Jeremiah, 31

1. At the same time, saith the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.

1. Yahweh declares that when that time comes he will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be his people.

2. Thus saith the LORD, The people [which were] left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; [even] Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.

2. Thus says Yahweh: The people who survived the sword have found grace in the desert. As Israel was seeking for his rest

3. The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, [saying], Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

3. Yahweh appeared from afar saying, I have loved you with a love everlasting, so I have kept for you my mercy.

4. Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.

4. I will restore you again, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin Israel! You will take up your tambourines and go out dancing joyfully.

5. Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat [them] as common things.

5. You will plant vineyards again on the hills of Samaria, and the farmers who plant them will enjoy their fruit.

6. For there shall be a day, [that] the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the LORD our God.

6. There shall be a day when watchmen will call out on the hills of Ephraim, "Come, let us go to Zion, to Yahweh our God!"

7. For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.

7. For Yahweh says this: Shout with joy for Jacob; rejoice for the greatest of nations. Proclaim your praise and say: "Yahweh has saved his people, the remnant of Israel!"

8. Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, [and] with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.

8. Look, I will bring them back from the land of the north, gather them from the ends of the earth, the lame and the blind, mothers and women in labor - a great throng will return.

9. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim [is] my firstborn.

9. They went away weeping, they will return in joy. I will lead them by the streams of water, on a level path so that no one will stumble, for I am Israel's father and Ephraim is my firstborn. He who scattered Israel now gathers them!

10. Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare [it] in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd [doth] his flock.

10. Hear the word of Yahweh, O nations, proclaim it on distant coastlands: He who scattered Israel will gather them and guard them as a shepherd guard his flock.

11. For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of [him that was] stronger than he.

11. For Yahweh has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand of his conqueror.

12. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.

12. They shall come shouting for joy, while ascending Zion; they will come streaming to Yahweh's blessings - the grain, the new wine and the oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden; no more will they be afflicted.

13. Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

13. Maidens will make merry and dance, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness, I will give them comfort and joy for sorrow.

14. And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD.

14. I will fill the priests with abundance, and satisfy my people with my bounty - this is Yahweh's word.

15. Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, [and] bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they [were] not.

15. Thus speaks Yahweh: "In Ramah, a voice of mourning and great weeping is heard, Rachel wailing for her children and refusing to be consoled, for her children are no more."

16. Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

16. Yahweh says this to her: "Weep no more and wipe the tears of your eyes; your sorrow will have redress. They will come back from the enemy's land.

17. And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border.

17. There is hope for your descendants; your sons will return to their own borders.

18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself [thus]; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed [to the yoke]: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou [art] the LORD my God.

18. I heard Ephraim saying in grief: 'You disciplined me like an untamed calf, and I have been disciplined. Bring me back, and I will return, for you are my God, my Lord.

19. Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon [my] thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.

19. Yes, I strayed, but I have repented. Now I understand and I beat my breast; I bear the disgrace of my youth, and I blush with shame and humiliation.'

20. [Is] Ephraim my dear son? [is he] a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.

20. Is not Ephraim my favored son, the child in whom I delight? Often have I threatened him, but I still remember him, and my heart yearns for him. I must show him mercy," declares Yahweh.

21. Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, [even] the way [which] thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.

21. Set up road signs, put up guideposts; focus your attention to the highway, the road by which you went. Return, O virgin Israel, return to these cities of yours.

22. How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.

22. How long will you remain wandering, O unfaithful daughter? Yahweh is creating something new on earth - the woman finds her husband again."

23. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity; The LORD bless thee, O habitation of justice, [and] mountain of holiness.

23. These are words of Yahweh, God of hosts and God of Israel, "When I bring back the captives to the land of Judah and its towns, the people will once more use the expression: 'Yahweh bless you, O dwelling of righteousness, holy mountain!'

24. And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all the cities thereof together, husbandmen, and they [that] go forth with flocks.

24. All Judah and its towns, the farmer and those who move about with their herds will live there in peace.

25. For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.

25. I will refresh the weary and lift up the downhearted."

26. Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me.

26. Then I awoke and looked around; my sleep had been peaceful.

27. Behold, the days come, saith 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 beast.

27. "The days are coming - this is the word of Yahweh - when I shall sow the people of Israel and the people of Judah with the seed of man and of beasts.

28. And it shall come to pass, [that] like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD.

28. It will happen that just as I watched over them to uproot and overthrow, to destroy and bring disaster, so shall I likewise build and plant - word of Yahweh.

29. In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge.

29. No longer will it be said: 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge.'

30. But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.

30. Instead everyone will die because of their own sin; whoever eats sour grapes will have his teeth set on edge!

31. Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

31. The time is coming - it is Yahweh who speaks - when I will forge a new covenant with the people of Israel and the people 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 my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:

32. It will not be like the one I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. For they broke my covenant although I was their Lord.

33. But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

33. This is the covenant I shall make with Israel after that time: I will put my Law within them and write it on their hearts; I will be their God and they will be my people.

34. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

34. And they will not have to teach each other, neighbor or brother, saying: 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the greatest to the lowliest, for I will forgive their wrongdoing and no longer remember their sin."

35. Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, [and] the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts [is] his name:

35. This is the word of Yahweh, he who gives the sun for light during the day and orders the moon and the stars to give light at night, he who stirs the sea and makes the waves roar, and who is called Yahweh, God of hosts:

36. If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, [then] the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.

36. "Only if these laws vanish from my sight, - says Yahweh - will the descendants of Israel cease to be a nation before me.

37. Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.

37. Only when the skies above are measured and the foundations of the earth are found below, only then will I reject the descendants of Israel because of what they have done - word of Yahweh.

38. Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the city shall be built to the LORD from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner.

38. Behold, the days are coming when the city will be rebuilt for Yahweh from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate

39. And the measuring line shall yet go forth over against it upon the hill Gareb, and shall compass about to Goath.

39. and the measuring tape will stretch from there to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah.

40. And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, [shall be] holy unto the LORD; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.

40. The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown and all the fields as far as the brook of Kidron and the corner of the Horse Gate on the east will be holy to Yahweh. Never again will the city be uprooted, never again destroyed."