Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the courtyard of the guard, saying,
“This is what Yahweh who made the earth, Yahweh who formed it to establish it, says—Yahweh is his name:
Call to me and I will answer you, and will show you great and hidden things that you do not know.
For this is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah that have been torn down to make a defense against the siege ramps, and against the sword;
they are coming to fight against the Chaldeans, but only to fill those houses with the dead bodies of men whom I have killed in my anger and in my wrath, for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their wickedness.
But behold, I will bring it health and healing, and I will heal them, and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth.
I will turn back the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel, and I will build them as at the first.
I will cleanse them from all their iniquity that they have sinned against me, and I will pardon all their iniquities that they have sinned against me and that they have transgressed against me.
This city will be to me for a name of joy, for a praise and for a glory before all the nations of the earth that will hear all the good that I do to them. And they will fear and tremble for all the good and for all the peace that I procure to it.
This is what Yahweh says: Yet again there will be heard in this place about which you say, ‘It is waste, without man and without animal,’ even in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without animal,
the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say, ‘Give thanks to Yahweh of Armies, for Yahweh is good, for his loving kindness endures forever,’ who bring thanksgiving into the house of Yahweh. For I will cause the captivity of the land to return as at the first, says Yahweh.
This is what Yahweh of Armies says: Yet again will there be in this place that is waste, without man and without animal, and in all its cities, a habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.
In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the Negev and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, will the flocks again pass under the hands of him who counts them, says Yahweh.
The Lord's Eternal Covenant with David
Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will perform that good word that I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and concerning the house of Judah.
In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to grow up for David; and he will execute justice and righteousness in the land.
In those days will Judah be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely, and this is the name by which she will be called: Yahweh our righteousness.
For this is what Yahweh says: David will never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel,
nor will the Levitical priests lack a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to burn grain offerings into smoke, and to make sacrifices continually.”
The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying,
“This is what Yahweh says: If you can break my covenant of the day and my covenant of the night, so that there will not be day and night in their season,
then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he will not have a son to reign on his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
As the army of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea be measured, so I will multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites who minister to me.”
The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying,
“Have you not considered what these people have said? They say ‘The two families that Yahweh chose, he has cast them off.’ Thus they have despised my people so that they are no longer a nation in their sight.
This is what Yahweh says: If my covenant with day and night is not established, and if I did not appoint the ordinances of heaven and earth,
then I will 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.”