Jeremiah, 33

1. The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time while he was still imprisoned in the quarters of the guard:

1. Jeremiah was still confined to the Court of the Guard when the word of Yahweh came to him a second time, as follows,

2. Thus says the LORD who made the earth and gave it form and firmness, whose name is LORD:

2. 'Yahweh who made the earth, who formed it and set it firm -- Yahweh is his name -- says this,

3. Call to me, and I will answer you; I will tell to you things great beyond reach of your knowledge.

3. "Call to me and I will answer you; I will tell you great secrets of which you know nothing.

4. Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the palaces of Judah's kings, which are being destroyed in the face of siegeworks and the sword:

4. For this is what Yahweh, God of Israel, says about the houses of this city and the palaces of the kings of Judah which are about to be destroyed by means of the earthworks and the sword;

5. men come to battle the Chaldeans, and these houses will be filled with the corpses of those whom I slay in my anger and wrath, when I hide my face from this city for all their wickedness.

5. about those now fighting the Chaldaeans, only to fill the city with corpses, those whom I have slaughtered in my furious anger, those whose wickedness has made me hide my face from this city:

6. Behold, I will treat and assuage the city's wounds; I will heal them, and reveal to them an abundance of lasting peace.

6. Look, I shall bring them remedy and cure; I shall cure them and reveal a new order of peace and loyalty to them.

7. I will change the lot of Judah and the lot of Israel, and rebuild them as of old.

7. I shall bring back the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel and shall rebuild them as before.

8. I will cleanse them of all the guilt they incurred by sinning against me; all their offenses by which they sinned and rebelled against me, I will forgive.

8. I shall cleanse them of all their guilt, by which they have offended me, I shall forgive all their guilty actions, by which they have offended me and rebelled against me.

9. Then Jerusalem shall be my joy, my praise, my glory, before all the nations of the earth, as they hear of all the good I will do among them. They shall be in fear and trembling over all the peaceful benefits I will give her.

9. And, for me, Jerusalem will become a name of joy and praise and pride for all the nations on earth to see; when they hear of all the prosperity that I shall give, they will be seized with fear and trembling at all the prosperity and the peace that I provide for it."

10. Thus says the LORD: In this place of which you say, "How desolate it is, without man, without beast!" and in the cities of Judah, in the streets of Jerusalem that are now deserted, without man, without citizen, without beast, there shall yet be heard

10. 'Yahweh says this, "In this place of which you now say: It is a ruin, without human or animal, in the towns of Judah and desolate streets of Jerusalem where there is neither human nor animal, once more will be heard

11. the cry of joy, the cry of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, the voice of the bride, the sound of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD, singing, "Give thanks to the LORD of hosts, for the LORD is good; his mercy endures forever." For I will restore this country as of old, says the LORD.

11. shouts of rejoicing and mirth, the voices of bridegroom and bride, and the singing of those who bring thanksgiving sacrifices to the Temple of Yahweh: Give thanks to Yahweh Sabaoth, for Yahweh is good, for his faithful love is everlasting. For I shall bring back the country's captives, as before, Yahweh says."

12. Thus says the LORD of hosts: In this place, now desolate, without man or beast, and in all its cities there shall again be sheepfolds for the shepherds to couch their flocks.

12. 'Yahweh Sabaoth says this, "In this ruinous place, without human or animal, in all its towns, once again there will be pastures for the shepherds to rest their flocks.

13. In the cities of the hill country, of the foothills, and of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin and the suburbs of Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the LORD.

13. In the towns of the highlands, of the lowlands and the Negeb, in the territory of Benjamin, in the districts round Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, once again the flocks shall pass under the hand of someone who counts them, Yahweh says.

14. The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah.

14. "Look, the days are coming, Yahweh declares, when I shall fulfil the promise of happiness I made to the House of Israel and the House of Judah:

15. In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land.

15. In those days and at that time, I shall make an upright Branch grow for David, who will do what is just and upright in the country.

16. In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure; this is what they shall call her: "The LORD our justice."

16. In those days Judah will triumph and Israel live in safety. And this is the name the city will be called: Yahweh-is-our-Saving-Justice."

17. For thus says the LORD: Never shall David lack a successor on the throne of the house of Israel,

17. 'For Yahweh says this, "David will never lack a male descendant to occupy the throne of the House of Israel,

18. nor shall priests of Levi ever be lacking, to offer holocausts before me, to burn cereal offerings, and to sacrifice victims.This word of the LORD also came to Jeremiah:

18. nor will the levitical priests ever lack male descendants to stand before me and offer the burnt offering, to burn the cereal offering and offer sacrifice every day." '

19. Thus says the LORD:

19. The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah as follows,

20. If you can break my covenant with day, and my covenant with night, so that day and night no longer alternate in sequence,

20. 'Yahweh says this, "If you could break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night so that day and night do not come at their due time,

21. then can my covenant with my servant David also be broken, so that he will not have a son to be king upon his throne, and my covenant with the priests of Levi who minister to me.

21. then my covenant with David my servant might also be broken and he would have no son to reign on his throne, and so also might my covenant with the levitical priests, who are my ministers.

22. Like the host of heaven which cannot be numbered, and the sands of the sea which cannot be counted, I will multiply the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who minister to me.

22. As surely as the array of heaven cannot be counted, nor the sand of the sea be measured, so surely shall I increase the heirs of David my servant and the Levites who minister to me." '

23. This word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:

23. The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah as follows,

24. Have you not noticed what these people are saying: "The LORD has rejected the two tribes which he had chosen"? They spurn my people as if it were no longer a nation in their eyes.

24. 'Have you not noticed what these people say, "The two families which Yahweh chose he has now rejected"? So they despise my people, whom they no longer think of as a nation.

25. Thus says the LORD: When I have no covenant with day and night, and have given no laws to heaven and earth,

25. Yahweh says this, "If I have not created day and night and fixed the laws governing heaven and earth,

26. then too will I reject the descendants of Jacob and of my servant David, so as not to take from his descendants rulers for the race of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will change their lot and show them mercy.

26. why, then I shall reject the descendants of Jacob and of David my servant and cease to choose rulers from his descendants for the heirs of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! For I shall bring back their captives and take pity on them." '