Restoration Promised

1Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, saying, 2“This is what the LORD says, He who made [a]the earth, the LORD who formed it to create it, He whose name is the LORD: 3‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and [b]mighty things, which you do not know.’ 4For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel says concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah which have been torn down to make a defense against the assault ramps and the sword: 5‘While they are coming to fight the Chaldeans and to fill [c]their houses with the bodies of people whom I have struck down in My anger and My wrath, and I have hidden My face from this city because of all their wickedness: 6Behold, I am going to bring to it healing and a remedy, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth. 7And I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and will rebuild them as they were at first. 8And I will cleanse them from all their wrongdoing by which they have sinned against Me, and I will forgive all their wrongdoings by which they have sinned against Me and revolted against Me. 9[d]It will be to Me a name of joy, praise, and glory before all the nations of the earth, which will hear of all the good that I do for them, and they will be frightened and tremble because of all the good and all the peace that I make for it.’

10“This is what the LORD says: ‘Yet again there will be heard in this place, of which you say, “It is a waste, without man and without animal,” that is, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, without man and without inhabitant and without animal, 11the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say,

“Give thanks to the LORD of armies,

For the LORD is good,

For His mercy is everlasting,”

as they bring a thanksgiving offering into the house of the LORD. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were at first,’ says the LORD.

12“This is what the LORD of armies says: ‘There will again be in this place which is waste, without man or animal, and in all its cities, a pasture for shepherds who rest their flocks. 13In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, in the cities of the Negev, in the land of Benjamin, in the areas surrounding Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, the flocks will again pass under the hands of the one who counts them,’ says the LORD.

The Davidic Kingdom

14‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch of David sprout; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. 16In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety; and this is the name by which it will be called: the LORD is our righteousness.’ 17For this is what the LORD says: ‘[e]David shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; 18[f]and the Levitical priests shall not lack a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to prepare sacrifices [g]continually.’”

19And the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 20“This is what the LORD says: ‘If you can break My covenant for the day and My covenant for the night, so that day and night do not occur at their proper time, 21then My covenant with David My servant may also be broken, so that he will not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levitical priests, My ministers. 22As the heavenly [h]lights cannot be counted, and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the [i]descendants of My servant David and the Levites who serve Me.’”

23And the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 24“Have you not observed what these people have asserted, saying, ‘The two families which the LORD chose, He has rejected them’? So they despise My people as no longer being a nation [j]in their sight. 25This is what the LORD says: ‘If My covenant for day and night does not continue, and I have not established the [k]fixed patterns of heaven and earth, 26then I would reject the [l]descendants of Jacob and David My servant, so as not to take from his [m]descendants rulers over the [n]descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But I will restore their fortunes and have mercy on them.’”