeps his flock.”
11 For Yahweh has (OM)ransomed Jacob
And redeemed him from the hand of him who was (ON)stronger than he.
12 “They will (OO)come and sing for joy on the (OP)height of Zion,
And they will be (OQ)radiant over the goodness of Yahweh—
Over the (OR)grain and the new wine and the oil,
And over the young of the (OS)flock and the herd;
And their soul will be like a (OT)watered garden,
And they will (OU)never waste away again.
13 Then the virgin will be glad in the (OV)dance,
And the young men and the old, together,
For I will (OW)turn their mourning into joy
And will comfort them and give them (OX)gladness for their sorrow.
14 I will [bj]fill the soul of the priests with [bk]richness,
And My people will be (OY)satisfied with My goodness,” declares Yahweh.
15 Thus says Yahweh,
“(OZ)A voice is heard in (PA)Ramah,
Wailing and bitter weeping.
Rachel is weeping for her children;
She (PB)refuses to be comforted for her children
Because (PC)they are no more.”
16 Thus says Yahweh,
“(PD)Restrain your voice from weeping
And your eyes from tears,
For your (PE)work will be rewarded,” declares Yahweh,
“And they will (PF)return from the land of the enemy.
17 And there is (PG)hope for your future,” declares Yahweh,
“And your children will return to their own territory.
18 I have surely heard Ephraim (PH)grieving,
‘You have (PI)chastised me, and I was chastised,
Like an untrained (PJ)calf;
(PK)Cause me to return that I may return,
For You are Yahweh my God.
19 For after I turned away, I (PL)repented;
And after I was instructed, I (PM)slapped my thigh;
I was (PN)ashamed and also dishonored
Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’
20 Is (PO)Ephraim My dear son?
Is he a delightful child?
Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him,
I certainly still remember him;
Therefore My [bl](PP)inmost being yearns for him;
I will surely (PQ)have compassion on him,” declares Yahweh.
21 “Set up roadmarks for yourself,
Place for yourself guideposts;
(PR)Set your heart to the highway,
The way by which you went.
(PS)Return, O virgin of Israel,
Return to these your cities.
22 How long will you go here and there,
O (PT)faithless daughter?
For Yahweh has created a new thing in the earth—
A [bm]woman will encompass a man.”
23 Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “Once again they will speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities when I [bn](PU)return their [bo]fortunes,
24 And Judah and all its cities will (PX)inhabit it together, the farmer and they who go about with flocks. 25 (PY)For I satisfy the weary soul and fill up every soul who wastes away.” 26 At this I (PZ)awoke and looked, and my (QA)sleep was pleasant to me.
The New Covenant
27 “Behold, days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “when I will (QB)sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast. 28 And it will be that as I have (QC)watched over them to (QD)uproot, to tear down, to pull down, to destroy, and to bring calamity, so I will watch over them to (QE)build and to plant,” declares Yahweh.
29 “In those days they will not say again,
‘(QF)The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
And the children’s teeth are [bp]set on edge.’
30 But (QG)everyone will die for his own iniquity; each man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth will be [bq]set on edge.
31 “(QH)Behold, days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “when I will cut a (QI)new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 not like the (QJ)covenant which I cut with their fathers in the day I (QK)took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My (QL)covenant which they broke, but I was a husband to them,” declares Yahweh. 33 “But (QM)this is the covenant which I will cut with the house of Israel after those days,” declares Yahweh: “(QN)I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and (QO)I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 And they will (QP)not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh,’ for they will all (QQ)know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares Yahweh, “for I will (QR)forgive their iniquity, and their (QS)sin I will remember no more.”
35 Thus says Yahweh,
Who (QT)gives the sun for light by day
And the statutes for the moon and the stars for light by night,
Who (QU)stirs up the sea so that its waves roar;
(QV)Yahweh of hosts is His name:
36 “(QW)If these statutes are removed
From before Me,” declares Yahweh,
“Then the seed of Israel also will (QX)cease
From being a nation before Me [br]forever.”
37 Thus says Yahweh,
“(QY)If the heavens above can be measured
And the foundations of the earth searched out below,
Then I will also (QZ)reject all the seed of Israel
For all that they have done,” declares Yahweh.
