Jeremiah 31

¹ When that time comes, Yahweh declares, I shal be the God of al the families of Israel, and they wil bemy people.

² Yahweh says this: They have found pardon in the desert, those who have survived the sword. Israel ismarching to his rest.

³ Yahweh has appeared to me from afar; I have loved you with an everlasting love and so I stil maintainmy faithful love for you.

⁴ I shal build you once more, yes, you wil be rebuilt, Virgin of Israel! Once more in your best attire, andwith your tambourines, you wil go out dancing gaily.

⁵ Once more you wil plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria (those who plant wil themselvesenjoy the fruit).

⁶ Yes, a day will come when the watchmen shout on the mountains of Ephraim, 'Up! Let us go up toZion, to Yahweh our God!'

⁷ For Yahweh says this: Shout with joy for Jacob! Hail the chief of nations! Proclaim! Praise! Shout,'Yahweh has saved his people, the remnant of Israel!'

⁸ Watch, I shall bring them back from the land of the north and gather them in from the far ends of theearth. With them, the blind and the lame, women with child, women in labour, al together: a mighty throng willreturn here!

⁹ In tears they wil return, in prayer I shal lead them. I shal guide them to streams of water, by a smoothpath where they wil not stumble. For I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first-born son.

¹⁰ Listen, nations, to the word of Yahweh. On the farthest coasts and islands proclaim it, say, 'He whoscattered Israel is gathering him, wil guard him as a shepherd guarding his flock.'

¹¹ For Yahweh has ransomed Jacob, rescued him from a hand stronger than his own.

¹² They wil come, shouting for joy on the heights of Zion, thronging towards Yahweh's lavish gifts, forwheat, new wine and oil, sheep and cattle; they will be like a wel -watered garden, they wil sorrow no more.

¹³ The young girl will then take pleasure in the dance, and young men and old alike; I shal change theirmourning into gladness, comfort them, give them joy after their troubles;

¹⁴ I shal refresh my priests with rich food, and my people wil gorge themselves on my lavish gifts,Yahweh declares.

¹⁵ Yahweh says this: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamenting and weeping bitterly: it is Rachel weeping forher children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.

¹⁶ Yahweh says this: Stop your lamenting dry your eyes, for your labour wil have a reward, Yahwehdeclares, and they will return from the enemy's country.

¹⁷ There is hope for your future after al , Yahweh declares, your children wil return to their homeland.

¹⁸ I have indeed heard Ephraim's grieving, 'You flogged me, I took a flogging, like a young, untrainedbull. Bring me back, let me come back, for you are Yahweh my God!

¹⁹ For, since I turned away, I have repented; having understood, I beat my breast. I was deeplyashamed, I blushed, aware of the disgrace incurred when I was young.'

²⁰ Is Ephraim, then, so dear a son to me, a child so favoured, that whenever I mention him I rememberhim lovingly still? That is why I yearn for him, why I must take pity on him, Yahweh declares.

²¹ Set up your signposts, raise yourself landmarks, fix your mind on the road, the way by which youwent. Come home, Virgin of Israel, come home to these towns of yours.

²² How long wil you hesitate, rebellious daughter? For Yahweh is creating something new on earth: theWoman sets out to find her Husband again.

²³ Yahweh Sabaoth, the God of Israel, says this, 'In the country of Judah and in its towns, they will usethese words once more, when I bring their captives home: "Yahweh bless you, home of saving justice, holymountain!"

²⁴ 'And in this country, Judah and al its towns, the ploughmen and those who wander with their flocks,wil live together,

²⁵ for I shal give the weary al they need and satisfy al those whose strength has gone.'

²⁶ At this, I awoke and saw that my sleep had been sweet to me.

²⁷ 'Look, the days are coming, Yahweh declares, when I shall sow the House of Israel and the House ofJudah with the seed both of people and of cattle.

²⁸ And as I once watched over them to uproot, to knock down, to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster,so now I shall watch over them to build and to plant, Yahweh declares.

²⁹ 'In those days people will no longer say: "The fathers have eaten unripe grapes; the children's teethare set on edge."

³⁰ But each will die for his own guilt. Everyone who eats unripe grapes will have his own teeth set onedge.

³¹ 'Look, the days are coming, Yahweh declares, when I shall make a new covenant with the House ofIsrael (and the House of Judah),

³² but not like the covenant I made with their ancestors the day I took them by the hand to bring them outof Egypt, a covenant which they broke, even though I was their Master, Yahweh declares.

³³ No, this is the covenant I shal make with the House of Israel when those days have come, Yahwehdeclares. Within them I shal plant my Law, writing it on their hearts. Then I shal be their God and they wil be mypeople.

³⁴ There wil be no further need for everyone to teach neighbour or brother, saying, "Learn to knowYahweh!" No, they wil al know me, from the least to the greatest, Yahweh declares, since I shal forgive theirguilt and never more cal their sin to mind.'

³⁵ Yahweh who provides the sun to shine by day, who regulates moon and stars to shine by night, whostirs the sea, making its waves roar, he whose name is Yahweh Sabaoth, says this,

³⁶ 'Were this established order ever to pass away before me, Yahweh declares, then the race of Israelwould also cease being a nation for ever before me!'

³⁷ Yahweh says this, 'Were the heavens above ever to be measured, the foundations of the earth belowever to be fathomed, then I too would reject the whole race of Israel for al that they have done, Yahwehdeclares.'

³⁸ 'Look, the days are coming, Yahweh declares, when the City wil be rebuilt for Yahweh, from theTower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.

³⁹ Then once again the measuring line wil stretch straight to the Hil of Gareb, turning then to Goah.

⁴⁰ And the whole valley, with its corpses and ashes, and al the ground beside the ravine of the Kidronas far as the corner of the Horse Gate, eastwards, will be consecrated to Yahweh. It will never be destroyed ordemolished again.