1And the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
2Thus hath said the Lord who doth this, the Lord that formeth it, to establish it: the Eternal is his name;
3Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and I will tell thee great and unheard of things, which thou knowest not.
4For thus hath said the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by means of the mounds, and by means of the sword;
5As they come to fight with the Chaldeans, but only to fill those with the corpses of the men whom I slay in my anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hidden my face from this city:
6Behold, I will bring it healing and cure, and I will cure them, and I will display unto them the abundance of peace and truth.
7And I will cause to return the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel, and I will build them up, as at the first.
8And I will cleanse them from all their guiltiness, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned toward me, and whereby they have transgressed against me.
9And it shall be to me for a name of gladness, a praise and an honor with all the nations of the earth, who will hear all the good that I am doing unto them: and they shall dread and tremble because of all the good and because of all the happiness that I prepare unto it.
10Thus hath said the Lord, Yet again shall there be heard in this place, of which ye say, “It is ruined, 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,]]
11The voice of gladness, and the voice of joy, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of those that say, “Give thanks unto the Lord of hosts; for the Lord is good; because to eternity endureth his kindness:” of those that bring thanksgiving-offering unto the house of the Lord. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the Lord.
12Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Yet again shall there be in this place, which is ruined, without man and even without beast, and in all its cities, a habitation of shepherds who cause their flocks to lie down.
13In the cities of the mountain, in the cities of the lowlands, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the environs of Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks yet pass again under the hands of him that counteth them, saith the Lord.
14Behold, days are coming, saith the Lord, when I will fulfill that good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and respecting the house of Judah.
15In those days, and at that time, will I cause to grow up unto David the sprout of righteousness: and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
16In those days shall Judah be helped, and Jerusalem shall dwell in safety: and this is what she shall be called, The Lord is our righteousness.
17For thus hath said the Lord, There shall never be wanting unto David a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;
18And unto the priests the Levites there shall not be wanting a man before me, to offer burnt-offerings, and to burn meat-offerings, and to prepare sacrifices at all times.
19And the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, saying,
20Thus hath said the Lord, If ye can break my covenant with the day, and my covenant with the night, and so, that there be not day and night in their season:
21Then also shall my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and [that] with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
22As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, and the sand of the sea not be measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.
23And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,
24Hast thou not observed what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the Lord hath made choice of, even these hath he rejected: and they [thus] have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.
25Thus hath said the Lord, If my covenant be not with day and night, if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth:
26Then also will I reject the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so as not to take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.