New Covenant, Restored Relationship, Steadfast Hope

1. “At that time,” says Yahweh, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.” 2. Yahweh says, “The people who survive the sword found favor in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.” 3. Yahweh appeared of old to me, saying, “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness. 4. I will build you again, and you will be built, O virgin of Israel. You will again be adorned with your tambourines, and will go out in the dances of those who make merry. 5. Again you will plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria. The planters will plant, and will enjoy its fruit. 6. For there will be a day that the watchmen on the hills of Ephraim cry, ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion to Yahweh our God.’” 7. For Yahweh says, “Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout for the chief of the nations. Publish, praise, and say, ‘Yahweh, save your people, the remnant of Israel!’ 8. Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the uttermost parts of the earth, along with the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her who travails with child together. They will return as a great company. 9. They will come with weeping. I will lead them with petitions. I will cause them to walk by rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they won’t stumble; for I am a father to Israel. Ephraim is my firstborn. 10. “Hear Yahweh’s word, you nations, and declare it in the distant islands. Say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd does his flock.’ 11. For Yahweh has ransomed Jacob, and redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he. 12. They will come and sing in the height of Zion, and will flow to the goodness of Yahweh, to the grain, to the new wine, to the oil, and to the young of the flock and of the herd. Their soul will be as a watered garden. They will not sorrow any more at all. 13. Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance; the young men and the old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. 14. I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people will be satisfied with my goodness,” says Yahweh. 15. Yahweh says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children. She refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” 16. Yahweh says: “Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work will be rewarded,” says Yahweh. “They will come again from the land of the enemy. 17. There is hope for your latter end,” says Yahweh. “Your children will come again to their own territory. 18. “I have surely heard Ephraim grieving thus, ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised, as an untrained calf. Turn me, and I will be turned; for you are Yahweh my God. 19. Surely after that I was turned. I repented. After that I was instructed. I struck my thigh. I was ashamed, yes, even confounded, because I bore the reproach of my youth.’ 20. Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a darling child? For as often as I speak against him, I still earnestly remember him. therefore my heart yearns for him. I will surely have mercy on him,” says Yahweh. 21. “Set up road signs. Make guideposts. Set your heart toward the highway, even the way by which you went. Turn again, virgin of Israel. Turn again to these your cities. 22. How long will you go here and there, you backsliding daughter? For Yahweh has created a new thing in the earth: a woman will encompass a man.” 23. Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Yet again they will use this speech in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I reverse their captivity: ‘Yahweh bless you, habitation of righteousness, mountain of holiness.’ 24. Judah and all its cities will dwell therein together, the farmers, and those who go about with flocks. 25. For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.” 26. On this I awakened, and saw; and my sleep was sweet to me. 27. “Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of animal. 28. It will happen that, like as I have watched over them to pluck up and to break down and to overthrow and to destroy and to afflict, so will I watch over them to build and to plant,” says Yahweh. 29. “In those days they will say no more, “‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ 30. But everyone will die for his own iniquity. Every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth will be set on edge. 31. “Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32. not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which covenant of mine they broke, although I was a husband to them,” says Yahweh. 33. “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says Yahweh: I will put my law in their inward parts, and I will write it in their heart. I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34. They will no longer each teach his neighbor, and every man teach his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh;’ for they will all know me, from their least to their greatest,” says Yahweh: “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” 35. Yahweh, who gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who stirs up the sea, so that its waves roar; Yahweh of Armies is his name, says: 36. “If these ordinances depart from before me,” says Yahweh, “then the offspring of Israel also will cease from being a nation before me forever.” 37. Yahweh says: “If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done,” says Yahweh. 38. “Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that the city will be built to Yahweh from the tower of Hananel to the gate of the corner. 39. The measuring line will go out further straight onward to the hill Gareb, and will turn toward Goah. 40. The whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields to the brook Kidron, to the corner of the horse gate toward the east, will be holy to Yahweh. It will not be plucked up or thrown down any more forever.” 1. The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. 2. Now at that time the king of Babylon’s army was besieging Jerusalem. Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard, which was in the king of Judah’s house. 3. For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, “Why do you prophesy, and say, ‘Yahweh says, “Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will take it; 4. and Zedekiah king of Judah won’t escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but will surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes will see his eyes; 5. and he will bring Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will be there until I visit him,” says Yahweh: “though you fight with the Chaldeans, you will not prosper?”’” 6. Jeremiah said, “Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 7. ‘Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you, saying, “Buy my field that is in Anathoth; for the right of redemption is yours to buy it.”’” 8. “So Hanamel my uncle’s son came to me in the court of the guard according to Yahweh’s word, and said to me, ‘Please buy my field that is in Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is yours, and the redemption is yours. Buy it for yourself.’ “Then I knew that this was Yahweh’s word. 9. I bought the field that was in Anathoth of Hanamel my uncle’s son, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver. 10. I signed the deed, sealed it, called witnesses, and weighed the money in the balances to him. 11. So I took the deed of the purchase, both that which was sealed, containing the terms and conditions, and that which was open; 12. and I delivered the deed of the purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my uncle’s son, and in the presence of the witnesses who subscribed the deed of the purchase, before all the Jews who sat in the court of the guard. 13. “I commanded Baruch before them, saying, 14. Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Take these deeds, this deed of the purchase which is sealed, and this deed which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may last many days.’ 15. For Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Houses and fields and vineyards will yet again be bought in this land.’ 16. Now after I had delivered the deed of the purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to Yahweh, saying, 17. “Ah Lord Yahweh! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you, 18. who show loving kindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them; the great, the mighty God, Yahweh of Armies is his name; 19. great in counsel, and mighty in work; whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings; 20. who performed signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even to this day, both in Israel and among other men; and made yourself a name, as it is today; 21. and brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, with wonders, with a strong hand, with an outstretched arm, and with great terror; 22. and gave them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. 23. They came in and possessed it, but they didn’t obey your voice and didn’t walk in your law. They have done nothing of all that you commanded them to do. Therefore you have caused all this evil to come upon them. 24. “Behold, siege ramps have come to the city to take it. The city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword, of the famine, and of the pestilence. What you have spoken has happened. Behold, you see it. 25. You have said to me, Lord Yahweh, ‘Buy the field for money, and call witnesses;’ whereas the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.” 26. Then Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah, saying, 27. “Behold, I am Yahweh, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me? 28. Therefore Yahweh says: Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will take it. 29. The Chaldeans, who fight against this city, will come and set this city on fire, and burn it with the houses on whose roofs they have offered incense to Baal, and poured out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger. 30. “For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only that which was evil in my sight from their youth; for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, says Yahweh. 31. For this city has been to me a provocation of my anger and of my wrath from the day that they built it even to this day, so that I should remove it from before my face, 32. because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger: they, their kings, their princes, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33. They have turned their backs to me, and not their faces. Although I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not listened to receive instruction. 34. But they set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to defile it. 35. They built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through fire to Molech; which I didn’t command them. It didn’t even come into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.” 36. Now therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, says concerning this city, about which you say, “It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence:” 37. “Behold, I will gather them out of all the countries where I have driven them in my anger, and in my wrath, and in great indignation; and I will bring them again to this place. I will cause them to dwell safely. 38. Then they will be my people, and I will be their God. 39. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their good, and the good of their children after them. 40. I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from following them, to do them good. I will put my fear in their hearts, that they may not depart from me. 41. Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.” 42. For Yahweh says: “Just as I have brought all this great evil on this people, so will I bring on them all the good that I have promised them. 43. Fields will be bought in this land, about which you say, ‘It is desolate, without man or animal. It is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’ 44. Men will buy fields for money, sign the deeds, seal them, and call witnesses, in the land of Benjamin, and in the places around Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South; for I will cause their captivity to be reversed,” says Yahweh. 1. Moreover Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was still locked up in the court of the guard, saying, 2. “Yahweh who does it, Yahweh who forms it to establish it—Yahweh is his name, says: 3. ‘Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great and difficult things, which you don’t know.’ 4. For Yahweh, the God of Israel, says concerning the houses of this city and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are broken down to make a defense against the mounds and against the sword; 5. while men come to fight with the Chaldeans, and to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have killed in my anger and in my wrath, and for all whose wickedness I have hidden my face from this city: 6. ‘Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them; and I will reveal to them abundance of peace and truth. 7. I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first. 8. I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against me. I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned against me and by which they have transgressed against me. 9. This city will be to me for a name of joy, for praise, and for glory, before all the nations of the earth, which will hear all the good that I do to them, and will fear and tremble for all the good and for all the peace that I provide to it.’” 10. 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,’ 11. the 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 Armies, for Yahweh is good, for his loving kindness endures forever;’ who bring thanksgiving into Yahweh’s house. For I will cause the captivity of the land to be reversed as at the first,” says Yahweh. 12. Yahweh of Armies says: “Yet again there will be in this place, which is waste, without man and without animal, and in all its cities, a habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down. 13. In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, in the cities of the South, in the land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, the flocks will again pass under the hands of him who counts them,” says Yahweh. 14. “Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will perform that good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and concerning the house of Judah. 15. “In those days and at that time, I will cause a Branch of righteousness to grow up to David. He will execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely. This is the name by which she will be called: Yahweh our righteousness.” 17. For Yahweh says: “David will never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel. 18. The priests the Levites won’t lack a man before me to offer burnt offerings, to burn meal offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.” 19. Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah, saying, 20. “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 time; 21. then may my covenant also be broken with David my servant, that he won’t have a son to reign on his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. 22. As the army of the sky can’t be counted, and the sand of the sea can’t be measured; so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant and the Levites who minister to me.’” 23. Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah, saying, 24. “Don’t consider what this people has spoken, saying, ‘Has Yahweh cast off the two families which he chose?’ Thus they despise my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.” 25. Yahweh says: “If my covenant of day and night fails, if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; 26. then I will also cast away the offspring of Jacob, and of David my servant, so that I will not take of his offspring to be rulers over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to be reversed and will have mercy on them.”

1. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the assembly of the Thessalonians in God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3. We are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers, even as it is appropriate, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each and every one of you towards one another abounds; 4. so that we ourselves boast about you in the assemblies of God for your perseverance and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which you endure. 5. This is an obvious sign of the righteous judgment of God, to the end that you may be counted worthy of God’s Kingdom, for which you also suffer. 6. Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay affliction to those who afflict you, 7. and to give relief to you who are afflicted with us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, 8. punishing those who don’t know God, and to those who don’t obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus, 9. who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10. when he comes in that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired among all those who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. 11. To this end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire of goodness and work of faith, with power; 12. that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1. Now, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to him, we ask you 2. not to be quickly shaken in your mind, and not be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by letter as if from us, saying that the day of Christ has already come. 3. Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction, 4. he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God. 5. Don’t you remember that, when I was still with you, I told you these things? 6. Now you know what is restraining him, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. 7. For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way. 8. Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth, and destroy by the manifestation of his coming; 9. even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10. and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn’t receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11. Because of this, God sends them a working of error, that they should believe a lie; 12. that they all might be judged who didn’t believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 13. But we are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth; 14. to which he called you through our Good News, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15. So then, brothers, stand firm, and hold the traditions which you were taught by us, whether by word, or by letter. 16. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17. comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word. 1. Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, even as also with you; 2. and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men; for not all have faith. 3. But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you, and guard you from the evil one. 4. We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you both do and will do the things we command. 5. May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love, and into the perseverance of Christ. 6. Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother who walks in rebellion, and not after the tradition which they received from us. 7. For you know how you ought to imitate us. For we didn’t behave ourselves rebelliously among you, 8. neither did we eat bread from anyone’s hand without paying for it, but in labor and travail worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you; 9. not because we don’t have the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, that you should imitate us. 10. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: “If anyone will not work, don’t let him eat.” 11. For we hear of some who walk among you in rebellion, who don’t work at all, but are busybodies. 12. Now those who are that way, we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. 13. But you, brothers, don’t be weary in doing what is right. 14. If any man doesn’t obey our word in this letter, note that man, that you have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed. 15. Don’t count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. 16. Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all. 17. The greeting of me, Paul, with my own hand, which is the sign in every letter: this is how I write. 18. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

1. The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the revelation: the man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal: 2. “Surely I am the most ignorant man, and don’t have a man’s understanding. 3. I have not learned wisdom, neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One. 4. Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in his garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know? 5. “Every word of God is flawless. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 6. Don’t you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar. 7. “Two things I have asked of you; don’t deny me before I die: 8. Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me; 9. lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. 10. “Don’t slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty. 11. There is a generation that curses their father, and doesn’t bless their mother. 12. There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness. 13. There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! Their eyelids are lifted up. 14. There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and their jaws like knives, to devour the poor from the earth, and the needy from among men. 15. “The leach has two daughters: ‘Give, give.’ “There are three things that are never satisfied; four that don’t say, ‘Enough:’ 16. Sheol, the barren womb; the earth that is not satisfied with water; and the fire that doesn’t say, ‘Enough.’ 17. “The eye that mocks at his father, and scorns obedience to his mother: the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, the young eagles shall eat it. 18. “There are three things which are too amazing for me, four which I don’t understand: 19. The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent on a rock; the way of a ship in the middle of the sea; and the way of a man with a maiden. 20. “So is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’ 21. “For three things the earth trembles, and under four, it can’t bear up: 22. For a servant when he is king; a fool when he is filled with food; 23. for an unloved woman when she is married; and a servant who is heir to her mistress. 24. “There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise: 25. the ants are not a strong people, yet they provide their food in the summer. 26. The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks. 27. The locusts have no king, yet they advance in ranks. 28. You can catch a lizard with your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces. 29. “There are three things which are stately in their march, four which are stately in going: 30. The lion, which is mightiest among animals, and doesn’t turn away for any; 31. the greyhound, the male goat also; and the king against whom there is no rising up. 32. “If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself, or if you have thought evil, put your hand over your mouth. 33. For as the churning of milk produces butter, and the wringing of the nose produces blood; so the forcing of wrath produces strife.”