Chapter 31

At the same time, saith⁷ the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.

Thus saith¹ the LORD, The people [which were] left of the sword found¹ grace in the wilderness; [even] Israel, when I went² to cause him to rest.⁵³

The LORD hath appeared⁸ of old unto me, [saying], Yea, I have loved¹ thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn¹ thee.

Again I will build⁴ thee, and thou shalt be built,⁸ O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned⁴ with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth¹ in the dances of them that make merry.¹⁸

Thou shalt yet plant⁴ vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters⁶ shall plant,¹ and shall eat [them] as common things.¹⁴

For there shall be a day, [that] the watchmen⁶ upon the mount Ephraim shall cry,¹ Arise³ ye, and let us go up⁴ to Zion unto the LORD our God.

For thus saith¹ the LORD; Sing³ with gladness for Jacob, and shout¹⁶ among the chief of the nations: publish⁵⁴ ye, praise¹⁶ ye, and say,³ O LORD, save⁵⁴ thy people, the remnant of Israel.

Behold, I will bring⁵⁶ them from the north country, and gather¹⁴ them from the coasts of the earth, [and] with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child⁶ together: a great company shall return⁴ thither.

They shall come⁴ with weeping, and with supplications will I lead⁵⁵ them: I will cause them to walk⁵⁵ by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble:¹¹ for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim [is] my firstborn.

Hear³ the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare⁵⁴ [it] in the isles afar off, and say,³ He that scattered¹⁸ Israel will gather¹⁷ him, and keep¹ him, as a shepherd⁶ [doth] his flock.

For the LORD hath redeemed¹ Jacob, and ransomed¹ him from the hand of [him that was] stronger than he.

Therefore they shall come¹ and sing¹⁴ in the height of Zion, and shall flow together¹ 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 sorrow² any more⁵⁵ at all.

Then shall the virgin rejoice⁴ in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn¹ their mourning into joy, and will comfort¹⁴ them, and make them rejoice¹⁴ from their sorrow.

And I will satiate¹⁴ the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied⁴ with my goodness, saith⁷ the LORD.

Thus saith¹ the LORD; A voice was heard⁸ in Ramah, lamentation, [and] bitter weeping; Rahel weeping¹⁸ for her children refused¹⁴ to be comforted⁹ for her children, because they [were] not.

Thus saith¹ the LORD; Refrain³ thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith⁷ the LORD; and they shall come again¹ from the land of the enemy.⁶

And there is hope in thine end, saith⁷ the LORD, that thy children shall come again¹ to their own border.

I have surely² heard¹ Ephraim bemoaning¹¹⁴ himself [thus]; Thou hast chastised¹⁴ me, and I was chastised,¹¹ as a bullock unaccustomed ^{3925 27} [to the yoke]: turn⁵⁴ thou me, and I shall be turned;⁴ for thou [art] the LORD my God.

Surely after that I was turned,² I repented;⁸ and after that I was instructed,⁹ I smote¹ upon [my] thigh: I was ashamed,¹ yea, even confounded,⁸ because I did bear¹ the reproach of my youth.

[Is] Ephraim my dear son? [is he] a pleasant child? for since I spake¹⁵ against him, I do earnestly² remember⁴ him still: therefore my bowels are troubled¹ for him; I will surely¹⁵ have mercy¹⁷ upon him, saith⁷ the LORD.

Set thee up⁵⁴ waymarks, make³ thee high heaps: set³ thine heart toward the highway, [even] the way [which] thou wentest:¹ turn again,³ O virgin of Israel, turn again³ to these thy cities.

How long wilt thou go about,¹⁰¹ O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created¹ a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass²⁵ a man.

Thus saith¹ the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As yet they shall use⁴ this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again² their captivity; The LORD bless¹⁷ thee, O habitation of justice, [and] mountain of holiness.

And there shall dwell¹ in Judah itself, and in all the cities thereof together, husbandmen, and they [that] go forth¹ with flocks.

For I have satiated⁵² the weary soul, and I have replenished¹⁴ every sorrowful¹ soul.

Upon this I awaked,⁵² and beheld;⁴ and my sleep was sweet¹ unto me.

Behold, the days come,⁶ saith⁷ the LORD, that I will sow¹ the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast.

And it shall come to pass, [that] like as I have watched¹ over them, to pluck up,² and to break down,² and to throw down,² and to destroy,⁵³ and to afflict;⁵³ so will I watch⁴ over them, to build,² and to plant,² saith⁷ the LORD.

In those days they shall say⁴ no more, The fathers have eaten¹ a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge.⁴

But every one shall die⁴ for his own iniquity: every man that eateth⁶ the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.⁴

Behold, the days come,⁶ saith⁷ the LORD, that I will make¹ a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

Not according to the covenant that I made¹ with their fathers in the day [that] I took⁵³ them by the hand to bring them out⁵³ of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake,⁵² although I was an husband¹ unto them, saith⁷ the LORD:

But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make⁴ with the house of Israel; After those days, saith⁷ the LORD, I will put¹ my law in their inward parts, and write⁴ it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

And they shall teach¹⁷ no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying,² Know³ the LORD: for they shall all know⁴ me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith⁷ the LORD: for I will forgive⁴ their iniquity, and I will remember⁴ their sin no more.

Thus saith¹ the LORD, which giveth⁶ the sun for a light by day, [and] the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth⁶ the sea when the waves thereof roar;⁴ The LORD of hosts [is] his name:

If those ordinances depart⁴ from before me, saith⁷ the LORD, [then] the seed of Israel also shall cease⁴ from being a nation before me for ever. ³¹¹⁷

Thus saith¹ the LORD; If heaven above can be measured,¹¹ and the foundations of the earth searched out¹¹ beneath, I will also cast off⁴ all the seed of Israel for all that they have done,¹ saith⁷ the LORD.

Behold, the days come,⁶ saith⁷ the LORD, that the city shall be built⁸ to the LORD from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner.

And the measuring line ⁶⁹⁶¹ shall yet go forth¹ over against it upon the hill Gareb, and shall compass about⁸ to Goath.

And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields ⁸³⁰⁹ 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,¹¹ nor thrown down¹¹ any more for ever.