Jeremiah 31

1At that time, declares Yahweh, I will be God to all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.

2Thus says Yahweh: The people who survived the sword found favor in the wilderness—Israel—when I went to give him rest.

3From far off Yahweh appeared to me: with everlasting love I have loved you; therefore with favor I have drawn you.

4Again I will build you, and you will be built, virgin Israel; again you will adorn yourself with your tambourines and go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.

5Again you will plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters will plant and will enjoy them.

6For there will be a day when watchmen on Mount Ephraim cry out, "Arise, and let us go up to Zion to Yahweh our God."

7For thus says Yahweh: Rejoice with gladness for Jacob, shout at the head of the nations, proclaim, praise, and say, "Save your people, Yahweh, the remnant of Israel."

8Behold, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the remotest parts of the earth, the blind and the lame with them, pregnant women and those giving birth together—a great assembly returning here.

9They will come weeping, and with pleas I will guide them to streams of water along a level path where they will not stumble, for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

10Nations, hear the word of Yahweh, proclaim it in distant islands, and say: He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him, as a shepherd his flock.

11For Yahweh has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand of one stronger than he.

12They will come and sing for joy on Zion's heights, streaming to Yahweh's goodness—for grain, new wine, oil, the flock's young and the herd—and their soul will be like a well-watered garden; they will sorrow no more forever.

13Then the maiden will rejoice in the dance, young men and elders together; I will turn their mourning into joy, comfort them, and gladden them from their sorrow.

14I will satisfy the souls of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be filled with my goodness, says Yahweh.

15Thus says Yahweh: A voice is heard in Ramah, wailing and bitter weeping; Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children because they are no more.

16Thus says Yahweh: Hold back your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for there is reward for your labor, declares Yahweh, and they will return from the land of the enemy.

17There is hope for your future, declares Yahweh; your children will return to their borders.

18I have surely heard Ephraim lamenting: "You disciplined me, and I was disciplined like an untrained calf; turn me back, and I will return, for you are Yahweh my God."

19Indeed, after my return I repented, and after being instructed I struck my thigh; I was ashamed, even confounded, because I bore the reproach of my youth.

20Is Ephraim my precious son? Is he a child of delights? For as often as I speak against him, I earnestly remember him still; therefore my heart is stirred for him—I will surely have mercy on him, declares Yahweh.

21Set up signposts for yourself; place guideposts for yourself. Direct your heart to the highway by which you went. Return, virgin Israel; return to these your cities.

22How long will you roam, backsliding daughter? For Yahweh has created a new thing in the land: a woman shall surround a man.

23Thus says Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel: Again they will speak this saying in the land of Judah and its cities when I restore their captivity: "Yahweh bless you, dwelling of righteousness, holy mountain."

24Farmers and those who journey with flocks will dwell together in Judah and all its cities.

25For I have satisfied the weary soul, and every sorrowing soul I have filled.

26Upon this I awoke and saw, and my sleep was pleasant to me.

27Look, days are coming, says Yahweh, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with human seed and with animal seed.

28It will be just as I watched over them to uproot and break down and demolish and destroy and harm, so I will watch over them to build and plant, says Yahweh.

29In those days they will no longer say, "Fathers ate sour grapes, and the sons' teeth grow blunt."

30But a man will die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grape will have his teeth set on edge.

31See, days are coming, declares Yahweh, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

32Not like the covenant I cut with their fathers in the day I grasped their hand to bring them out from the land of Egypt—which they broke, my covenant—though I was a husband to them, declares Yahweh.

33For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares Yahweh: I will place my law within them and write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.

34No longer will a man teach his neighbor and a man his brother, saying, “Know Yahweh,” for they will all know me, from their least to their greatest, declares Yahweh, for I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember no more.

35Thus says Yahweh, who appoints the sun to light the day, the statutes of the moon and stars to light the night, who stirs up the sea so its waves roar—Yahweh of hosts is his name.

36If these decrees depart from before me, declares Yahweh, then Israel's offspring will likewise cease being a nation before me for all time.

37Thus says Yahweh: If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out below, then I will also reject all the seed of Israel for everything they have done, says Yahweh.

38Look, days are coming, declares Yahweh, when the city will be rebuilt for Yahweh from the tower of Hananeel to the corner gate.

39The measuring line will yet extend farther right opposite it to Gareb Hill and turn toward Goath.

40All the valley of corpses and ashes, and all the fields—the devastated fields—to the Kidron brook, to the corner of the horse gate eastward, will be holy to Yahweh; it will not be uprooted nor demolished ever again forever.