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

And there is a word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah a second time -- and he yet detained in the court of the prison -- saying:

2 T hus says the Lord Who made, the Lord Who formed it to establish it—the Lord is His name:

Thus said Jehovah its maker, Jehovah its former, at establishing it, Jehovah His name:

3 C all 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).

Call unto Me, and I do answer thee, yea, I declare to thee great and fenced things -- thou hast not known them.

4 F or 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:

For thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, that are broken down for the mounts, and for the tool;

5 T hey 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.

they are coming in to fight with the Chaldeans, and to fill them with the carcases of men, whom I have smitten in Mine anger, and in My fury, and whom I have hidden My face from this city, because of all their evil:

6 B ehold, 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.

Lo, I am increasing to it health and cure, And have healed them, and revealed to them The abundance of peace and truth.

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

And I have turned back the captivity of Judah, And the captivity of Israel, And I have built them as at the first,

8 A nd 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.

And cleansed them from all their iniquity, That they have sinned against Me, And I have pardoned all their iniquities, That they have sinned against Me, And that they transgressed against Me.

9 A nd 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.

And it hath been to Me for a name of joy, For praise, and for beauty, to all nations of the earth, Who hear of all the good that I am doing them, And they have feared, And they have trembled for all the good, And for all the peace, that I am doing to it.

10 T hus 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—

Thus said Jehovah: Again heard in this place of which ye are saying, Waste it, without man and without beast, In cities of Judah, and in streets of Jerusalem, That are desolated, 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 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.

Is a voice of joy and a voice of gladness, Voice of bridegroom, and voice of bride, The voice of those saying, Thank Jehovah of Hosts, for Jehovah good, For His kindness to the age, Who are bringing in thanksgiving to the house of Jehovah, For I turn back the captivity of the land, As at the first, said Jehovah.

12 T hus 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.

Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Again there is in this place -- that is waste, Without man and beast, And in all its cities -- a habitation of shepherds, Causing the flock to lie down.

13 I n 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.

In the cities of the hill-country, In the cities of the low country, And in the cities of the south, And in the land of Benjamin, And in the suburbs of Jerusalem, And in the cities of Judah, Again doth the flock pass by under the hands of the numberer, said Jehovah.

14 B ehold, 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.

Lo, days are coming, an affirmation of Jehovah, And I have established the good word That I spake unto the house of Israel, And concerning the house of Judah.

15 I n 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.

In those days, and at that time, I cause to shoot up to David a shoot of righteousness, And he hath done judgment and righteousness in the earth.

16 I n 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).

In those days is Judah saved, And Jerusalem doth dwell confidently, And this he whom Jehovah proclaimeth to her: `Our Righteousness.'

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

For thus said Jehovah: `Not cut off to David is one sitting on the throne of the house of Israel,

18 N or 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).

And to the priests -- the Levites, Not cut off from before Me is one, Causing a burnt-offering to ascend, And perfuming a present, and making sacrifice -- all the days.'

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

And there is a word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah, saying,

20 T hus 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,

`Thus said Jehovah: If ye do break My covenant of the day, And My covenant of the night, So that they are not daily and nightly in their season,

21 T hen 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.

Also My covenant is broken with David My servant, So that he hath not a son reigning on his throne, And with the Levites the priests, My ministers.

22 A s 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.

As the host of the heavens is not numbered, Nor the sand of the sea measured, So I multiply the seed of David My servant, And the Levites My ministers.'

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

And there is a word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah, saying:

24 H ave 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.

`Hast thou not considered what this people have spoken, saying: The two families on which Jehovah fixed, He doth reject them, And my people they despise -- So that they are no more a people before them!

25 T hus 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,

Thus said Jehovah: If My covenant not daily and nightly, The statutes of heaven and earth I have not appointed --

26 T hen 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.

Also the seed of Jacob, and David My servant, I reject, Against taking from his seed rulers For the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, For I turn back their captivity, and have pitied them.'