Another Promise of Hope
1 While I was still in prison in the courtyard, the Lord's message came to me again. 2 The Lord, who made the earth, who formed it and set it in place, spoke to me. He whose name is the Lord said, 3 “Call to me, and I will answer you; I will tell you wonderful and marvelous things that you know nothing about. 4 I, the Lord, the God of Israel, say that the houses of Jerusalem and the royal palace of Judah will be torn down as a result of the siege and the attack. 5 Some will fight against the Babylonians, who will fill the houses with the corpses of those whom I am going to strike down in my anger and fury. I have turned away from this city because of the evil things that its people have done. 6 But I will heal this city and its people and restore them to health. I will show them abundant peace and security. 7 I will make Judah and Israel prosperous, and I will rebuild them as they were before. 8 I will purify them from the sins that they have committed against me, and I will forgive their sins and their rebellion. 9 Jerusalem will be a source of joy, honor, and pride to me; and every nation in the world will fear and tremble when they hear about the good things that I do for the people of Jerusalem and about the prosperity that I bring to the city.”
10 The Lord said, “People are saying that this place is like a desert, that it has no people or animals living in it. And they are right; the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem are empty; no people or animals live there. But in these places you will hear again 11 the shouts of gladness and joy and the happy sounds of wedding feasts. You will hear people sing as they bring thank offerings to my Temple; they will say,
‘Give thanks to the Lord Almighty,
because he is good
and his love is eternal.’
I will make this land as prosperous as it was before. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
12 The Lord Almighty said, “In this land that is like a desert and where no people or animals live, there will once again be pastures where shepherds can take their sheep. 13 In the towns in the hill country, in the foothills, and in southern Judah, in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, and in the towns of Judah, shepherds will once again count their sheep. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
14 The Lord said, “The time is coming when I will fulfill the promise that I made to the people of Israel and Judah. 15 At that time I will choose as king a righteous descendant of David. That king will do what is right and just throughout the land. 16 The people of Judah and of Jerusalem will be rescued and will live in safety. The city will be called ‘The Lord Our Salvation.’ 17 I, the Lord, promise that there will always be a descendant of David to be king of Israel 18 and that there will always be priests from the tribe of Levi to serve me and to offer burnt offerings, grain offerings, and sacrifices.”
19 The Lord said to me, 20 “I have made a covenant with the day and with the night, so that they always come at their proper times; and that covenant can never be broken. 21 In the same way I have made a covenant with my servant David that he would always have a descendant to be king, and I have made a covenant with the priests from the tribe of Levi that they would always serve me; and those covenants can never be broken. 22 I will increase the number of descendants of my servant David and the number of priests from the tribe of Levi, so that it will be as impossible to count them as it is to count the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore.”
23 The Lord said to me, 24 “Have you noticed how people are saying that I have rejected Israel and Judah, the two families that I chose? And so they look with contempt on my people and no longer consider them a nation. 25 But I, the Lord, have a covenant with day and night, and I have made the laws that control earth and sky. 26 And just as surely as I have done this, so I will maintain my covenant with Jacob's descendants and with my servant David. I will choose one of David's descendants to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will be merciful to my people and make them prosperous again.”
Jeruzālemes brūces tiks dziedinātas
1 Un Kunga vārds nāca pār Jeremiju otrreiz, kad vēl viņš bija ieslodzīts cietuma pagalmā: 2 “Tā saka Kungs, kas rada, veido un dibina zemi – Kungs ir viņa vārds: 3 sauc mani, un es tev atbildēšu, un es vēstīšu tev lielas un apslēptas lietas, ko tu nezini.
