Promise of restoration
1While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time: 2‘This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it – the Lord is his name: 3“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” 4For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege ramps and the sword 5in the fight with the Babylonians33:5 Or Chaldeans: “They will be filled with the dead bodies of the people I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness.
6‘ “Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. 7I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity33:7 Or will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel and will rebuild them as they were before. 8I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. 9Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honour before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.”
10‘This is what the Lord says: “You say about this place, ‘It is a desolate waste, without people or animals.’ Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more 11the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank-offerings to the house of the Lord, saying,
‘Give thanks to the Lord Almighty,
for the Lord is good;
his love endures for ever.’
For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,” says the Lord.
12‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: “In this place, desolate and without people or animals – in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks. 13In the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them,” says the Lord.
14‘ “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will fulfil the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.
15‘ “In those days and at that time
I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line;
he will do what is just and right in the land.
16In those days Judah will be saved
and Jerusalem will live in safety.
This is the name by which it33:16 Or he will be called:
The Lord Our Righteous Saviour.”
17For this is what the Lord says: “David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel, 18nor will the Levitical priests ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.” ’
19The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20‘This is what the Lord says: “If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, 21then my covenant with David my servant – and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me – can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. 22I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.” ’
23The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 24‘Have you not noticed that these people are saying, “The Lord has rejected the two kingdoms33:24 Or families he chose”? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation. 25This is what the Lord says: “If I have not made my covenant with day and night and established the laws of heaven and earth, 26then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes33:26 Or will bring them back from captivity and have compassion on them.” ’
應許以色列人必復興
1耶利米被囚禁在護衛兵院子裡的時候，耶和華第二次對他說： 2「耶和華創造大地，使其成形、根基穩固，祂名叫耶和華。祂說， 3『你呼求我，我就回應你，並且把你不知道的偉大、奧妙之事告訴你。 4以色列的上帝耶和華說，耶路撒冷城中的房屋和王宮被拆毀，用來修建防衛工事， 5城中的人與迦勒底人爭戰只會使自己的房屋堆滿死屍，因為我要在憤怒中毀滅他們。他們作惡多端，我必掩面不理這城。 6但有一天，我必使這城復興，醫治她的創傷，使她繁榮昌盛。 7我要使被擄的猶大人和以色列人回到故土，重建家園。 8我要除去他們的一切罪惡，赦免他們的一切罪過。 9這城要使我在天下萬國面前得到尊崇、頌讚和榮耀。萬民聽見我使這城繁榮昌盛，都恐懼戰慄。』」
10耶和華說：「你們說猶大的城邑和耶路撒冷的街道一片荒涼、人畜絕跡， 11但這些地方必傳出歡樂聲、新郎新娘的歡笑聲和在耶和華殿中獻感恩祭者的歌唱聲，
『要感謝萬軍之耶和華，
因為耶和華是美善的，
祂的慈愛永遠長存』。
因為我必使被擄的人回到故土，重建家園。這是耶和華說的。」
12萬軍之耶和華說：「在這一片荒涼、人畜絕跡的地方，在它所有城邑的周圍必再有供牧人放羊的草場。 13在山區、丘陵和南地的城邑，以及便雅憫、耶路撒冷周圍和猶大的城邑必有人清點羊群。這是耶和華說的。」 14耶和華說：「看啊，時候將到，我要實現我給以色列人和猶大人的美好應許。 15那時，我要使大衛公義的苗裔興起，他要在地上秉公行義。 16那時，猶大必得到拯救，耶路撒冷必安享太平並被稱為『耶和華是我們的義』。 17因為耶和華說，『我應許大衛的後裔必永遠統治以色列， 18做祭司的利未人必永遠在我面前獻燔祭、素祭等祭物。』」
19耶和華對耶利米說： 20「這是耶和華說的，『除非你們能廢除我與白晝黑夜所立的約，叫白晝黑夜不再按時更替， 21才能廢除我與我僕人大衛所立的約，使他的王位後繼無人，也才能廢除我與事奉我的利未祭司所立的約。 22我要使我僕人大衛的後裔和事奉我的利未人像天上的星和海邊的沙一樣不可勝數。』」
23耶和華對耶利米說： 24「你聽見了嗎？人們說，『耶和華已經棄絕了祂所揀選的以色列和猶大兩個國家。』他們藐視我的子民，視他們為亡國之民。 25然而，耶和華說，『正如我決不廢棄我所定的晝夜交替和天地運行之律， 26我也決不棄絕雅各的後裔，不棄絕我僕人大衛的後裔。我必讓大衛的後裔做王統治亞伯拉罕、以撒和雅各的子孫，因為我必使被擄的人回到故土，恩待他們。』」
