The Lord Reaffirms His Covenant with David, Israel, and Levi

33:14 “I, the Lord, affirm:29 ‘The time will certainly come when I will fulfill my gracious promise concerning the nations of Israel and Judah.30 33:15 In those days and at that time I will raise up for them a righteous descendant31 of David.

“ ‘He will do what is just and right in the land. 33:16 Under his rule Judah will enjoy safety32 and Jerusalem33 will live in security. At that time Jerusalem will be called “The Lord has provided us with justice.”34 33:17 For I, the Lord, promise: “David will never lack a successor to occupy35 the throne over the nation of Israel.36 33:18 Nor will the Levitical priests ever lack someone to stand before me and continually offer up burnt offerings, sacrifice cereal offerings, and offer the other sacrifices.” ’ ”37

33:19 The Lord spoke further to Jeremiah.38 33:20 “I, Lord, make the following promise:39 ‘I have made a covenant with the day40 and with the night that they will always come at their proper times. Only if you people41 could break that covenant 33:21 could my covenant with my servant David and my covenant with the Levites ever be broken. So David will by all means always have a descendant to occupy his throne as king and the Levites will by all means always have priests who will minister before me.42 33:22 I will make the children who follow one another in the line of my servant David very numerous. I will also make the Levites who minister before me very numerous. I will make them all as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sands which are on the seashore.’ ”43

33:23 The Lord spoke still further to Jeremiah.44 33:24 “You have surely noticed what these people are saying, haven’t you? They are saying,45 ‘The Lord has rejected the two families of Israel and Judah46 that he chose.’ So they have little regard that my people will ever again be a nation.47 33:25 But I, the Lord, make the following promise:48 I have made a covenant governing the coming of day and night. I have established the fixed laws governing heaven and earth. 33:26 Just as surely as I have done this, so surely will I never reject the descendants of Jacob. Nor will I ever refuse to choose one of my servant David’s descendants to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Indeed,49 I will restore them50 and show mercy to them.”