The Lord Promises to Heal His People
1Jeremiah was still being held as a prisoner. He was kept in the courtyard of the guard. Then another message from the Lord came to him. The Lord said, 2“I made the earth. I formed it. And I set it in place. The Lord is my name. 3Call out to me. I will answer you. I will tell you great things you do not know. And unless I do, you wouldn’t be able to find out about them.” 4The Lord is the God of Israel. He speaks about the houses in Jerusalem. He talks about the royal palaces of Judah. The people had torn down many of them. They had used their stones to strengthen the city walls against attack. 5That was during their fight with the armies of Babylon. The Lord says, “The houses will be filled with dead bodies. They will be the bodies of the people I will kill. I will kill them when I am very angry with them. I will hide my face from this city. That’s because its people have committed so many sins.
6“But now I will bring health and healing to Jerusalem. I will heal my people. I will let them enjoy great peace and security. 7I will bring Judah and Israel back from the places where they have been taken. I will build up the nation again. It will be just as it was before. 8I will wash from its people all the sins they have committed against me. And I will forgive all the sins they committed when they turned away from me. 9Then this city will bring me fame, joy, praise and honor. All the nations on earth will hear about the good things I do for this city. They will see the great success and peace I give it. Then they will be filled with wonder. And they will tremble with fear.”
10The Lord says, “You say about this place, ‘It’s a dry and empty desert. It doesn’t have any people or animals in it.’ The towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem are now deserted. So they do not have any people or animals living in them. But happy sounds will be heard there once more. 11They will be the sounds of joy and gladness. The voices of brides and grooms will fill the streets. And the voices of those who bring thank offerings to my house will be heard there. They will say,
“ ‘Give thanks to the Lord who rules over all,
because he is good.
His faithful love continues forever.’
That’s because I will bless this land with great success again. It will be as it was before,” says the Lord.
12The Lord who rules over all says, “This place is a desert. It does not have any people or animals in it. But there will again be grasslands near all its towns. Shepherds will rest their flocks there. 13Flocks will again pass under the hands of shepherds as they count their sheep,” says the Lord. “That will be done in the towns of the central hill country. It will be done in the western hills and the Negev Desert. It will be done in the territory of Benjamin. And it will be done in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah.
14“The days are coming,” announces the Lord. “At that time I will fulfill my good promise to my people. I made it to the people of Israel and Judah.
15“Here is what I will do in those days and at that time.
I will make a godly Branch grow from David’s royal line.
He will do what is fair and right in the land.
16In those days Judah will be saved.
Jerusalem will live in safety.
And it will be called
The Lord Who Makes Us Right With Himself.”
17The Lord says, “David will always have a son to sit on the throne of Israel. 18The priests, who are Levites, will always have a man to serve me. He will sacrifice burnt offerings. He will burn grain offerings. And he will offer sacrifices.”
19A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. 20The Lord said, “Could you ever break my covenant with the day? Could you ever break my covenant with the night? Could you ever stop day and night from coming at their appointed times? 21Only then could my covenant with my servant David be broken. Only then could my covenant with the Levites who serve me as priests be broken. Only then would David no longer have someone from his family line to rule on his throne. 22Here is what I will do for my servant David. And here is what I will do for the Levites who serve me. I will make their children after them as many as the stars in the sky. And I will make them as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. It will be impossible to count them.”
23A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. The Lord said, 24“Haven’t you noticed what these people are saying? They say, ‘The Lord once chose the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah. But now he has turned his back on them.’ So they hate my people. They do not think of them as a nation anymore. 25I say, ‘What if I had not made my covenant with day and night? What if I had not established the laws of heaven and earth? 26Only then would I turn my back on the children of Jacob and my servant David. Only then would I not choose one of David’s sons to rule over the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But I will bless my people with great success again. I will love them with tender love.’ ”
Ogye Ho Bɔhyɛ
1Bere a Yeremia da so da dua mu wɔ awɛmfo adiwo hɔ no, Awurade asɛm baa ne nkyɛn ne mprenu so se: 2“Sɛɛ na Awurade se, nea ɔbɔɔ asase, Awurade a ɔyɛe na ɔma egyinae, Awurade ne ne din: 3‘Frɛ me na megye wo so, na maka wo nsɛm akɛse ne nneɛma a ahintaw a wunnim.’ 4Na nea Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, ka de fa afi a ɛwɔ saa kuropɔn yi mu ne Yuda ahemfi ahorow a wɔabubu no ho, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a wubenya nea wɔde besiw ntuano afasu ne afoa no ano, 5wɔ wɔne Babiloniafo ɔko no mu. ‘Nnipa a mede mʼabufuw ne mʼabufuwhyew bekunkum wɔn no afunu bɛyɛ hɔ ma. Meyi mʼani afi saa kuropɔn yi so esiane nʼamumɔyɛ nyinaa nti.
