Jeremiah 33

1The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah a second time while he was still shut up in the courtyard of the guard:

2“This is what Yahweh says, Yahweh who made it, who formed it in order to establish it—Yahweh is his name:

3Call to me, and I will answer you and tell you great and hidden things that you do not know.

4For this is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that have been torn down to defend against the siege ramps and the sword:

5People are coming to fight the Chaldeans, but only to fill these houses with the corpses of the people whom I have struck down in my anger and my fury, for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their wickedness.

6Look, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them an abundance of peace and faithfulness.

7I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and I will rebuild them as they were at first.

8I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me.

9This city will bring me a name of joy, praise, and glory before all the nations of the earth, who will hear of all the good I do for them. They will be afraid and tremble because of all the good and all the peace that I provide for it.

10This is what Yahweh says: In this place of which you are saying, ‘It is a ruin, without people or animals,’ in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without people, without inhabitants, and without animals, there will be heard once more—

11the sound of joy and the sound of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who say, ‘Give thanks to Yahweh of Armies, for Yahweh is good; his steadfast love endures forever!’ as they bring thank offerings to the house of Yahweh. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were at first, says Yahweh.

12This is what Yahweh of Armies says: In this place that is a ruin, without people or animals, and in all its towns, there will again be pastures where shepherds rest their flocks.

13In the towns of the hill country, the towns of the foothills, and the towns of the Negev, in the land of Benjamin, the areas around Jerusalem, and the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says Yahweh.

14Look, the days are coming, declares Yahweh, when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

15In those days and at that time I will make a righteous branch sprout for David, and he will do justice and righteousness in the land.

16In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: Yahweh Our Righteousness.

17For this is what Yahweh says: David will never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel,

18and the Levitical priests will never lack a man before me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices every day.”

19The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah:

20“This is what Yahweh 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 my servant David can also be broken, so that he will not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests who minister to me.

22As the host of heaven cannot be counted and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who minister to me.”

23The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah:

24“Have you not noticed what these people are saying: ‘Yahweh has rejected the two clans he chose’? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation.

25This is what Yahweh says: If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed laws of heaven and earth,

26then I will also reject the descendants of Jacob and of my servant David and will not choose rulers from his descendants to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.”