Jeremiah 31:35–40

Thus says the Lord,

who gives the sun for light by day

and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,

who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—

the Lord of hosts is his name:

“If this fixed order departs

from before me, declares the Lord,

then shall the offspring of Israel cease

from being a nation before me forever.”

Thus says the Lord:

“If the heavens above can be measured,

and the foundations of the earth below can be explored,

then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel

for all that they have done,

declares the Lord.”

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when the city shall be rebuilt for the Lord from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. And the measuring line shall go out farther, straight to the hill Gareb, and shall then turn to Goah. The whole valley of the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be sacred to the Lord. It shall not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever.”

This is what the Lord says,

he who appoints the sun

to shine by day,

who decrees the moon and stars

to shine by night,

who stirs up the sea

so that its waves roar—

the Lord Almighty is his name:

“Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,”

declares the Lord,

“will Israel ever cease

being a nation before me.”

This is what the Lord says:

“Only if the heavens above can be measured

and the foundations of the earth below be searched out

will I reject all the descendants of Israel

because of all they have done,”

declares the Lord.

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this city will be rebuilt for me from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. The measuring line will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate, will be holy to the Lord. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.”

“This is what the Lord says:

The one who gives the sun for light by day,

the fixed order of moon and stars for light by night,

who stirs up the sea and makes its waves roar —

the Lord of Armies is his name:

If this fixed order departs from before me—

this is the Lord’s declaration—

only then will Israel’s descendants cease

to be a nation before me forever.

“This is what the Lord says:

Only if the heavens above can be measured

and the foundations of the earth below explored,

will I reject all of Israel’s descendants

because of all they have done—

this is the Lord’s declaration.

“Look, the days are coming”—the Lord’s declaration—“when the city from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate will be rebuilt for the Lord. A measuring line will once again stretch out straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn toward Goah. The whole valley—the corpses, the 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 be uprooted or demolished again.”

It is the Lord who provides the sun to light the day

and the moon and stars to light the night,

and who stirs the sea into roaring waves.

His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,

and this is what he says:

“I am as likely to reject my people Israel

as I am to abolish the laws of nature!”

This is what the Lord says:

“Just as the heavens cannot be measured

and the foundations of the earth cannot be explored,

so I will not consider casting them away

for the evil they have done.

I, the Lord, have spoken!

“The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when all Jerusalem will be rebuilt for me, from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. A measuring line will be stretched out over the hill of Gareb and across to Goah. And the entire area—including the graveyard and ash dump in the valley, and all the fields out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the Horse Gate—will be holy to the Lord. The city will never again be captured or destroyed.”

Thus says Yahweh, who gives the sun for light by day, the regulations of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea and its waves roar—Yahweh of hosts is his name. “If these rules would cease from before me,” declares Yahweh, “also the offspring of Israel would cease from being a nation before me forever.” Thus says Yahweh, “If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, also I will reject all the offspring of Israel because of all that they have done,” declares Yahweh. “Look, days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “and the city will be rebuilt for Yahweh, from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. And the measuring line will still go out immediately in front of it to the hill of Gareb, and it will turn to Goah. And the whole of the valley of the corpses, and the ashes, and all the cultivated fields up to the wadi of Kidron, up to the corner of the Gate of the Horses toward the east will be holy to Yahweh. It will not be uprooted, and it will not be overthrown again forever.”

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:

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.

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.

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.

And the measuring line shall yet go forth over against it

Upon the hill Gareb, and shall compass about to Goath.

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.