Jeremiah

Warnings about Jerusalem's destruction due to unfaithfulness, with promises of a new covenant.

Chapter 31

1 At the same time, saith the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.

*At the same time, says the Lord, I will be the God of all the families in Israel, and they will be my people.

2 Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.

*So says God, the people who survived the sword received his favor in the desert. This was for Israel when I took them to give them rest.

3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

*God appeared to me long ago, telling me that He has always loved me deeply. Because of this endless love, He gently drew me closer.

4 Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.

*Once more, I will rebuild you, Israel, and you will be restored. You will wear your decorations again and join in the fun dances.

5 Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things.

*You will still plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria. The people who plant them will eat their fruit like ordinary food.

6 For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the LORD our God.

*There will be a day when the guards on Mount Ephraim will shout, "Let's go to Zion to meet God, our Lord."

7 For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.

*So, the Lord says to be happy and sing for the people of Jacob. Shout out to the important leaders of other nations and tell them to celebrate. Say "Lord, rescue your people, the remaining people of Israel."

8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.

*Look, I will bring them back from the faraway land in the north, and gather them from all around the world. I will even bring the blind and the lame, pregnant women and those having trouble with their pregnancies. A huge group will come back there.

9 They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

*They will come sad and asking for help; I will guide them. I'll make them walk on a clear path near water streams, so they won't fall. I'm like a dad to Israel and Ephraim is my oldest child.

10 Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.

*Listen to God's message, all people. Share it far away on distant islands. Say, "The one who separated Israel will bring them back together and protect them, just like a shepherd takes care of their sheep."

11 For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.

*The LORD has saved Jacob by paying for him, freeing him from the grip of someone more powerful.

12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.

*So, they will come to Zion's peak, sing, and unite for the LORD's goodness like wheat, wine, oil, and young animals. Their souls will be like a well-watered garden, and they won't be sad anymore.

13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

*Then, the pure girl will be happy while dancing with everyone, young and old. For I will change their sadness to happiness, and will cheer them up, making them feel joy instead of their pain.

14 And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD.

*I will fill the priests' souls with abundance, and my people will be satisfied by my kindness, says the Lord.

15 Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.

*So says God: A sad cry was heard in Ramah, with much sorrow and painful crying. Rachel cried for her children, not wanting to be comforted, because her children were no more.

16 Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

*So says God: Stop crying and don't shed tears, because your efforts will be paid back, says God; and they will return from the land of their enemies.

17 And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border.

*In the end, God says there is hope that your kids will return to their original land.

18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.

*Ephraim complained, saying, "You punished me, and I was punished like an unfamiliar ox. Turn me around, and I will be changed, because you are the LORD, my God."

19 Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.

*After that experience, I changed and felt regret. Once I learned more, I hit myself in disappointment. I was very embarrassed and confused because I had to endure the shame from my past.

20 Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.

*Is Ephraim my beloved child? Is he a good kid? Because since I criticized him, I keep thinking about him a lot. So, my heart is upset for him. I will definitely show him kindness, says the Lord.

21 Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.

*Put up signs and big piles of stones. Focus your mind on the path you've been on. Return, pure Israel, go back to your towns.

22 How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.

*For how much longer will you wander, wayward daughter? Because the Lord has done something new on Earth - now a woman will pursue a man.

23 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity; The LORD bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of holiness.

*So says the Lord, the God of Israel: People will still talk like this in Judah's cities when I restore their captives. The Lord bless you, home of fairness, and hill of purity.

24 And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all the cities thereof together, husbandmen, and they that go forth with flocks.

*In Judah and its cities, farmers and shepherds will live together.

25 For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.

*I have filled the tired soul and given back to every sad soul.

26 Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me.

*Upon doing so, I opened my eyes and saw; and my rest was very peaceful to me.

27 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast.

*Look, a time is coming, says the Lord, when I will plant the people of Israel and the people of Judah with the seeds of humans and animals.

28 And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD.

*And it will happen that just as I've protected them by tearing down and destroying, I will also protect them by building and planting, says the Lord.

29 In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.

*In that time, people won't say that anymore. The parents ate a bad grape, causing the children to have painful gums.

30 But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.

*However, each person will die for their own wrongdoing: anyone who eats a sour grape will have their teeth hurt.

31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

*Look, the time will come, says the Lord, when I will create a new agreement with the family of Israel and with the family of Judah.

32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:

*Not following the agreement I made with their ancestors when I held their hand to take them out of Egypt; they broke that agreement even though I was like a husband to them, says the Lord.

33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

*But this is the promise I'll make with the family of Israel: Afterwards, says the Lord, I will place my rules within their inner selves, and etch them onto their hearts; and I will be their God, while they will be my people.

34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

*They won't need to teach others about knowing the Lord anymore because everyone, from the smallest to the greatest, will personally know Him. The Lord promises to forgive their wrongdoings and won't remember their sins anymore.

35 Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:

*So says the Lord, who gives sunlight during the day and sets up rules for the moon and stars at night, and separates the sea when its waves crash loudly. This Lord of all armies is his name.

36 If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.

*If those rules leave me, says the Lord, then the descendants of Israel will no longer be a nation before me forever.

37 Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.

*So says God: If we can measure the sky and explore the Earth's depths, then I will reject the descendants of Israel for their actions, says God.

38 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the city shall be built to the LORD from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner.

*Look, the time will come, says the Lord, when the city will be rebuilt for the Lord. This will happen from the tower of Hananeel to the corner gate.

39 And the measuring line shall yet go forth over against it upon the hill Gareb, and shall compass about to Goath.

*The measuring line will continue to extend towards the hill Gareb, going around to include Goath.

40 And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy unto the LORD; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.

*The entire valley filled with dead bodies, ashes, and surrounding fields up to the Kidron Brook and to the eastern horse gate corner will be sacred to God. It must never be destroyed or removed again forever.

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