6“ ‘Nanso mede ahoɔden ne ayaresa bɛbrɛ no; mɛsa me nkurɔfo yare na mama wɔanya asomdwoe ne bammɔ a ɛdɔɔso. 7Mɛsan de Yuda ne Israel afi nnommum mu aba na masan agye wɔn asi hɔ sɛ nea na wɔte dedaw no. 8Mɛhohoro wɔn bɔne a wɔayɛ atia me no nyinaa, na mede wɔn atuatew ho bɔne nso akyɛ wɔn. 9Na saa kuropɔn yi bɛma me din ahyeta, ɛbɛma me anigye, ayeyi ne anuonyam wɔ asase so aman a wɔte nnepa a meyɛ ma no nyinaa mu; wobesuro na wɔn ho apopo wɔ yiyedi ne asomdwoe bebrebe a mede ma no nti.’
10“Sɛɛ na Awurade se: ‘Woka fa saa beae yi ho se, “Ada mpan a nnipa anaasɛ mmoa nni so.” Nanso Yuda nkurow ne Yerusalem mmɔnten a ada mpan na nnipa anaa mmoa nni no, hɔ na wɔbɛsan ate bio, 11ahurusi ne anigye nnyigyei, ayeforo ne ayeforokunu nne ne wɔn a wɔde aseda afɔrebɔ reba Awurade fi nne se,
“ ‘ “Momfa aseda mma Asafo Awurade,
efisɛ Awurade ye,
na ne dɔ wɔ hɔ daa.”
Na mɛsan de asase no so nnepa a wɔwɔ hɔ dedaw no aba bio,’ Awurade, na ose.
12“Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se: ‘Ɛha yi a ada mpan a nnipa ne mmoa nni no; ne nkurow nyinaa so no, wobenya nguanhwɛfo adidibea ne nea wɔn nguankuw bɛhome. 13Nkurow a ɛwɔ ɔman a ɛda bepɔw so no atɔe fam mmepɔw ase mu, Negeb, Benyamin mantam mu, nkuraa a atwa Yerusalem ho ahyia ne Yuda nkurow mu, nguankuw betwa mu bio wɔ nea ɔkan wɔn no nsa ase.’ Awurade, na waka.
14“ ‘Nna no reba,’ Awurade na ose, a mɛma adom bɔ a mehyɛɛ Israel ne Yudafi no aba mu.
15“ ‘Nna no mu ne saa bere no
mɛma trenee Dubaa afefɛw afi Dawid ase;
ɔbɛyɛ nea ɛteɛ ne nea eye wɔ asase no so.
16Saa nna no mu, wobegye Yuda nkwa
na Yerusalem bɛtena asomdwoe mu.
Eyi ne din a wɔde bɛfrɛ no
Awurade, Yɛn Trenee.’
17Na sɛɛ na Awurade se: ‘Ɔbarima a ɔbɛtena Israel ahengua so no remmɔ Dawid da, 18saa ara nso na asɔfo a wɔyɛ Lewifo no, ɔbarima a obegyina mʼanim daa abɔ ɔhyew afɔre ne aduan afɔre na ɔde afɔre ahorow abrɛ me, remmɔ wɔn da.’ ”
19Awurade asɛm baa Yeremia nkyɛn se: 20“Sɛɛ na Awurade se: ‘Sɛ wubetumi abu me ne adekyee ne adesae apam so, na adekyee ne adesae amma wɔn bere a wɔahyehyɛ no a, 21ɛno de, na me ne mʼakoa Dawid apam ne Lewifo a wɔyɛ asɔfo a wɔsom wɔ mʼanim no apam no nso, wubetumi abu so, na Dawid rennya nʼaseni a ɔbɛtena ahengua so adi hene bio. 22Mɛma mʼakoa Dawid asefo ne Lewifo a wɔsom wɔ mʼanim no ase adɔ te sɛ ɔsoro nsoromma a wontumi nkan ne mpoano nwea a wontumi nsusuw.’ ”
23Awurade asɛm baa Yeremia nkyɛn se, 24“Wontee sɛ nnipa yi reka se, ‘Awurade apo ahenni abien a oyii no’ ana? Enti wobu me man animtiaa na wɔmmfa wɔn sɛ wɔyɛ ɔman bio. 25Nea Awurade se ni: ‘Sɛ mantintim me ne adekyee ne adesae apam ne ɔsoro ne asase mmara no a, 26ɛno de anka mɛpo Yakob ne mʼakoa Dawid asefo, na merenyi ne mmabarima mu baako sɛ onni Abraham, Isak ne Yakob asefo so. Na mede wɔn ahonyade bɛsan ama wɔn, na manya ayamhyehye ama wɔn.’ ”
