Jeremiah 30:1-Jeremiah 31:26 - Israel And Judah Will Be Delivered From Their Distress

¹ Jehovah spoke his word to Jeremiah: ² This is what Jehovah the God of Israel says: Write in a book everything that I tell you. ³ The days are coming, says Jehovah, when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity. I will bring them back to the land that I gave their ancestors, and they will take possession of it.'

⁴ These are the words Jehovah spoke about Israel and Judah: ⁵ Jehovah said: We hear cries of fear. We hear cries of panic. But we do not hear cries of peace. ⁶ Ask now and see: Can a man give birth to a child? Why, then, do I see every strong man holding his stomach in pain like a woman giving birth to a child? Why has every face turned pale? ⁷ How terrible that day will be! There will be no other day like it. It will be a time of calamity for the descendants of Jacob, but they will be rescued from it.

⁸ On that day, declares Jehovah of Hosts, I will break the yokes off your necks and tear off your ropes. Foreigners will no longer make you serve them. ⁹ You will serve Jehovah your God and David your king. I will establish him for you.

¹⁰ Do not be afraid, my servant Jacob, proclaims Jehovah. Do not be terrified, Israel. I am going to rescue you from a faraway place. I am going to rescue your descendants from where they are captives. The descendants of Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will frighten them. ¹¹ I am with you. I will rescue you, declares Jehovah. I will completely destroy all the nations where I scattered you, but I will not completely destroy you. I will correct you with justice. I will not let you go entirely unpunished.

¹² This is what Jehovah says: Your wound is incurable. Your injury is beyond healing. ¹³ No one argues that you should be healed. But no medicine will heal you. ¹⁴ All your lovers have forgotten you, and they do not want you anymore. I have punished you as an enemy would. I have corrected you as a cruel person would. You are very wicked, and you have many sins. ¹⁵ Why do you cry about your wound, your injury that cannot be cured? I have done this to you. You are very wicked, and you have many sins. ¹⁶ That is why everyone who devours you will be devoured, and all your enemies will be taken away as captives. Those who looted you will be looted. Those who stole from you in war will have things stolen from them. ¹⁷ I will restore your health and heal your wounds, proclaims Jehovah. People call you an outcast: 'Zion, no one cares for you.'

¹⁸ This is what Jehovah says: I am going to bring the captives back to Jacob's tents and show compassion on their homes. Cities will be built on the ruins, and fortified palaces will be built in their rightful place. ¹⁹ The people who live there will sing songs of praise. The sound of laughter will be heard from there. I will make them numerous, and their number will not decrease. I will bring them honor, and they will not be considered unimportant. ²⁰ Their children will be like they were long ago. Their community will be established in my presence, and I will punish everyone who oppresses them. ²¹ Their leader will be someone from their own people. Their ruler will come from among them. I will bring him near, and he will come close to me. Who would dare to come near me? Declares Jehovah. ²² You will be my people, and I will be your God.

²³ The storm of Jehovah will come with his anger. Like a driving wind, it will swirl down on the heads of the wicked. ²⁴ Jehovah's burning rage will not turn back until he has done everything he intends to do. You will understand this clearly in the last days.

¹ Jehovah proclaims: At that time I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.

² Jehovah says: The people who survived the sword (war) found favor in the wilderness. Israel went to find its rest. ³ Jehovah appeared to him from afar, saying: I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore I have drawn you with loving-kindness. ⁴ I will build you and you will be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! You will take up your tambourines and go to the dances of the merrymakers. ⁵ You will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria. The planters will plant and will enjoy them. ⁶ There will be a day when watchmen on the hills of Ephraim call out: 'Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to Jehovah our God.'

⁷ Jehovah says: Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations. Proclaim! Give praise and say, O Jehovah, save your people, the remnant of Israel. ⁸ I am bringing them from the North Country. I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth. Among them are the blind and the lame, the woman with child and she who is in labor with child. As a great company they will return here. ⁹ With weeping they will come. By supplication I will lead them. I will make them walk by streams of waters on a straight path in which they will not stumble. For I am a father to Israel and Ephraim is my firstborn. ¹⁰ Hear the word of Jehovah, O nations. Declare in the coastlands afar off. Say: He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock. ¹¹ Jehovah will free the descendants of Jacob and reclaim them from those who are stronger than they are. ¹² They will come and shout for joy on top of Mount Zion. They will stream to it to enjoy Jehovah's blessings: fresh grain, new wine, olive oil, lambs and calves. Their lives will be like well-watered gardens, and they will never suffer again. ¹³ Then young women will rejoice and dance along with young men and old men. I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them. I will replace their sorrow with joy. ¹⁴ I will satisfy the priests with rich food. My people will be filled with my blessings, proclaims Jehovah.

¹⁵ This is what Jehovah says: 'A sound is heard in Ramah, the sound of crying in bitter grief. Rachel is crying for her children. She refuses to be comforted, because they are dead.'

¹⁶ This is what Jehovah says: 'Stop your crying, and wipe away your tears. You will be rewarded for your work,' declares Jehovah. 'You will return from the land of the enemy.' ¹⁷ Your future is filled with hope,' says Jehovah. 'Your children will return to their own territory.' ¹⁸ I hear the people of Israel say in grief, 'Jehovah, we were like an untamed animal, but you taught us to obey. Bring us back for we are ready to return to you, Jehovah our God. ¹⁹ We turned away from you. But soon we wanted to return. After you had punished us we hung our heads in grief. We were ashamed and disgraced because we sinned when we were young.' ²⁰ Ephraim, O Ephraim my dear delightful son! Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him, I certainly still remember him. My heart yearns for him. I will surely have mercy on him, declares Jehovah.

²¹ Set up road marks. Place guideposts! Direct your mind to the highway, the way by which you went. Return, O virgin of Israel. Return to these your cities. ²² How long will you go here and there, O faithless daughter? For Jehovah has created a new thing in the earth. A woman will protect a man.

²³ Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel says: Once again they will speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities when I restore their prosperity. They will say: 'Jehovah bless you, O abode of righteousness, O holy mountain!' ²⁴ Judah and all its cities will dwell together in it, the farmer and the shepherds with the flocks. ²⁵ For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone filled with sorrow.

²⁶ At this, I woke up and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant.