1 M oreover the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying,

Moreover, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the guard, saying,

2 T hus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name;

Thus says the Lord Who made, the Lord Who formed it to establish it—the Lord is His name:

3 c all unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand).

4 F or thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword;

For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah which are torn down to make a defense against the siege mounds and before the sword:

5 t hey come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city.

They are coming in to fight against the Chaldeans, and they will be filled with the dead bodies of men whom I shall slay in My anger and My wrath; for I have hidden My face from this city because of all their wickedness.

6 B ehold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.

Behold, I will lay upon it health and healing, and I will cure them and will reveal to them the abundance of peace (prosperity, security, stability) and truth.

7 A nd I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.

And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to be reversed and will rebuild them as they were at first.

8 A nd I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.

And I will cleanse them from all the guilt and iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will forgive all their guilt and iniquities by which they have sinned and rebelled against Me.

9 A nd it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.

And shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth that hear of all the good I do for it, and they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace, prosperity, security, and stability I provide for it.

10 T hus saith the Lord; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast,

Thus says the Lord: Yet again there shall be heard in this place of which you say, It is a desolate waste, without man and without beast—even in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast—

11 t he voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of hosts: for the Lord is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the Lord.

the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing as they bring sacrifices of thanksgiving into the house of the Lord, Give praise and thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good; for His mercy and kindness and steadfast love endure forever! For I will cause the captivity of the land to be reversed and return to be as it was at first, says the Lord.

12 T hus saith the Lord of hosts; Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.

Thus says the Lord of hosts: In this place which is desolate, without man and without beast, and in all its cities, there shall again be dwellings and pastures of shepherds resting their flocks.

13 I n the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth them, saith the Lord.

In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, in the cities of the South (the Negeb), in the land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah shall flocks pass again under the hands of him who counts them, says the Lord.

14 B ehold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the good promise I have made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

15 I n those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.

In those days and at that time will I cause a righteous Branch to grow up to David; and He shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

16 I n those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness.

In those days Judah shall be saved and Jerusalem shall dwell safely. And this is the name by which it will be called, The Lord is Our Righteousness (our Rightness, our Justice).

17 F or thus saith the Lord; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;

For thus says the Lord: David shall never fail a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel,

18 n either shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.

Nor shall the Levitical priests fail a man to offer burnt offerings before Me and to burn cereal offerings and to make sacrifices continually (all day long).

19 A nd the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,

20 T hus saith the Lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;

Thus says the Lord: If you can break My covenant with the day, and My covenant with the night, so that there should not be day and night in their season,

21 t hen may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.

Then can also My covenant be broken with David My servant, so that he shall not have a son to reign upon his throne, and with the Levitical priests, My ministers.

22 A s the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.

As the host of the heavens cannot be numbered nor the sand of the sea be measured, so will I multiply the offspring of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.

23 M oreover the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,

Moreover, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,

24 C onsiderest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the Lord hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.

Have you not noticed that these people are saying, The Lord has cast off the two families which He chose? Thus My people have despised, so that they are no more a nation in their sight.

25 T hus saith the Lord; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth;

Thus says the Lord: If My covenant with day and night does not stand, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of the heavens and the earth,

26 t hen will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.

Then will I also cast away the descendants of Jacob and David My servant and will not choose one of his offspring to be ruler over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will cause their captivity to be reversed, and I will have mercy, kindness, and steadfast love on and for them.