Jeremiah 31:15–30
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
lamentation, the weeping of bitterness.
Rachel is weeping for her children;
she refuses to be comforted because of her children,
for they are no more.”
“Restrain your voice from weeping,
and your eyes from tears,
for there is a reward for your work,” ⌊declares⌋h Yahweh,
“and they will return from the land of the enemy.
17 And there is hope for your future,” ⌊declares⌋i Yahweh,
“and your children will return to their territory.
18 Indeed I heard Ephraim pitying themselves,
‘You disciplined me, and I was disciplined,
like a calf that is not trained.
Bring me back and let me return,
for you are Yahweh my God.
19 For after my turning back I repented,
and after coming to understand I struck my thigh.
I was ashamed and also humiliated,
because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’
or the child of my delight?
For ⌊as often as⌋j I have earnestly spoken against him,
I still remember him.
⌊Therefore⌋k my bowels are turbulent for him,
surely I will have compassion on him,” ⌊declares⌋l Yahweh.
21 “Set up for yourself road markers,
make for yourself signposts,
set your ⌊mind⌋m to the main road,
the road by which you went.
Return, O virgin of Israel,
return to these your cities.
22 ⌊How long⌋n will you waver, O unfaithful daughter?
For Yahweh has created a new thing on the earth,
a woman, she shelters a man.”
23 Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “They will again say these wordso in the land of Judah and in its towns at my restoring their fortunes,p
‘Yahweh bless you, O settlement of righteousness,
O hill of holiness.’
24 And Judah and all of its towns together will live in it,
farmers and those who travel with the flocks.q
25 For I will saturate the thirst of the weary,
and every person who languishes I will replenish.”
26 At this I awoke and looked,
and my sleep was pleasant to me.
27 “Look, the days are coming,” ⌊declares⌋r Yahweh, “and I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of humankind, and with the seed of animals.s 28 ⌊And then⌋t as I have watched over them to pull up, and to tear down, and to annihilate, and to destroy, and to do evil, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” ⌊declares⌋u Yahweh. 29 “In those days they will say no longer, ‘⌊Parents⌋v have eaten unripe fruit, and the teeth of the children ⌊are set on edge⌋w.’ 30 ⌊But⌋x each will die because of his iniquity, ⌊everyone⌋y who eats the unripe fruit, their teeth will ⌊be set on edge⌋.z