Jeremiah 30

¹The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

²The Lord, the God of Israel, has said, Put down in a book all the words which I have said to you.

³For see, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will let the fate of my people Israel and Judah be changed, says the Lord: and I will make them come back to the land which I gave to their fathers, so that they may take it for their heritage.

⁴And these are the words which the Lord said about Israel and about Judah.

⁵This is what the Lord has said: A voice of shaking fear has come to our ears, of fear and not of peace.

⁶Put the question and see if it is possible for a man to have birth-pains: why do I see every man with his hands gripping his sides, as a woman does when the pains of birth are on her, and all faces are turned green?

⁷Ha! for that day is so great that there is no day like it: it is the time of Jacob's trouble: but he will get salvation from it.

⁸For it will come about on that day, says the Lord of armies, that his yoke will be broken off his neck, and his bands will be burst; and men of strange lands will no longer make use of him as their servant:

⁹But they will be servants to the Lord their God and to David their king, whom I will give back to them.

¹⁰So have no fear, O Jacob, my servant, says the Lord; and do not be troubled, O Israel: for see, I will make you come back from far away, and your seed from the land where they are prisoners; and Jacob will come back, and will be quiet and at peace, and no one will give him cause for fear.

¹¹For I am with you, says the Lord, to be your saviour: for I will put an end to all the nations where I have sent you wandering, but I will not put an end to you completely: though with wise purpose I will put right your errors, and will not let you go quite without punishment.

¹²For the Lord has said, Your disease may not be made well and your wound is bitter.

¹³There is no help for your wound, there is nothing to make you well.

¹⁴Your lovers have no more thought for you, they go after you no longer; for I have given you the wound of a hater, even cruel punishment;

¹⁵Why are you crying for help because of your wound? for your pain may never be taken away: because your evil-doing was so great and because your sins were increased, I have done these things to you.

¹⁶For this cause, all those who take you for their food will themselves become your food; and all your attackers, every one of them, will be taken prisoners; and those who send destruction on you will come to destruction; and all those who take away your goods by force will undergo the same themselves.

¹⁷For I will make you healthy again and I will make you well from your wounds, says the Lord; because they have given you the name of an outlaw, saying, It is Zion cared for by no man.

¹⁸The Lord has said, See, I am changing the fate of the tents of Jacob, and I will have pity on his houses; the town will be put up on its hill, and the great houses will be living-places again.

¹⁹And from them will go out praise and the sound of laughing: and I will make them great in number, and they will not become less; and I will give them glory, and they will not be small.

²⁰And their children will be as they were in the old days, and the meeting of the people will have its place before me, and I will send punishment on all who are cruel to them.

²¹And their chief will be of their number; their ruler will come from among themselves; and I will let him be present before me, so that he may come near to me: for who may have strength of heart to come near me? says the Lord.

²²And you will be my people, and I will be your God.

²³See, the storm-wind of the Lord, even the heat of his wrath, has gone out, a rolling storm, bursting on the heads of the evil-doers.

²⁴The wrath of the Lord will not be turned back till he has done, till he has put into effect, the purposes of his heart: in days to come you will have full knowledge of this.

Jeremiah 30

¹The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

²"Thus speaks the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, 'Write all the words that I have spoken to you in a book.

³For, behold, the days come, says the Lord, that I will turn again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah,' says the Lord; 'and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.'"

⁴These are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah.

⁵For thus says the Lord: "We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.

⁶Ask now, and see whether a man does travail with child: why do I see every man with his hands on his waist, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?

⁷Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

⁸It shall come to pass in that day," says the Lord of hosts, "that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and will burst your bonds; and strangers shall no more make him their bondservant;

⁹but they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up to them.

¹⁰Therefore do not be afraid, O Jacob my servant, says the Lord; neither be dismayed, Israel: for, behold, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be quiet and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.

¹¹For I am with you, says the Lord, to save you: for I will make a full end of all the nations where I have scattered you, but I will not make a full end of you; but I will correct you in measure, and will in no way leave you unpunished."

¹²For thus says the Lord, "Your hurt is incurable, and your wound grievous.

¹³There is none to plead your cause, that you may be bound up: you have no healing medicines.

¹⁴All your lovers have forgotten you; they do not seek you: for I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the greatness of your iniquity, because your sins were increased.

¹⁵Why do you cry for your hurt? Your pain is incurable: for the greatness of your iniquity, because your sins were increased, I have done these things to you.

¹⁶Therefore all those who devour you shall be devoured; and all your adversaries, everyone of them, shall go into captivity; and those who despoil you shall be a spoil, and all who prey on you will I give for a prey.

¹⁷For I will restore health to you, and I will heal you of your wounds," says the Lord; "because they have called you an outcast, saying, 'It is Zion, whom no man seeks after.'"

¹⁸Thus says the Lord: "Behold, I will turn again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have compassion on his dwelling places; and the city shall be built on its own hill, and the palace shall be inhabited in its own way.

¹⁹Out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of those who make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.

²⁰Their children also shall be as before, and their congregation shall be established before me; and I will punish all who oppress them.

²¹Their prince shall be of themselves, and their ruler shall proceed from their midst; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach to me: for who is he who has had boldness to approach to me? says the Lord.

²²You shall be my people, and I will be your God.

²³Behold, the storm of the Lord, his wrath, has gone forth, a sweeping storm: it shall burst on the head of the wicked.

²⁴The fierce anger of the Lord will not return, until he has executed, and until he has performed the intentions of his heart. In the latter days you will understand it.