1 Moreover the word of theLordcame unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the guard, saying,
2 Thus saith theLordthat doeth it, theLordthat formeth it to establish it; theLordis his name:
3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and will shew thee great things, and difficult, which thou knowest not.
4 For thus saith theLord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are broken downto make a defenceagainst the mounts, and against the sword:
5 they come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city.
6 Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them; and I will reveal unto them abundance of peace and truth.
7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.
8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned against me, and whereby they have transgressed against me.
9 Andthis cityshall be to me for a name of joy, for a praise and for a glory, before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them, and shall fear and tremble for all the good and for all the peace that I procure unto it.
10 Thus saith theLord: Yet again there shall be heard in this place, whereof ye say, It is waste, without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast,
11 the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that say, Give thanks to theLordof hosts, for theLordis good, for his mercyendurethfor ever:and of themthat bringsacrificesof thanksgiving into the house of theLord. For I will cause the captivity of the land to return as at the first, saith theLord.
12 Thus saith theLordof hosts: Yet again shall there be in this place, which is waste, without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.
13 In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks again pass under the hands of him that telleth them, saith theLord.
14 Behold, the days come, saith theLord, that I will perform that good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and concerning the house of Judah.
15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause a Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.
16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this isthe namewhereby she shall be called, TheLordis our righteousness.
17 For thus saith theLord: David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;
18 neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to burn oblations, and to do sacrifice continually.
19 And the word of theLordcame unto Jeremiah, saying,
20 Thus saith theLord: If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, so that there should not be day and night in their season;
21 then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured; so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.
23 And the word of theLordcame to Jeremiah, saying,
24 Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which theLorddid choose, he hath cast them off? thus do they despise my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.
25 Thus saith theLord: If my covenant of day and nightstandnot, if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth;
26 then will I also cast away the seed of Jacob, and of David my servant, so that I will not take of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and will have mercy on them.