Yahweh Will Pardon the People’s Iniquity

1Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was still [†]confined in the court of the guard, saying, 2“Thus says Yahweh who made [†]the earth, Yahweh who formed it to establish it; Yahweh is His name, 3‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ 4For thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah which are torn down to make a defense against the siege ramps and against the sword, 5‘While they are coming to fight with the Chaldeans and to fill them with the corpses of men whom I have struck down in My anger and in My wrath, and I have hidden My face from this city because of all their evil: 6Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth. 7I will [†]return the [†]fortunes of Judah and the [†]fortunes of Israel and will rebuild them as they were at first. 8And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned against Me and by which they have transgressed against Me. 9And [†]it will be to Me a name of joy, praise, and beauty before all the nations of the earth which will hear of all the good that I do for them, and they will be in dread and tremble because of all the good and all the peace that I make for it.’

10“Thus says Yahweh, ‘Yet again there will be heard in this place, of which you say, “It is a waste, without man and without beast,” that is, 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 joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say,

“Give thanks to Yahweh of hosts,

For Yahweh is good,

For His lovingkindness endures forever”; and of those who bring a thank offering into the house of Yahweh. For I will [†]return the [†]fortunes of the land as they were at first,’ says Yahweh.

12“Thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘There will again be in this place which is waste, without man or beast, and in all its cities, [†]an abode of shepherds who cause their flocks to lie down. 13In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the [†]Shephelah, in the cities of the Negev, in the land of Benjamin, in the surroundings of Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, the flocks will again pass under the hands of the one who numbers them,’ says Yahweh.

The Righteous Branch of David

14‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares Yahweh, ‘when I will establish the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to branch forth; and He shall do justice and righteousness on the earth. 16In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell in security; and this is the name by which she will be called: Yahweh is our righteousness.’ 17For thus says Yahweh, ‘[†]David shall not have a man cut off from sitting on the throne of the house of Israel; 18[†]and the Levitical priests shall not have a man cut off from before Me who is to offer burnt offerings, to offer up grain offerings in smoke, and to perform sacrifices [†]continually.’”

19Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, 20“Thus says Yahweh, ‘If you can break My covenant for the day and My covenant for the night, so that day and night will not be at their appointed time, 21then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant so that he will not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levitical priests, My ministers. 22As the host of heaven cannot be counted and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the seed of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.’”

23And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, 24“Have you not seen what this people have spoken, saying, ‘The two families which Yahweh chose, He has rejected them’? Thus they have spurned My people from being a nation any longer [†]in their sight. 25Thus says Yahweh, ‘If My covenant for day and night stand not, and the statutes for heaven and earth I have not established, 26then I would reject the seed of Jacob and David My servant, [†]not taking from his seed rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But I will [†]return their [†]fortunes and will have compassion on them.’”