Deliverance from Captivity Promised

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

2 “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘aWrite all the words which I have spoken to you in a book.

3 ‘For behold, adays are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will brestore the 1fortunes of My people cIsrael and Judah.’ The Lord says, ‘I will also dbring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they shall possess it.’ ”

4 Now these are the words which the Lord spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah:

5 “For thus says the Lord,

‘1I have heard a sound of aterror,

Of dread, and there is no peace.

6 ‘Ask now, and see

If a male can give birth.

Why do I see every man

With his hands on his loins, aas a woman in childbirth?

And why have all faces turned pale?

7 ‘Alas! for that aday is great,

There is bnone like it;

And it is the time of Jacob’s cdistress,

But he will be dsaved from it.

8 ‘It shall come about on that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘that I will abreak his yoke from off 1their neck and will tear off 1their bbonds; and strangers will no longer cmake 2them their slaves.

9 ‘But they shall serve the Lord their God and aDavid their king, whom I will raise up for them.

10 ‘aFear not, O Jacob My servant,’ declares the Lord,

‘And do not be dismayed, O Israel;

For behold, I will save you bfrom afar

And your 1offspring from the land of their captivity.

And Jacob will return and will be cquiet and at ease,

And dno one will make him afraid.

11 ‘For aI am with you,’ declares the Lord, ‘to save you;

For I will bdestroy completely all the nations where I have scattered you,

Only I will cnot destroy you completely.

But I will dchasten you justly

And will by no means leave you unpunished.’

12 “For thus says the Lord,

‘Your wound is incurable

And your ainjury is serious.

13 ‘There is no one to plead your cause;

No healing for your sore,

aNo recovery for you.

14 ‘All your alovers have forgotten you,

They do not seek you;

For I have bwounded you with the wound of an enemy,

With the cpunishment of a dcruel one,

Because your einiquity is great

And your fsins are numerous.

15 ‘Why do you cry out over your injury?

Your pain is incurable.

Because your iniquity is great

And your sins are numerous,

I have done these things to you.

16 ‘Therefore all who adevour you will be devoured;

And all your adversaries, every one of them, bwill go into captivity;

And those who plunder you will be for plunder,

And all who prey upon you I will give for prey.

17 ‘For I will 1restore you to 2ahealth

And I will heal you of your wounds,’ declares the Lord,

‘Because they have called you an boutcast, saying:

“It is Zion; no one 3cares for her.” ’

Restoration of Jacob

18 “Thus says the Lord,

‘Behold, I will arestore the 1fortunes of the tents of Jacob

And bhave compassion on his dwelling places;

And the ccity will be rebuilt on its ruin,

And the dpalace will stand on its rightful place.

19 ‘From them will proceed athanksgiving

And the voice of those who 1bcelebrate;

And I will cmultiply them and they will not be diminished;

I will also dhonor them and they will not be insignificant.

20 ‘1Their children also will be as formerly,

And 2their congregation shall be aestablished before Me;

And I will punish all 2their oppressors.

21 ‘1Their aleader shall be one of them,

And 1their ruler shall come forth from 1their midst;

And I will bbring him near and he shall approach Me;

For 2who would dare to risk his life to capproach Me?’ declares the Lord.

22 ‘You shall be aMy people,

And I will be your God.’ ”

23 Behold, the atempest of the Lord!

Wrath has gone forth,

A 1sweeping tempest;

It will burst on the head of the wicked.

24 The afierce anger of the Lord will not turn back

Until He has performed and until He has accomplished

The intent of His heart;

In the blatter days you will understand this.