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.’ ”
Ahadi Ya Kurudishwa
133:1 Yer 32:2; 37:21; 38:28; Za 88:8; Yer 13:3Wakati Yeremia alipokuwa angali amefungwa kwenye ua wa walinzi, neno la Bwana lilimjia mara ya pili kusema: 233:2 Yer 10:16; Za 136:6; Kut 3:15; 15:3“Hili ndilo Bwana asemalo, yeye aliyeumba dunia, Bwana aliyeifanya na kuithibitisha, Bwana ndilo jina lake: 333:3 Mwa 18:17; Yer 29:12; Isa 55:6; Ay 28:11‘Niite nami nitakuitika na kukuambia mambo makuu na yasiyochunguzika, usiyoyajua.’ 433:4 2Fal 25:1; Eze 4:2; 26:8; Hab 1:10; Yer 32:24Kwa maana hili ndilo Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, asemalo kuhusu nyumba katika mji huu na majumba ya kifalme ya Yuda yaliyobomolewa ili yatumiwe dhidi ya kule kuzungukwa na jeshi na upanga 533:5 Yer 21:4-7; Kum 31:17; Isa 8:17katika kupigana na Wakaldayo: ‘Zitajazwa na maiti za watu nitakaowachinja katika hasira na ghadhabu yangu. Nitauficha uso wangu kwa sababu ya maovu yake yote.
633:6 Kum 32:39; Isa 30:26; 9:6“ ‘Hata hivyo, nitauletea afya na uponyaji, nitawaponya watu wangu na kuwafanya wafurahie amani tele na salama. 733:7 Yer 32:44; Eze 39:25; Amo 9:14; Isa 1:26; Yer 24:6; 30:3Nitawarudisha Yuda na Israeli kutoka nchi ya kutekwa kwao, na kuwajenga tena kama walivyokuwa hapo awali. 833:8 Law 16:30; Ebr 9:13-14; 2Sam 24:14; Mik 7:18; Yer 31:34Nitawatakasa dhambi zote walizofanya dhidi yangu, na nitawasamehe dhambi zote za uasi dhidi yangu. 933:9 Isa 60:18; Yer 13:11; Isa 64:2; Yer 3:17; 1Yn 1:7-9; Isa 55:13Kisha mji huu utaniletea utukufu, furaha, sifa na heshima mbele ya mataifa yote ya dunia yatakayosikia mambo yote mazuri ninayoufanyia. Nao watashangaa na kutetemeka kwa ajili ya wingi wa mafanikio na amani nitakayoupatia.’
1033:10 Yer 32:43; 9:11“Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: ‘Mnasema kuhusu mahali hapa kwamba, “Ni mahali palipoachwa ukiwa, pasipo na wanadamu wala wanyama.” Lakini katika miji ya Yuda na barabara za Yerusalemu ambazo zimeachwa, ambazo hazikaliwi na wanadamu wala wanyama, huko kutasikika kwa mara nyingine 1133:11 Za 51:8; 24:8; Law 7:12; 2Nya 5:13; Za 25:8; 100:4-5; 14:7sauti za shangwe na furaha, sauti za bibi na bwana arusi, na sauti za wale waletao sadaka za shukrani katika nyumba ya Bwana, wakisema,
“ ‘ “Mshukuruni Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote,
kwa maana Bwana ni mwema;
upendo wake wadumu milele.”
Kwa kuwa nitairudishia nchi baraka kama zilivyokuwa hapo awali,’ asema Bwana.
1233:12 Yer 32:43; Isa 65:10; Eze 34:11-15“Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: ‘Mahali hapa, ambapo ni ukiwa, pasipo na wanadamu wala wanyama: katika miji yake, patakuwepo tena malisho kwa ajili ya wachungaji kupumzisha makundi yao ya kondoo. 1333:13 Yer 32:43; Isa 65:10; Eze 34:11-15Katika miji ya nchi ya vilima, ya vilima vya magharibi na ya Negebu, katika nchi ya Benyamini, katika vijiji vinavyoizunguka Yerusalemu na katika miji ya Yuda, makundi ya kondoo yatapita tena chini ya mkono wa yeye ayahesabuye,’ asema Bwana.