4 Jo tā saka Kungs, Israēla Dievs, par šīs pilsētas namiem un par Jūdas ķēniņu namiem, kas ir noplēsti priekš aplenkuma vaļņiem, lai stātos pretī zobenam 5 cīņā ar kaldiešiem un lai pildītu tos ar ļaužu līķiem, ko es kāvu savās dusmās un niknumā, – viņu ļaunuma dēļ es paslēpu savu vaigu no tiem un no šīs pilsētas! 6 Redzi, es došu tiem nākamību un dziedināšanu, es tos dziedēšu un dāvāšu tiem bagātību, mieru un drošību. 7 Es atvedīšu atpakaļ Jūdas un Israēla gūstekņus un darīšu tos tādus kā senāk. 8 Es šķīstīšu viņus no visām vainām, ko tie pret mani grēkoja, un es piedošu visas viņu vainas, ar ko tie pret mani grēkoja un dumpojās. 9 Un šī pilsēta būs man par līksmi un slavu un par godu visām zemes tautām, kuras dzirdēs visu to labo, ko es tiem daru. Un tie drebēs un trīsēs visa labā un miera dēļ, ko es tiem devu!”
10 Tā saka Kungs: “Šajā vietā, par kuru jūs sakāt: tā ir postaža, kur ne zvēra, ne cilvēka, Jūdas pilsētas un Jeruzālemes laukumi ir izdeldēti, ka ne cilvēka, ne iemītnieka, ne zvēra! – 11 atkal skanēs līksmes un prieka balss, balss, kas teiks: slavējiet Pulku Kungu, Kungs ir labs, un viņa žēlastība ir uz mūžiem! – un viņi pateiksies Kunga namā, jo es atvedīšu atpakaļ šīs zemes gūstekņus kā senāk,” saka Kungs.
12 Tā saka Pulku Kungs: “Šajā nopostītajā vietā, kur ne zvēra, ne cilvēka, un visās tās pilsētās atkal būs pļavas, kur ganiem laist avis. 13 Kalnienes pilsētās, Šefelas pilsētās, Negebas pilsētās un visapkārt Benjāmina zemei, un Jūdas pilsētās atkal ganīs tie, kas savas avis prot skaitīt,” saka Kungs.
Dāvida atvase un derība ar Dāvidu
14 “Redzi, nāk dienas,” saka Kungs, “kad es piepildīšu solījumu, ko teicu Israēla namam un Jūdas namam! 15 Tanīs dienās, tanī laikā es taisnībā izdiedzēšu Dāvidam atvasi, viņš darīs uz zemes tiesu un taisnību. 16 Tanīs dienās tiks glābta Jūda un Jeruzāleme dzīvos drošībā, un viņa vārdu sauks: Kungs – mūsu taisnība!
17 Jo tā saka Kungs: Dāvidam netrūks vīra, kas sēž Israēla nama tronī. 18 Un Levī priesteriem manā priekšā nekad netrūks vīra, kas pienes sadedzināmos upurus, kvēpina labības dāvanas un ziedo kaujamos upurus!”
19 Un Kunga vārds nāca pār Jeremiju: 20 “Tā saka Kungs: ja jūs lauztu manu derību ar dienu un manu derību ar nakti, ka vairs nebūtu dienas un nakts savā laikā, 21 tikai tad tiktu lauzta mana derība ar manu kalpu Dāvidu – tikai tad viņam nebūtu dēla, kas valdītu viņa tronī, un Levī priesteru, kas man kalpo! 22 Kā debesu pulki nav saskaitāmi un jūras smiltis nav nosveramas, tā es vairošu sava kalpa Dāvida dzimumu un levītu dzimumu, kuri man kalpo.”
23 Un Kunga vārds nāca pār Jeremiju: 24 “Vai nedzirdi, ka šī tauta saka: divas ciltis Kungs izvēlējās, bet atmeta tās! – Manu tautu tie nīst, viņu acīs tā vairs nav mana tauta!
25 Tā saka Kungs: ja es nebūtu dibinājis savu derību ar dienu un nakti un nolicis debesu un zemes likumus, 26 tad es būtu atmetis arī Jēkabu un kalpu Dāvidu, – nebūtu ņēmis no viņu dzimuma valdniekus pār Ābrahāma, Īzaka un Jēkaba pēcnācējiem! Es atvedīšu gūstekņus atpakaļ un viņus apžēlošu!”
