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The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

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- Chapter 31 -

(Matthew 2:16–18)
1
“At that time,” declares the LORD, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be My people.”
2
This is what the LORD says: “The people who survived the sword found favor in the wilderness when Israel went to find rest.”
3
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:(a) “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with loving devotion.
4
Again I will build you, and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out in joyful dancing.
5
Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant and enjoy the fruit.
6
For there will be a day when watchmen will call out on the hills of Ephraim, ‘Arise, let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God!’”
7
For this is what the LORD says: “Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the foremost of the nations! Make your praises heard, and say, ‘O LORD, save Your people, the remnant of Israel!’
8
Behold, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, including the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor. They will return as a great assembly!
9
They will come with weeping, and by their supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk beside streams of waters, on a level path where they will not stumble. For I am Israel’s Father, and Ephraim is My firstborn.”
10
Hear, O nations, the word of the LORD, and proclaim it in distant coastlands: “The One who scattered Israel will gather them and keep them as a shepherd keeps his flock.
11
For the LORD has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand that had overpowered him.
12
They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will be radiant over the bounty of the LORD— the grain, new wine, and oil, and the young of the flocks and herds. Their life will be like a well-watered garden, and never again will they languish.
13
Then the maidens will rejoice with dancing, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into joy, and give them comfort and joy for their sorrow.
14
I will fill the souls of the priests abundantly, and will fill My people with My goodness,”
15
declares the LORD. This is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”(b)
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, declares the LORD. Then your children will return from the land of the enemy.
17
So there is hope for your future, declares the LORD, and your children will return to their own land.
18
I have surely heard Ephraim’s (c) moaning: ‘You disciplined me severely, like an untrained calf. Restore me, that I may return, for You are the LORD my God.
19
After I returned, I repented; and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh in grief. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’
20
Is not Ephraim a precious son to Me, a delightful child? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore My heart yearns for him;(d) I have great compassion for him,”
21
declares the LORD. “Set up the roadmarks, establish the signposts. Keep the highway in mind, the road you have traveled. Return, O Virgin Israel, return to these cities of yours.
22
How long will you wander, O faithless daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the land— a woman will shelter (e) a man.”
23
This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “When I restore them from captivity,(f) they will once again speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities: ‘May the LORD bless you, O righteous dwelling place, O holy mountain.’
24
And Judah and all its cities will dwell together in the land, the farmers and those who move with the flocks,
25
for I will refresh the weary soul and replenish all who are weak.”

The New Covenant

(Hebrews 8:6–13)
26
At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been most pleasant to me.
27
“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and of beast.
28
Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, to demolish, destroy, and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD.
29
“In those days, it will no longer be said: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.’
30
Instead, each will die for his own iniquity. If anyone eats the sour grapes, his own teeth will be set on edge.
31
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
32
It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt— a covenant they broke, though I was a husband to them,(g)”
33
declares the LORD. “But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.
34
No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.”(h)
35
Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day, who sets in order the moon and stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of Hosts is His name:
36
“Only if this fixed order departed from My presence, declares the LORD, would Israel’s descendants ever cease to be a nation before Me.”
37
This is what the LORD says: “Only if the heavens above could be measured and the foundations of the earth below searched out would I reject all of Israel’s descendants because of all they have done,”
38
declares the LORD. “The days are coming,”(i) declares the LORD, “when this city will be rebuilt for Me, from the tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.
39
The measuring line will once again stretch out straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn toward Goah.
40
The whole valley of the dead bodies and ashes, and all the fields as far as the Kidron Valley, to the corner of the Horse Gate to the east, will be holy to the LORD. It will never again be uprooted or demolished.”

