Jeremiah 31

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 When that time comes, Yahweh declares, I shal be the God of al the families of Israel, and they wil bemy people.	1 At that time, says the LORD, I will be the God of all the tribes of Israel, and they shall be my people.
2 Yahweh says this: They have found pardon in the desert, those who have survived the sword. Israel ismarching to his rest.	2 Thus says the LORD: The people that escaped the sword have found favor in the desert. As Israel comes forward to be given 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.	3 the LORD appears to him from afar: With age-old love I have loved you; so I have kept my mercy toward 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.	4 Again I will restore you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin Israel; Carrying your festive tambourines, you shall go forth dancing with the merrymakers.
5 Once more you wil plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria (those who plant wil themselvesenjoy the fruit).	5 Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; those who plant them shall enjoy the fruits.
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!'	6 Yes, a day will come when the watchmen will call out on Mount Ephraim: "Rise up, let us go to Zion, to the LORD, 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!'	7 For thus says the LORD: Shout with joy for Jacob, exult at the head of the nations; proclaim your praise and say: The LORD has delivered 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!	8 Behold, I will bring them back from the land of the north; I will gather them from the ends of the world, with the blind and the lame in their midst, The mothers and those with child; they shall return as an immense throng.
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.	9 They departed in tears, but I will console them and guide them; I will lead them to brooks of water, on a level road, so that none shall stumble. For I am a father to Israel, Ephraim is my first-born.
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.'	10 Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, proclaim it on distant coasts, and say: He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together, he guards them as a shepherd his flock.
11 For Yahweh has ransomed Jacob, rescued him from a hand stronger than his own.	11 The LORD shall ransom Jacob, he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
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.	12 Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion, they shall come streaming to the LORD'S blessings: The grain, the wine, and the oil, the sheep and the oxen; They themselves shall be like watered gardens, never again shall they languish.
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;	13 Then the virgins shall make merry and dance, and young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
14 I shal refresh my priests with rich food, and my people wil gorge themselves on my lavish gifts,Yahweh declares.	14 I will lavish choice portions upon the priests, and my people shall be filled with my blessings, says the LORD.
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.	15 Thus says the LORD: In Ramah is heard the sound of moaning, of bitter weeping! Rachel mourns her children, she refuses to be consoled because her children 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.	16 Thus says the LORD: Cease your cries of mourning, wipe the tears from your eyes. The sorrow you have shown shall have its reward, says the LORD, they shall return from the enemy's land.
17 There is hope for your future after al , Yahweh declares, your children wil return to their homeland.	17 There is hope for your future, says the LORD; your sons shall return to their own borders.
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!	18 I hear, I hear Ephraim pleading: You chastised me, and I am chastened; I was an untamed calf. If you allow me, I will return, for you are the LORD, 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.'	19 I turn in repentance; I have come to myself, I strike my breast; I blush with shame, I bear the disgrace of my youth.
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.	20 Is Ephraim not my favored son, the child in whom I delight? Often as I threaten him, I still remember him with favor; My heart stirs for him, I must show him mercy, says the LORD.
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.	21 Set up road markers, put up guideposts; Turn your attention to the highway, the road by which you went. Turn back, O virgin Israel, turn back to these your cities.
22 How long wil you hesitate, rebellious daughter? For Yahweh is creating something new on earth: theWoman sets out to find her Husband again.	22 How long will you continue to stray, rebellious daughter? The LORD has created a new thing upon the earth: the woman must encompass the man with devotion.
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!"	23 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: When I change their lot in the land of Judah and her cities, they shall again repeat this greeting: "May the LORD bless you, holy mountain, abode of justice!"
24 'And in this country, Judah and al its towns, the ploughmen and those who wander with their flocks,wil live together,	24 Judah and all her cities, the farmers and those who lead the flock, shall dwell there together.
25 for I shal give the weary al they need and satisfy al those whose strength has gone.'	25 For I will refresh the weary soul; every soul that languishes I will replenish.
26 At this, I awoke and saw that my sleep had been sweet to me.	26 Upon this I awoke and opened my eyes; but my sleep was 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.	27 The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will seed the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast.
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.	28 As I once watched over them to uproot and pull down, to destroy, to ruin, and to harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the LORD.
29 'In those days people will no longer say: "The fathers have eaten unripe grapes; the children's teethare set on edge."	29 In those days they shall no longer say, "The fathers ate unripe grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge,"
30 But each will die for his own guilt. Everyone who eats unripe grapes will have his own teeth set onedge.	30 but through his own fault only shall anyone die: the teeth of him who eats the unripe grapes shall be set on edge.
31 'Look, the days are coming, Yahweh declares, when I shall make a new covenant with the House ofIsrael (and the House of Judah),	31 The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel 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.	32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers the day I took them by the hand to lead them forth from the land of Egypt; for they broke my covenant and I had to show myself their master, says the LORD.
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.	33 But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD. I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
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.'	34 No longer will they have need to teach their friends and kinsmen how to know the LORD. All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD, for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.
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,	35 Thus says the LORD, He who gives the sun to light the day, moon and stars to light the night; Who stirs up the sea till its waves roar, whose name is LORD of hosts:
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!'	36 If ever these natural laws give way in spite of me, says the LORD, Then shall the race of Israel cease as a nation before me forever.
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.'	37 Thus says the LORD: If the heavens on high can be measured, or the foundations below the earth be sounded, Then will I cast off the whole race of Israel because of all they have done, says the LORD.
38 'Look, the days are coming, Yahweh declares, when the City wil be rebuilt for Yahweh, from theTower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.	38 The days are coming, says the LORD, when the city shall be rebuilt as the LORD'S, from the Tower 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.	39 The measuring line shall be stretched from there straight to the hill Gareb and then turn 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.	40 The whole valley of corpses and ashes, all the slopes toward the Kidron Valley, as far as the corner of the Horse Gate at the east, shall be holy to the LORD. Never again shall the city be rooted up or thrown down.