The Excellence of the Restored Nation

1And the word of YHWH came to Jeremiah a second time (and he was still shut up in the court of the guard), saying: 2“Thus says YHWH, who made the earth,† YHWH who formed it to establish it—YHWH is His name: 3Call to Me and I will answer you, and will show to you great and hidden things that you have not known.

4For thus says YHWH, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah pulled down against the siege mounds and against the sword: 5They are coming in to fight with the Chaldeans† and to fill them with the carcasses of the men whom I will slay in My anger and in My fury, and for whom I have hidden My face from this city and over all their evil.

6Behold, I will bring to it health and healing; and I will heal them and will reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth. 7And I will turn back the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel,† and I will rebuild them as at the first. 8And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will forgive all their iniquities by which they have sinned against Me and by which they have transgressed against Me.

9And it will be for Me as a name of joy, as a praise and as an honor before all the nations of the earth, who will hear of all the good that I am doing for them, and they will dread and will tremble over all the goodness and over all the prosperity that I will provide for it.

10Thus says YHWH: Once again there will be heard in this place of which you⁺ say it is desolate without man and without beast, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate without man and without inhabitant and without beast, 11the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those saying—‘Praise YHWH of Hosts,

for YHWH is good,

for His loving devotion is forever’—

of those bringing thank offerings into the house of YHWH.

For I will turn back the captivity of the land† as at the first, says YHWH.

12Thus says YHWH of Hosts: Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all its cities, there will be a dwelling place of shepherds causing the flock to lie down. 13In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah,† and in the cities of the Negev, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, the flock will pass again under the hands of the one counting, says YHWH.

The Covenant with David

Behold, the days are coming,

a declaration of YHWH,

when I will establish the good word

that I have spoken

to the house of Israel

and to the house of Judah.

In those days and at that time

I will cause to spring up for David a Branch of righteousness,

and he will do justice

and righteousness in the land.

In those days Judah will be saved

and Jerusalem will dwell in safety;

and this is is what will be called unto her:

YHWH Tsidqenu.†

For thus says YHWH: David will never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, nor will the priests, the Levites, lack a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice all the days.

And came the word of YHWH to Jeremiah, saying: “Thus says YHWH: If you⁺ can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night, so that there will not be day and night in their season, then also My covenant may be broken with David My servant, from there being unto him a son reigning on his throne; so with the Levites, the priests, those ministering to Me. As the host of the heavens cannot be numbered and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so will I multiply the seed of David My servant and the Levites ministering to Me.

And came the word of YHWH to Jeremiah, saying: “Have you not considered what this people have spoken, saying, ‘The two families that YHWH has chosen, and He has rejected them? Thus they have despised My people from being anymore a nation before them. Thus says YHWH: If My covenant is not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the fixed orders of the heavens and earth, then the seed of Jacob and David My servant will I refuse to take from his seed to be reigning over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will turn back their captivity,† and T will have mercy on them.