1433:14 Kum 28:1-14; Yos 23:15; Yer 29:10“ ‘Siku zinakuja,’ asema Bwana, ‘wakati nitakapotimiza ahadi yangu ya rehema niliyoifanya kwa nyumba ya Israeli na kwa nyumba ya Yuda.
1533:15 Isa 4:2; Za 72:2; Isa 11:1; 2Sam 7:12“ ‘Katika siku hizo na wakati huo
nitalifanya Tawi la haki lichipuke kutoka ukoo wa Daudi,
naye atafanya lile lililo haki na sawa
katika nchi.
1633:16 Isa 45:17; 1Kor 1:30; Zek 8:3, 16; Sef 3:13; Eze 48:35; Yer 3:17; Isa 59:14; Yer 32:37Katika siku hizo, Yuda ataokolewa
na Yerusalemu ataishi salama.
Hili ndilo jina atakaloitwa:
Bwana Haki Yetu.’
1733:17 2Sam 7:13; 2Nya 7:18; Za 89:29-37Kwa maana hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: ‘Daudi kamwe hatakosa mtu wa kukalia kiti cha enzi cha nyumba ya Israeli, 1833:18 Kum 18:1; Ebr 13:15; Hes 25:11-13; Ebr 7:17-22wala hata makuhani, ambao ni Walawi, kamwe hawatakosa mtu wa kusimama mbele zangu daima ili kutoa sadaka za kuteketezwa, ili kuteketeza sadaka ya nafaka na kutoa dhabihu.’ ”
19Neno la Bwana likamjia Yeremia kusema: 2033:20 Za 89:36; Mwa 8:22; Isa 54:9; Mwa 1:14“Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: ‘Ikiwa mtaweza kuvunja agano langu kuhusu usiku na mchana, ili usiku na mchana visiwepo kwa nyakati zake, 2133:21 Za 89:34; 2Sam 7:13-18; 2Nya 7:18basi agano langu na Daudi mtumishi wangu, na agano langu na Walawi ambao ni makuhani wanaohudumu mbele zangu, linaweza kuvunjwa, na Daudi hatakuwa tena na mzao wa kutawala katika kiti chake cha enzi. 2233:22 Mwa 15:5; Hos 1:10; Mwa 13:16; Yer 30:19; Mwa 12:2Nitawafanya wazao wa Daudi mtumishi wangu na Walawi wanaohudumu mbele zangu wengi, wasioweza kuhesabika kama nyota za angani, tena wasiopimika kama mchanga wa ufuoni mwa bahari.’ ”
23Neno la Bwana likamjia Yeremia kusema: 2433:24 Eze 37:22; Neh 4:4; Yer 30:17; Eze 36:20“Je, hujasikia kwamba watu hawa wanasema, ‘Bwana amezikataa zile falme mbili alizozichagua?’ Kwa hiyo wamewadharau watu wangu, na hawawaoni tena kama taifa. 2533:25 Mwa 1:18; Yer 31:35-36; Za 74:16-17; 148:6Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: ‘Kama sijathibitisha agano langu na usiku na mchana, na kuziweka wakfu sheria za mbingu na nchi, 2633:26 Law 26:44; Yer 31:37; Isa 14:1; Zek 10:6; Za 14:7; Yer 30:18basi nitawakataa wazao wa Yakobo na Daudi mtumishi wangu, na sitachagua mmoja wa wanawe kutawala juu ya wazao wa Abrahamu, Isaki na Yakobo. Kwa maana nitawarudisha kutoka nchi ya kutekwa kwao na kuwaonea huruma.’ ”
