| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1The LORD spoke to Jeremiah a second time while he was still confined in the courtyard of the guardhouse. | 1While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him a second time: |
| 2"I, the LORD, do these things. I, the LORD, form the plan to bring them about. I am known as the LORD. I say to you, | 2"This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it--the LORD is his name: |
| 3Call on me in prayer and I will answer you. I will show you great and mysterious things which you still do not know about.' | 3Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' |
| 4For I, the LORD God of Israel, have something more to say about the houses in this city and the royal buildings which have been torn down for defenses against the siege ramps and military incursions of the Babylonians: | 4For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege ramps and the sword |
| 5The defenders of the city will go out and fight with the Babylonians. But they will only fill those houses and buildings with the dead bodies of the people that I will kill in my anger and my wrath. That will happen because I have decided to turn my back on this city on account of the wicked things they have done. | 5in the fight with the Babylonians: 'They will be filled with the dead bodies of the people I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness. |
| 6But I will most surely heal the wounds of this city and restore it and its people to health. I will show them abundant peace and security. | 6"'Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. |
| 7I will restore Judah and Israel and will rebuild them as they were in days of old. | 7I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. |
| 8I will purify them from all the sin that they committed against me. I will forgive all their sins which they committed in rebelling against me. | 8I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. |
| 9All the nations will hear about all the good things which I will do to them. This city will bring me fame, honor, and praise before them for the joy that I bring it. The nations will tremble in awe at all the peace and prosperity that I will provide for it.' | 9Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.' |
| 10"I, the LORD, say: 'You and your people are saying about this place, "It lies in ruins. There are no people or animals in it." That is true. The towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem will soon be desolate, uninhabited either by people or by animals. But happy sounds will again be heard in these places. | 10"This is what the LORD says: 'You say about this place, "It is a desolate waste, without people or animals." Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more |
| 11Once again there will be sounds of joy and gladness and the glad celebrations of brides and grooms. Once again people will bring their thank offerings to the temple of the LORD and will say, "Give thanks to the LORD who rules over all. For the LORD is good and his unfailing love lasts forever." For I, the LORD, affirm that I will restore the land to what it was in days of old.' | 11the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD, saying, "Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, for the LORD is good; his love endures forever." For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,' says the LORD. |
| 12"I, the LORD who rules over all, say: 'This place will indeed lie in ruins. There will be no people or animals in it. But there will again be in it and in its towns sheepfolds where shepherds can rest their sheep. | 12"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In this place, desolate and without people or animals--in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks. |
| 13I, the LORD, say that shepherds will once again count their sheep as they pass into the fold. They will do this in all the towns in the southern hill country, the western foothills, the southern hill country, the territory of Benjamin, the villages surrounding Jerusalem, and the towns of Judah.' | 13In the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them,' says the LORD. |
| 14"I, the LORD, affirm: 'The time will certainly come when I will fulfill my gracious promise concerning the nations of Israel and Judah. | 14"'The days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. |
| 15In those days and at that time I will raise up for them a righteous descendant of David. "'He will do what is just and right in the land. | 15"'In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line; he will do what is just and right in the land. |
| 16Under his rule Judah will enjoy safety and Jerusalem will live in security. At that time Jerusalem will be called "The LORD has provided us with justice." | 16In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Savior.' |
| 17For I, the LORD, promise: "David will never lack a successor to occupy the throne over the nation of Israel. | 17For this is what the LORD says: 'David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel, |
| 18Nor will the Levitical priests ever lack someone to stand before me and continually offer up burnt offerings, sacrifice cereal offerings, and offer the other sacrifices."'" | 18nor will the Levitical priests ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.'" |
| 19The LORD spoke further to Jeremiah. | 19The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: |
| 20"I, LORD, make the following promise: 'I have made a covenant with the day and with the night that they will always come at their proper times. Only if you people could break that covenant | 20"This is what the LORD says: 'If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, |
| 21could my covenant with my servant David and my covenant with the Levites ever be broken. So David will by all means always have a descendant to occupy his throne as king and the Levites will by all means always have priests who will minister before me. | 21then my covenant with David my servant--and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me--can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. |
| 22I will make the children who follow one another in the line of my servant David very numerous. I will also make the Levites who minister before me very numerous. I will make them all as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sands which are on the seashore.'" | 22I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.'" |
| 23The LORD spoke still further to Jeremiah. | 23The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: |
| 24"You have surely noticed what these people are saying, haven't you? They are saying, 'The LORD has rejected the two families of Israel and Judah that he chose.' So they have little regard that my people will ever again be a nation. | 24"Have you not noticed that these people are saying, 'The LORD has rejected the two kingdoms he chose'? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation. |
| 25But I, the LORD, make the following promise: I have made a covenant governing the coming of day and night. I have established the fixed laws governing heaven and earth. | 25This is what the LORD says: 'If I have not made my covenant with day and night and established the laws of heaven and earth, |
| 26Just as surely as I have done this, so surely will I never reject the descendants of Jacob. Nor will I ever refuse to choose one of my servant David's descendants to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Indeed, I will restore them and show mercy to them." | 26then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.'" |
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