38 “Behold, days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “when the (RA)city will be rebuilt for Yahweh from the (RB)Tower of Hananel to the (RC)Corner Gate. 39 The (RD)measuring line will go out farther, straight ahead to the hill Gareb; then it will turn to Goah. 40 And (RE)the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook (RF)Kidron, to the corner of the (RG)Horse Gate toward the east, shall be (RH)holy to Yahweh; it will not be uprooted or pulled down anymore forever.”
Jeremiah Imprisoned
32 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh in the (RI)tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. 2 Now at that time the military force of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the (RJ)court of the guard, which was in the house of the king of Judah, 3 because Zedekiah king of Judah had (RK)shut him up, saying, “Why do you (RL)prophesy, saying, ‘(RM)Thus says Yahweh, “Behold, I am about to (RN)give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it; 4 and Zedekiah king of Judah will (RO)not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but he will surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will (RP)speak with him [bs]face to face and see him eye to eye; 5 and he will (RQ)lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will be there until I [bt]visit him,” declares Yahweh. “If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will (RR)not succeed”’?”
6 And Jeremiah said, “The word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 7 ‘Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle is coming to you, saying, “Buy for yourself my field which is at (RS)Anathoth, for you have the (RT)legal judgment for redemption to buy it.”’ 8 Then Hanamel my uncle’s son came to me in the (RU)court of the guard according to the word of Yahweh and said to me, ‘Buy my field, please, that is at (RV)Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin; for you have the legal judgment for possession, and the redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the (RW)word of Yahweh.
9 “I bought the field which was at Anathoth from Hanamel my uncle’s son, and I (RX)weighed out the silver for him, seventeen [bu](RY)shekels of silver. 10 And I [bv](RZ)signed and (SA)sealed the deed and (SB)called in witnesses and weighed out the silver on the scales. 11 Then I took the deeds of purchase, both the sealed copy containing the (SC)commandment and statutes and the open copy, 12 and I gave the deed of purchase to (SD)Baruch the son of (SE)Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of Hanamel my uncle’s son and in the sight of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, in the sight of all the Jews who were sitting in the court of the guard. 13 And I commanded Baruch in their sight, saying, 14 ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “Take these deeds—this deed of purchase—that is the sealed one as well as this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, that they may [bw]last a long time.” 15 For thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “(SF)Houses and fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.”’
Jeremiah Prays, Yahweh Responds
16 “After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, then I (SG)prayed to Yahweh, saying, 17 ‘(SH)Ah Lord Yahweh! Behold, You have (SI)made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! (SJ)Nothing is too difficult for You, 18 who (SK)shows lovingkindness to thousands, but (SL)repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O (SM)great and (SN)mighty God. (SO)Yahweh of hosts is His name, 19 (SP)great in counsel and abundant in deeds, whose (SQ)eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, (SR)giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds, 20 who has (SS)set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and even to this day both in Israel and among mankind; and You have (ST)made a name for Yourself, as at this day. 21 You (SU)brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and with wonders, and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with great terror 22 and gave them this land, which You (SV)swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. 23 They (SW)came in and took possession of it, but they (SX)did not listen to Your voice and did not (SY)walk in Your law. They have not done anything that You commanded them to do; therefore You have made (SZ)all this harmful evil come upon them. 24 Behold, the (TA)siege ramps have come to the city to capture it; and the city is (TB)given into the hand of the Chaldeans, who fight against it, because of the (TC)sword, the famine, and the pestilence; and what You have spoken has (TD)happened; and behold, You see it. 25 And You have said to me, O Lord Yahweh, “Buy for yourself the field with money and call in witnesses”—but the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’”
26 Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, 27 “Behold, I am Yahweh, the (TE)God of all flesh; is anything (TF)too difficult for Me?” 28 Therefore thus says Yahweh, “Behold, I am about to (TG)give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will capture it. 29 And the Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will enter and (TH)set this city on fire and burn it, with the (TI)houses where people have burned incense to Baal on their roofs and poured out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me to anger. 30 Indeed the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have been doing only (TJ)evil in My sight from their youth; for the sons of Israel have been only (TK)provoking Me to anger by the work of their hands,” declares Yahweh. 31 “Indeed this city has been to Me a (TL)provocation of My anger and My wrath from the day that they built it, even to this day, so that it should be (TM)removed from before My face 32 because of all the evil of the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah which they have done to provoke Me to anger—they, their (TN)kings, their princes, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33 And they have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them, (TO)rising up early and teaching, they would not listen [bx]and receive discipline. 34 But they (TP)put their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. 35 And they built the (TQ)high places of Baal that are in the valley of Ben-hinnom to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to (TR)Molech, which I had not commanded them, nor had it come upon My heart that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
36 “So now, therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you are saying, ‘It is (TS)given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence.’ 37 Behold, I will (TT)gather them out of all the lands to which I have banished them in My anger, in My wrath, and in great indignation; and I will cause them to return to this place and (TU)make them inhabit it in safety. 38 And they shall be (TV)My people, and I will be their God; 39 and I will (TW)give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own (TX)good and for the good of their children after them. 40 And I will cut an (TY)everlasting covenant with them that I will (TZ)not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will (UA)put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. 41 And I will (UB)rejoice over them to do them good and will truly (UC)plant them in this land with (UD)all My heart and with all My soul. 42 For thus says Yahweh, ‘(UE)Just as I brought all this great evil on this people, so I am going to (UF)bring on them all the good that I am promising them. 43 (UG)Thus fields will be bought in this land of which you all are saying, “(UH)It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.” 44 Men will buy fields for money, [by](UI)sign and seal deeds, and call in witnesses in the (UJ)land of Benjamin, in the surroundings of Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the [bz]Shephelah, and in the cities of the [ca]Negev; for I will [cb](UK)return their [cc]fortunes,’ declares Yahweh.”
Yahweh Will Pardon the People’s Iniquity
33 Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was still [cd](UL)confined in the court of the guard, saying, 2 “Thus says (UM)Yahweh who made [ce]the earth, Yahweh who formed it to establish it; (UN)Yahweh is His name, 3 ‘(UO)Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you (UP)great and mighty things, (UQ)which you do not know.’ 4 For thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, concerning the (UR)houses of this city and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah which are torn down to make a defense against the (US)siege ramps and against the sword, 5 ‘While they are coming to (UT)fight with the Chaldeans and to fill them with the corpses of men whom I have struck down in My anger and in My wrath, and I have (UU)hidden My face from this city because of all their evil: 6 Behold, I will bring to it (UV)health and healing, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an (UW)abundance of peace and truth. 7 I will [cf](UX)return the [cg]fortunes of Judah and the [ch]fortunes of Israel and will (UY)rebuild them as they were at first. 8 And I will (UZ)cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned against Me and by which they have transgressed against Me. 9 And [ci]it will be to Me a (VA)name of joy, praise, and beauty before (VB)all the nations of the earth which will hear of all the (VC)good that I do for them, and they will (VD)be in dread and tremble because of all the good and all the peace that I make for it.’
10 “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Yet again there will be heard in this place, of which you say, “It is a (VE)waste, without man and without beast,” that is, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are (VF)desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast, 11 the voice of (VG)joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say,
“(VH)Give thanks to Yahweh of hosts,
For Yahweh is good,
For His lovingkindness endures forever”;
and of those who bring a (VI)thank offering into the house of Yahweh. For I will [cj]return the [ck]fortunes of the land as they were at first,’ says Yahweh.
12 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘There will again be in this place which is waste, (VJ)without man or beast, and in all its cities, [cl]an abode of shepherds who cause their (VK)flocks to lie down. 13 In the (VL)cities of the hill country, in the cities of the [cm]Shephelah, in the cities of the Negev, in the land of Benjamin, in the surroundings of Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, the flocks will again (VM)pass under the hands of the one who numbers them,’ says Yahweh.
The Righteous Branch of David
14 ‘Behold, (VN)days are coming,’ declares Yahweh, ‘when I will (VO)establish the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a (VP)righteous Branch of David to branch forth; and He shall do (VQ)justice and righteousness on the earth. 16 In those days (VR)Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell in security; and this is the name by which she will be called: (VS)Yahweh is our righteousness.’ 17 For thus says Yahweh, ‘[cn]David shall (VT)not have a man cut off from sitting on the throne of the house of Israel; 18 [co]and the (VU)Levitical priests shall not have a man cut off from before Me who is to offer burnt offerings, to offer up grain offerings in smoke, and to (VV)perform sacrifices [cp]continually.’”
19 Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, 20 “Thus says Yahweh, ‘If you can (VW)break My covenant for the day and My covenant for the night, so that day and night will not be at their appointed time, 21 then (VX)My covenant may also be broken with David My servant so that he will not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levitical priests, My ministers. 22 As the (VY)host of heaven cannot be counted and the (VZ)sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will (WA)multiply the seed of David My servant and the (WB)Levites who minister to Me.’”
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