1 T he word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

The word that hath been unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,

2 “ This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write in a book all the words which I have spoken to you.

`Thus spake Jehovah, God of Israel, saying, Write for thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee on a book.

3 F or the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘when I will bring back My people Israel and Judah from where they are held.’ The Lord says, ‘I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers before them, and it will be theirs.’”

For, lo, days are coming -- an affirmation of Jehovah -- and I have turned back the captivity of My people Israel and Judah, said Jehovah, and I have caused them to turn back unto the land that I gave to their fathers, and they do possess it.'

4 T hese are the words which the Lord spoke about Israel and Judah:

And these the words that Jehovah hath spoken concerning Israel and concerning Judah:

5 “ The Lord says, ‘I have heard cries of much trouble, of being afraid, and there is no peace.

Surely thus said Jehovah: A voice of trembling we have heard, Fear -- and there is no peace.

6 A sk now and see, can a man give birth to a child? Why do I see every man with his hands on his body like a woman giving birth? Why have all faces turned white?

Ask, I pray you, and see, is a male bringing forth? Wherefore have I seen every man, His hands on his loins, as a travailing woman, And all faces have been turned to paleness?

7 T hat day will be very bad! There is none like it. It is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he will be saved out of it.

Wo! for great that day, without any like it, Yea, a time of adversity it to Jacob, Yet out of it he is saved.

8 O n that day,’ says the Lord of All, ‘I will break the cross-bar off from their neck, and will tear off their chains. Strangers will no longer make them their servants.

And it hath come to pass, in that day, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, I break his yoke from off thy neck, And thy bands I draw away, And lay no more service on him do strangers.

9 B ut they will serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

And they have served Jehovah their God, And David their king whom I raise up to them.

10 S o do not be afraid, O Jacob My servant,’ says the Lord, ‘and do not be troubled, O Israel, for see, from far away I will save you and your children from the land where they are being held. Jacob will return and have quiet rest, and no one will make him afraid.

And thou, be not afraid, My servant Jacob, An affirmation of Jehovah, Nor be affrighted, O Israel, For, lo, I am saving thee from afar, And thy seed from the land of their captivity, And Jacob hath turned back and rested, And is quiet, and there is none troubling.

11 F or I am with you to save you,’ says the Lord. ‘I will make a complete end of all the nations where I have sent you. I will not make a complete end of you, but I will give you the right punishment. I will not let you go without being punished.’

For with thee I, An affirmation of Jehovah -- to save thee, For I make an end of all the nations Whither I have scattered thee, Only, of thee I do not make an end, And I have chastised thee in judgment, And do not entirely acquit thee.

12 “ For the Lord says, ‘Your hurt cannot be healed. Your hurt is very bad.

For thus said Jehovah: Incurable is thy breach, grievous thy stroke,

13 T here is no one to ask for you in your cause, no help for your hurt, no healing for you.

There is none judging thy cause to bind up, Healing medicines there are none for thee.

14 A ll your lovers have forgotten you. They do not care about you. For I have hurt you as if you were hurt by one who hates you. You have been punished without pity, because you have much guilt. You have done many sins.

all loving thee have forgotten thee, Thee they do not seek, For with the stroke of an enemy I smote thee, The chastisement of a fierce one, Because of the abundance of thy iniquity, Mighty have been thy sins!

15 W hy do you cry out because of your hurt? Your pain cannot be healed. Because you have much guilt and have done many sins, I have done these things to you.

What! -- thou criest concerning thy breach! Incurable thy pain, Because of the abundance of thy iniquity, Mighty have been thy sins! I have done these to thee.

16 B ut all who destroy you will be destroyed. Every one of those who hate you will be taken away against their will. Those who rob you will be robbed, and all who hurt you will be hurt.

Therefore all consuming thee are consumed, And all thine adversaries -- all of them -- Into captivity do go, And thy spoilers have been for a spoil, And all thy plunderers I give up to plunder.

17 F or I will heal you. I will heal you where you have been hurt,’ says the Lord, ‘because they have said that you are not wanted. They have said, “It is Zion. No one cares for her.”’

For I increase health to thee, And from thy strokes I do heal thee, An affirmation of Jehovah, For `Outcast' they have called to thee, `Zion it, there is none seeking for her.'

18 “ The Lord says, ‘I will bring the tents of Jacob back from Babylon, and will have pity on his houses. The city will be built up again on its broken walls. And the king’s house will stand where it used to be.

Thus said Jehovah: Lo, I turn back the captivity of the tents of Jacob, And his dwelling places I pity, And the city hath been built on its heap, And the palace according to its ordinance remaineth.

19 T he people who live there will give much thanks and happy voices will be heard. And I will add to their numbers. They will not be made less. I will honor them, and they will be important.

And gone forth from them hath thanksgiving, And the voice of playful ones, And I have multiplied them and they are not few, And made them honourable, and they are not small.

20 T heir children will be as they were before. They will be a strong people before Me. And I will punish all those who make it hard for them.

And his sons have been as aforetime, And his company before Me is established, And I have seen after all his oppressors.

21 T heir leader will be one of them. Their ruler will come from among them. I will bring him near, and he will come close to Me. For who would have the strength of heart to come near Me on his own?’ says the Lord.

And his honourable one hath been of himself, And his ruler from his midst goeth forth, And I have caused him to draw near, And he hath drawn nigh unto Me, For who he who hath pledged his heart To draw nigh unto Me? An affirmation of Jehovah.

22 ‘ And you will be My people, and I will be your God.’”

And ye have been to Me for a people, And I am to you for God.

23 S ee the storm of the Lord! Anger has gone out, a very bad storm. It will break upon the heads of the sinful.

Lo, a whirlwind of Jehovah -- Fury hath gone forth -- a cutting whirlwind, On the head of the wicked it stayeth.

24 T he burning anger of the Lord will not turn back until He has done what He has planned in His heart to do. In days to come you will understand this.

The fierceness of the anger of Jehovah Doth not turn back till His doing, Yea, till His establishing the devices of His heart, In the latter end of the days we consider it!