Footnotes

(a)31:3 Or The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying
(b)31:15 Cited in Matthew 2:18
(c)31:18 That is, the northern kingdom of Israel; also in verse 20
(d)31:20 Hebrew My bowels yearn for him
(e)31:22 Or will surround or will return to
(f)31:23 Or restore their fortunes
(g)31:32 Hebrew; LXX for they did not abide in My covenant, and I disregarded them; see also Syriac.
(h)31:34 Cited in Hebrews 8:8–12 and Hebrews 10:16–17
(i)31:38 Literally Behold, the days; alternate MT reading Behold, the days are coming
(Matthew 2:16–18)
1
“At that time,” says the LORD, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”
2
The LORD says, “The people who survive the sword found favor in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.”
3
The LORD appeared of old to me, saying, “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness.
4
I will build you again, and you will be built, O virgin of Israel. You will again be adorned with your tambourines, and will go out in the dances of those who make merry.
5
Again you will plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria. The planters will plant, and will enjoy its fruit.
6
For there will be a day that the watchmen on the hills of Ephraim cry, ‘Arise! Let’s go up to Zion to the LORD our God.’”
7
For the LORD says, “Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout for the chief of the nations. Publish, praise, and say, ‘LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel!’
8
Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the uttermost parts of the earth, along with the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her who travails with child together. They will return as a great company.
9
They will come with weeping. I will lead them with petitions. I will cause them to walk by rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they won’t stumble; for I am a father to Israel. Ephraim is my firstborn.
10
“Hear the LORD’s word, you nations, and declare it in the distant islands. Say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd does his flock.’
11
For the LORD has ransomed Jacob, and redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.
12
They will come and sing in the height of Zion, and will flow to the goodness of the LORD, to the grain, to the new wine, to the oil, and to the young of the flock and of the herd. Their soul will be as a watered garden. They will not sorrow any more at all.
13
Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance, the young men and the old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
14
I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people will be satisfied with my goodness,” says the LORD.
15
The LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children. She refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.”
16
The LORD says: “Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded,” says the LORD. “They will come again from the land of the enemy.
17
There is hope for your latter end,” says the LORD. “Your children will come again to their own territory.
18
“I have surely heard Ephraim grieving thus, ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised, as an untrained calf. Turn me, and I will be turned, for you are the LORD my God.
19
Surely after that I was turned. I repented. After that I was instructed. I struck my thigh. I was ashamed, yes, even confounded, because I bore the reproach of my youth.’
20
Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a darling child? For as often as I speak against him, I still earnestly remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him. I will surely have mercy on him,” says the LORD.
21
“Set up road signs. Make guideposts. Set your heart toward the highway, even the way by which you went. Turn again, virgin of Israel. Turn again to these your cities.
22
How long will you go here and there, you backsliding daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth: a woman will encompass a man.”
23
The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Yet again they will use this speech in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I reverse their captivity: ‘The LORD bless you, habitation of righteousness, mountain of holiness.’
24
Judah and all its cities will dwell therein together, the farmers, and those who go about with flocks.
25
For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.”

The New Covenant

(Hebrews 8:6–13)
26
On this I awakened, and saw; and my sleep was sweet to me.
27
“Behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of animal.
28
It will happen that, like as I have watched over them to pluck up and to break down and to overthrow and to destroy and to afflict, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” says the LORD.
29
“In those days they will say no more, “‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’
30
But everyone will die for his own iniquity. Every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth will be set on edge.
31
“Behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah,
32
not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which covenant of mine they broke, although I was a husband to them,” says the LORD.
33
“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says the LORD: “I will put my law in their inward parts, and I will write it in their heart. I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34
They will no longer each teach his neighbor, and every man teach his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD;’ for they will all know me, from their least to their greatest,” says the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
35
The LORD, who gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who stirs up the sea, so that its waves roar— the LORD of Armies is his name, says:
36
“If these ordinances depart from before me,” says the LORD, “then the offspring of Israel also will cease from being a nation before me forever.”
37
The LORD says: “If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done,” says the LORD.
38
“Behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “that the city will be built to the LORD from the tower of Hananel to the gate of the corner.
39
The measuring line will go out further straight onward to the hill Gareb, and will turn toward Goah.
40
The whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields to the brook Kidron, to the corner of the horse gate toward the east, will be holy to the LORD. It will not be plucked up or thrown down any more forever.”
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