Yahweh Will Return the Fortunes of His People
The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying, 2 “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘aWrite all the words which I have spoken to you in a book. 3 For behold, adays are coming,’ declares Yahweh, ‘when I will breturn the fortunes of My people cIsrael and Judah.’ Yahweh says, ‘I will also dcause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.’”
4 Now these are the words which Yahweh spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah:
5 “For thus says Yahweh,
‘We have heard a sound of atrembling,
Of dread, and there is no peace.
6 Ask now, and see
If a male can give birth.
Why do I see every man
With his hands on his loins, aas a woman in childbirth?
And why have all faces turned pale?
7 Alas! For that aday is great,
There is bnone like it;
And it is the time of Jacob’s cdistress,
But he will be dsaved from it.
8 ‘And it will be in that day,’ declares Yahweh of hosts, ‘that I will abreak his yoke from off your neck and will tear off your bbonds; and strangers will no longer cmake them their slaves. 9 But they shall be a slave to Yahweh their God and aDavid their king, whom I will raise up for them.
10 aFear not, O Jacob My servant,’ declares Yahweh,
‘And do not be dismayed, O Israel;
For behold, I will save you bfrom afar
And your seed from the land of their captivity.
And Jacob will return and will be cquiet and at ease,
And dno one will make him tremble.
11 For aI am with you,’ declares Yahweh, ‘to save you;
For I will bmake a complete destruction of all the nations where I have scattered you,
Only I will cnot make a complete destruction of you.
But I will dchasten you justly
And will by no means leave you unpunished.’
12 “For thus says Yahweh,
‘Your injury is incurable,
And your awound is desperately sick.
13 There is no one to plead your cause;
No healing for your sore,
aNo recovery for you.
14 All your alovers have forgotten you;
They do not seek you;
For I have bwounded you with the wound of an enemy,
With the cpunishment of a dcruel one,
Because your einiquity is numerous
And your fsins are mighty.
15 Why do you cry out over your injury?
Your pain is incurable.
Because your iniquity is numerous
And your sins are mighty,
I have done these things to you.
16 Therefore all who adevour you will be devoured;
And all your adversaries, every one of them, bwill go into captivity;
And those who take you as spoil will be spoil,
And all who plunder you I will give as plunder.
17 For I will restore you to ahealth,
And I will heal you of your wounds,’ declares Yahweh,
‘Because they have called you a bbanished one, saying:
“It is Zion; no one is seeking her.”’
18 “Thus says Yahweh,
‘Behold, I will areturn the fortunes of the tents of Jacob
And bhave compassion on his dwelling places;
And the ccity will be rebuilt on its ruin,
And the dpalace will sit on its just place.
19 From them will come forth athanksgiving
And the voice of those who bcelebrate;
And I will cmultiply them, and they will not decrease;
I will also dhonor them, and they will not be insignificant.
20 Their children also will be as formerly,
And their congregation shall be aestablished before Me;
And I will punish all their oppressors.
21 And their amighty one shall be one of them,
And their ruler shall come forth from their midst;
And I will bbring Him near, and He shall approach Me;
For who would dare to give his heart as security to capproach Me?’ declares Yahweh.
22 ‘You shall be aMy people,
And I will be your God.’”
23 Behold, the astorm of Yahweh!
Wrath has gone forth,
A sweeping storm;
It will burst on the head of the wicked.
24 The aburning anger of Yahweh will not turn back
Until He has done and until He has established
The intent of His heart;
In the blast days you will understand this.