Study Desk

"Set up road signs; put up guideposts.^(bn) Take note of the highway,^(bo) the road that you take. Return,^(bp) Virgin^(bq) Israel, return to your towns.

How long will you wander,^(br) unfaithful^(bs) Daughter Israel? The Lord will create a new thing^(bt) on earth— the woman will return to^[b](bu) the man."

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "When I bring them back from captivity,^[c](bv) the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: ‘The Lord bless^(bw) you, you prosperous city,^(bx) you sacred mountain.'^(by)

People will live^(bz) together in Judah and all its towns—farmers and those who move about with their flocks.^(ca)

I will refresh the weary^(cb) and satisfy the faint."^(cc)

At this I awoke^(cd) and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.

"The days are coming,"^(ce) declares the Lord , "when I will plant^(cf) the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals.

Just as I watched^(cg) over them to uproot^(ch) and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster,^(ci) so I will watch over them to build and to plant,"^(cj) declares the Lord .

"In those days people will no longer say, ‘The parents^(ck) have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.'^(cl)

Instead, everyone will die for their own sin;^(cm) whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.

"The days are coming," declares the Lord , "when I will make a new covenant^(cn) with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.

It will not be like the covenant^(co) I made with their ancestors^(cp) when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt,^(cq) because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband^(cr) to^[d] them,^[e]" declares the Lord .

"This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time," declares the Lord . "I will put my law in their minds^(cs) and write it on their hearts.^(ct) I will be their God, and they will be my people.^(cu)

No longer will they teach^(cv) their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord ,' because they will all know^(cw) me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the Lord . "For I will forgive^(cx) their wickedness and will remember their sins^(cy) no more."

This is what the Lord says, he who appoints^(cz) the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night,^(da) who stirs up the sea^(db) so that its waves roar^(dc)— the Lord Almighty is his name:^(dd)

"Only if these decrees^(de) vanish from my sight," declares the Lord , "will Israel^(df) ever cease being a nation before me."

This is what the Lord says: "Only if the heavens above can be measured^(dg) and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject^(dh) all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done," declares the Lord .

"The days are coming," declares the Lord , "when this city will be rebuilt^(di) for me from the Tower of Hananel^(dj) to the Corner Gate.^(dk)

The measuring line^(dl) will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah.

The whole valley^(dm) where dead bodies^(dn) and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley^(do) on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate,^(dp) will be holy^(dq) to the Lord . The city will never again be uprooted or demolished."

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth^(a) year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth^(b) year of Nebuchadnezzar.

The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging^(c) Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined^(d) in the courtyard of the guard^(e) in the royal palace of Judah.

Now Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him there, saying, "Why do you prophesy^(f) as you do? You say, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will capture^(g) it.

Zedekiah^(h) king of Judah will not escape⁽ⁱ⁾ the Babylonians^[a](j) but will certainly be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him with his own eyes.

He will take^(k) Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain until I deal with him,^(l) declares the Lord . If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed.'"^(m)

Jeremiah said, "The word of the Lord came to me:

Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth,⁽ⁿ⁾ because as nearest relative it is your right and duty^(o) to buy it.'

"Then, just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, ‘Buy my field^(p) at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.' "I knew that this was the word of the Lord ;

so I bought the field^(q) at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels^[b] of silver.^(r)

I signed and sealed the deed,^(s) had it witnessed,^(t) and weighed out the silver on the scales.

I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, as well as the unsealed copy—

and I gave this deed to Baruch^(u) son of Neriah,^(v) the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed and of all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard.

"In their presence I gave Baruch these instructions:

‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take these documents, both the sealed^(w) and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time.

For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.'^(x)

"After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch^(y) son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord :

"Ah, Sovereign Lord ,^(z) you have made the heavens and the earth^(aa) by your great power and outstretched arm.^(ab) Nothing is too hard^(ac) for you.

You show love^(ad) to thousands but bring the punishment for the parents' sins into the laps^(ae) of their children^(af) after them. Great and mighty God,^(ag) whose name is the Lord Almighty,^(ah)

great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds.^(ai) Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind;^(aj) you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve.^(ak)

You performed signs and wonders^(al) in Egypt^(am) and have continued them to this day, in Israel and among all mankind, and have gained the renown^(an) that is still yours.

You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, by a mighty hand^(ao) and an outstretched arm^(ap) and with great terror.^(aq)

You gave them this land you had sworn to give their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.^(ar)

They came in and took possession^(as) of it, but they did not obey you or follow your law;^(at) they did not do what you commanded them to do. So you brought all this disaster^(au) on them.

"See how the siege ramps^(av) are built up to take the city. Because of the sword, famine and plague,^(aw) the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians who are attacking it. What you said^(ax) has happened,^(ay) as you now see.

