Jeremiah 30

Restoration of Israel

30This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ²“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write^d in a book all the words I have spoken to you. ³The days^e are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will bring^f my people Israel and Judah back from captivity^a and restore^g them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the Lord.”

⁴These are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: ⁵“This is what the Lord says:

“ ‘Cries of fear^h are heard—

terror, not peace.

⁶Ask and see:

Can a man bear children?

Then why do I see every strong man

with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor,ⁱ

every face turned deathly pale?^j

⁷How awful that day^k will be!

No other will be like it.

It will be a time of trouble^l for Jacob,

but he will be saved^m out of it.

⁸“ ‘In that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty,

‘I will break the yokeⁿ off their necks

and will tear off their bonds;^o

no longer will foreigners enslave them.^p

⁹Instead, they will serve the Lord their God

and David^q their king,^r

whom I will raise up for them.

¹⁰“ ‘So do not be afraid,^s Jacob my servant;^t

do not be dismayed, Israel,’

declares the Lord.

‘I will surely save^u you out of a distant place,

your descendants from the land of their exile.

Jacob will again have peace and security,^v

and no one will make him afraid.^w

¹¹I am with you^x and will save you,’

declares the Lord.

‘Though I completely destroy all the nations

among which I scatter you,

I will not completely destroy^y you.

I will discipline^z you but only in due measure;

I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’^a

¹²“This is what the Lord says:

“ ‘Your wound^b is incurable,

your injury beyond healing.^c

¹³There is no one to plead your cause,^d

no remedy for your sore,

no healing^e for you.

¹⁴All your allies^f have forgotten you;

they care nothing for you.

I have struck you as an enemy^g would

and punished you as would the cruel,^h

because your guilt is so great

and your sinsⁱ so many.

¹⁵Why do you cry out over your wound,

your pain that has no cure?^j

Because of your great guilt and many sins

I have done these things to you.^k

¹⁶“ ‘But all who devour^l you will be devoured;

all your enemies will go into exile.^m

Those who plunderⁿ you will be plundered;

all who make spoil of you I will despoil.

¹⁷But I will restore you to health

and heal^o your wounds,’

declares the Lord,

‘because you are called an outcast,^p

Zion for whom no one cares.’^q

¹⁸“This is what the Lord says:

“ ‘I will restore the fortunes^r of Jacob’s tents^s

and have compassion^t on his dwellings;

the city will be rebuilt^u on her ruins,

and the palace will stand in its proper place.

¹⁹From them will come songs^v of thanksgiving^w

and the sound of rejoicing.^x

I will add to their numbers,^y

and they will not be decreased;

I will bring them honor,^z

and they will not be disdained.

²⁰Their children^a will be as in days of old,

and their community will be established^b before me;

I will punish^c all who oppress them.

²¹Their leader^d will be one of their own;

their ruler will arise from among them.^e

I will bring him near^f and he will come close to me—

for who is he who will devote himself

to be close to me?’

declares the Lord.

²²“ ‘So you will be my people,^g

and I will be your God.^h’ ”

²³See, the stormⁱ of the Lord

will burst out in wrath,

a driving wind swirling down

on the heads of the wicked.

²⁴The fierce anger^j of the Lord will not turn back^k

until he fully accomplishes

the purposes of his heart.

In days to come

you will understand^l this.