应许以色列人必复兴
1耶利米仍被囚禁在护卫院子里的时候，耶和华第二次对他说： 2“耶和华创造大地，使其成形、根基稳固，祂名叫耶和华。祂说， 3‘你呼求我，我就回应你，并且把你不知道的伟大奥妙之事告诉你。 4关于耶路撒冷城中的房屋和犹大王宫被拆毁，用来抵御攻城台和刀剑一事，以色列的上帝耶和华说： 5他们与迦勒底人争战只会使这些房屋堆满死尸，因为我要在怒气和烈怒中杀死他们。他们作恶多端，我必掩面不理这城。 6但有一天，我必医治这城的创伤，恢复我子民的健康，使他们繁荣安定。 7我要使被掳的犹大人和以色列人返乡，使他们重建如初。 8我要除去他们干犯我的一切罪恶，赦免他们悖逆我的一切罪过。 9这城要使我在天下万国面前得到尊崇、颂赞和荣耀，因为他们必听见我赐给这城的一切福乐。因为我使这城繁荣安定，他们都必恐惧战栗。’”
10耶和华说：“你们说犹大的城邑和耶路撒冷的街道一片荒凉、人畜绝迹， 11但这些地方必传出欢乐声、新郎新娘的欢笑声和在耶和华殿中献感恩祭者的歌唱声，
“‘要感谢万军之耶和华，
因为耶和华是美善的，
祂的慈爱永远长存。’
因为我必使被掳的人返乡，重建家园。这是耶和华说的。”
12万军之耶和华说：“在这一片荒凉、人畜绝迹的地方，在它所有城邑必再有供牧人放羊的草场。 13在山区、丘陵和南地的城邑，以及便雅悯地区、耶路撒冷周围和犹大的城邑必再次有人清点羊群。这是耶和华说的。” 14耶和华说：“看啊，时候将到，我要实现我给以色列人和犹大人的美好应许。 15那日那时，我要使大卫公义的苗裔兴起，他要在地上秉公行义。 16那时，犹大必得拯救，耶路撒冷必安享太平并被称为‘耶和华是我们的义’。 17因为耶和华说，‘我应许大卫的后裔必永远坐在以色列的宝座上， 18利未家的祭司必永远有人在我面前献燔祭、素祭及其他祭物。’”
19耶和华对耶利米说： 20“耶和华这样说，‘除非你们能废除我与白昼黑夜所立的约，叫白昼黑夜不再按时更替， 21才能废除我与我仆人大卫所立的约，使他的王位后继无人，也才能废除我与事奉我的利未祭司所立的约。 22我要使我仆人大卫的后裔和事奉我的利未人，像天上的星和海边的沙一样不可胜数。’”
23耶和华对耶利米说： 24“你看到了吗？人们说，‘耶和华已经弃绝了祂所拣选的以色列和犹大两个国家。’他们藐视我的子民，视他们为亡国之民。 25然而，耶和华说，‘正如我决不废弃我所定的昼夜交替之约和天地运行之律， 26我也决不弃绝雅各和我仆人大卫的后裔。我必让大卫的后裔做王统治亚伯拉罕、以撒和雅各的子孙，因为我必使被掳的人回到故土，也必怜悯他们。’”
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 honor 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 forever.”
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 fulfill 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 Savior.’
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.’ ”