And though the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians, you, Sovereign Lord , say to me, ‘Buy the field^(az) with silver and have the transaction witnessed.^(ba)'"

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:

"I am the Lord , the God of all mankind.^(bb) Is anything too hard for me?^(bc)

Therefore this is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar^(bd) king of Babylon, who will capture it.^(be)

The Babylonians who are attacking this city will come in and set it on fire; they will burn it down,^(bf) along with the houses^(bg) where the people aroused my anger by burning incense on the roofs to Baal and by pouring out drink offerings^(bh) to other gods.^(bi)

"The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth;^(bj) indeed, the people of Israel have done nothing but arouse my anger^(bk) with what their hands have made,^(bl) declares the Lord .

From the day it was built until now, this city^(bm) has so aroused my anger and wrath that I must remove^(bn) it from my sight.

The people of Israel and Judah have provoked^(bo) me by all the evil^(bp) they have done—they, their kings and officials,^(bq) their priests and prophets, the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem.

They turned their backs^(br) to me and not their faces; though I taught^(bs) them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline.^(bt)

They set up their vile images^(bu) in the house that bears my Name^(bv) and defiled^(bw) it.

They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom^(bx) to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek,^(by) though I never commanded—nor did it enter my mind^(bz)—that they should do such a detestable^(ca) thing and so make Judah sin.^(cb)

"You are saying about this city, ‘By the sword, famine and plague^(cc) it will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon'; but this is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says:

I will surely gather^(cd) them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger^(ce) and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety.^(cf)

They will be my people,^(cg) and I will be their God.

I will give them singleness^(ch) of heart and action, so that they will always fear^(ci) me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them.

I will make an everlasting covenant^(cj) with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire^(ck) them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me.^(cl)

I will rejoice^(cm) in doing them good^(cn) and will assuredly plant^(co) them in this land with all my heart and soul.^(cp)

"This is what the Lord says: As I have brought all this great calamity^(cq) on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised^(cr) them.

Once more fields will be bought^(cs) in this land of which you say, ‘It is a desolate^(ct) waste, without people or animals, for it has been given into the hands of the Babylonians.'

Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds^(cu) will be signed, sealed and witnessed^(cv) in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev,^(cw) because I will restore^(cx) their fortunes,^[c] declares the Lord ."

While Jeremiah was still confined^(a) in the courtyard^(b) of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time:^(c)

"This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth,^(d) the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name:^(e)

‘Call^(f) to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable^(g) things you do not know.'

For this is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege^(h) ramps⁽ⁱ⁾ and the sword

in the fight with the Babylonians^[a]: ‘They will be filled with the dead bodies of the people I will slay in my anger and wrath.^(j) I will hide my face^(k) from this city because of all its wickedness.

"‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal^(l) my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace^(m) and security.

I will bring Judah⁽ⁿ⁾ and Israel back from captivity^[b](o) and will rebuild^(p) them as they were before.^(q)

I will cleanse^(r) them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive^(s) all their sins of rebellion against me.

Then this city will bring me renown,^(t) joy, praise^(u) and honor^(v) before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble^(w) at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.'

"This is what the Lord says: ‘You say about this place, "It is a desolate waste, without people or animals."^(x) Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted,^(y) inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more

the sounds of joy and gladness,^(z) the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings^(aa) to the house of the Lord , saying, "Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good;^(ab) his love endures forever."^(ac) For I will restore the fortunes^(ad) of the land as they were before,^(ae)' says the Lord .

"This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In this place, desolate^(af) and without people or animals^(ag)—in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks.^(ah)

In the towns of the hill^(ai) country, of the western foothills and of the Negev,^(aj) in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand^(ak) of the one who counts them,' says the Lord .

"‘The days are coming,' declares the Lord , ‘when I will fulfill the good promise^(al) I made to the people of Israel and Judah.

"‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous^(am) Branch^(an) sprout from David's line;^(ao) he will do what is just and right in the land.

In those days Judah will be saved^(ap) and Jerusalem will live in safety.^(aq) This is the name by which it^[c] will be called:^(ar) The Lord Our Righteous Savior.'^(as)

For this is what the Lord says: ‘David will never fail^(at) to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel,

nor will the Levitical^(au) priests^(av) ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.^(aw)'"

The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:

"This is what the Lord says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day^(ax) and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time,^(ay)

then my covenant^(az) with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites^(ba) who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne.^(bb)

I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless^(bc) as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.'"

The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:

"Have you not noticed that these people are saying, ‘The Lord has rejected the two kingdoms^[d](bd) he chose'? So they despise^(be) my people and no longer regard them as a nation.^(bf)

This is what the Lord says: ‘If I have not made my covenant with day and night^(bg) and established the laws^(bh) of heaven and earth,^(bi)

then I will reject^(bj) the descendants of Jacob^(bk) and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes^[e](bl) and have compassion^(bm) on them.'"