Jeremiah 31

“At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the God^j of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”

This is what the Lord says:

“The people who survive the sword

will find favor^k in the wilderness;

I will come to give rest^l to Israel.”

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:

“I have loved^m you with an everlasting love;

I have drawnⁿ you with unfailing kindness.

I will build you up again,

and you, Virgin^o Israel, will be rebuilt.^p

Again you will take up your timbrels^q

and go out to dance^r with the joyful.^s

Again you will plant^t vineyards

on the hills of Samaria;^u

the farmers will plant them

and enjoy their fruit.^v

There will be a day when watchmen^w cry out

on the hills of Ephraim,

‘Come, let us go up to Zion,

to the Lord our God.’ ”^x

This is what the Lord says:

“Sing^y with joy for Jacob;

shout for the foremost^z of the nations.

Make your praises heard, and say,

‘Lord, save^a your people,

the remnant^b of Israel.’

See, I will bring them from the land of the north^c

and gather^d them from the ends of the earth.

Among them will be the blind^e and the lame,^f

expectant mothers and women in labor;

a great throng will return.

They will come with weeping;^g

they will pray as I bring them back.

I will lead^h them beside streams of waterⁱ

on a level^j path where they will not stumble,

because I am Israel’s father,^k

and Ephraim is my firstborn son.

“Hear the word of the Lord, you nations;

proclaim it in distant coastlands:^l

‘He who scattered^m Israel will gatherⁿ them

and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’^o

For the Lord will deliver Jacob

and redeem^p them from the hand of those stronger^q than they.

They will come and shout for joy^r on the heights^s of Zion;

they will rejoice in the bounty^t of the Lord—

the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,^u

the young of the flocks^v and herds.

They will be like a well-watered garden,^w

and they will sorrow^x no more.

Then young women will dance and be glad,

young men and old as well.

I will turn their mourning^y into gladness;

I will give them comfort^z and joy^a instead of sorrow.

I will satisfy^b the priests^c with abundance,

and my people will be filled with my bounty,^d”

declares the Lord.

This is what the Lord says:

“A voice is heard in Ramah,^e

mourning and great weeping,

Rachel weeping for her children

and refusing to be comforted,^f

because they are no more.”^g

This is what the Lord says:

“Restrain your voice from weeping

and your eyes from tears,^h

for your work will be rewarded,ⁱ”

declares the Lord.

“They will return^j from the land of the enemy.

So there is hope^k for your descendants,”

declares the Lord.

“Your children^l will return to their own land.

“I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:

‘You disciplined^m me like an unruly calf,ⁿ

and I have been disciplined.

Restore^o me, and I will return,

because you are the Lord my God.

After I strayed,^p

I repented;

after I came to understand,

I beat^q my breast.

I was ashamed^r and humiliated

because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’^s

Is not Ephraim my dear son,

the child^t in whom I delight?

Though I often speak against him,

I still remember^u him.

Therefore my heart yearns for him;

I have great compassion^v for him,”

declares the Lord.

“Set up road signs;

put up guideposts.^w

Take note of the highway,^x

the road that you take.

Return,^y Virgin^z Israel,

return to your towns.

How long will you wander,^a

unfaithful^b Daughter Israel?

The Lord will create a new thing^c on earth—

the woman will return to^d the man.”

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity,^e the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: ‘The Lord bless^f you, you prosperous city,^g you sacred mountain.’^h People will liveⁱ together in Judah and all its towns—farmers and those who move about with their flocks.^j I will refresh the weary^k and satisfy the faint.”^l

At this I awoke^m and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.

“The days are coming,”ⁿ declares the Lord, “when I will plant^o the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the offspring of people and of animals. Just as I watched^p over them to uproot^q and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster,^r so I will watch over them to build and to plant,”^s declares the Lord. “In those days people will no longer say,

‘The parents^t have eaten sour grapes,

and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’^u

Instead, everyone will die for their own sin;^v whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,

“when I will make a new covenant^w

with the house of Israel

and with the house of Judah.

It will not be like the covenant^x

I made with their ancestors^y

when I took them by the hand

to lead them out of Egypt,^z

because they broke my covenant,

though I was a husband^a to them,”

declares the Lord.

“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel

after that time,” declares the Lord.

“I will put my law in their minds^b

and write it on their hearts.^c

I will be their God,

and they will be my people.^d

No longer will they teach^e their neighbors,

or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’

because they will all know^f me,

from the least of them to the greatest,”

declares the Lord.

“For I will forgive^g their wickedness

and will remember their sins^h no more.”

This is what the Lord says,

he who appointsⁱ the sun

to shine by day,

who decrees the moon and stars

to shine by night,^j

who stirs up the sea^k

so that its waves roar^l—

the Lord Almighty is his name:^m

“Only if these decreesⁿ vanish from my sight,”

declares the Lord,

“will the descendants^o of Israel ever cease

to be a nation before me.”

This is what the Lord says:

“Only if the heavens above can be measured^p

and the foundations of the earth below be searched out

will I reject^q 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^r for me from the Tower of Hananel^s to the Corner Gate.^t The measuring line^u will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. The whole valley^v where dead bodies^w and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley^x on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate,^y will be holy^z to the Lord. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.”