Jeremiah 30:1-17

This is the message that YAHWEH gave to Jeremiah. YAHWEH, the God of Israel, gave Jeremiah this command: “Write everything I have told you in a book. For I decree that the time is coming when I will restore all that you have lost and bring back my captive people, Israel and Judah,” says YAHWEH. “I will bring them back to possess the land that I gave to their ancestors.” Then YAHWEH told me to say to Israel and Judah: “I, YAHWEH, hear the voice of panic, the screams of terror, and no sound of peace anywhere. Now, ask yourself this and carefully consider: can a man give birth to a child? Then why do I see each man gripping his sides like a woman in labor? How terrible! Why has every face turned pale? A disaster! A terrible day like no other. It will be great tribulation for Jacob, yet he will be saved out of it. “In that day,” declares YAHWEH, Commander of Angel Armies, “I will break off the yoke from your neck and snap your chains, and foreigners will no longer enslave you. But Israel and Judah will be servants of YAHWEH their God, and I will raise up a king for them from the lineage of David.” YAHWEH says, “My servant Jacob, do not fear; Israel, do not be alarmed. I will rescue you and your descendants from that foreign land in which you are held captive. You will return and live in peace, safe and secure, with no one to trouble you. For I am with you and will save you,” YAHWEH declares. “Someday, I will bring destruction to all the nations where I have driven you, but I will not destroy you. I will discipline you but in moderation. I will not let you go entirely unpunished.” YAHWEH YAHWEH says: “Your wound is incurable; your injuries are so serious, they’re beyond healing. Everyone has given up on you. At least for an ulcer there are remedies, but for you, there’s no cure at all. All those ‘lovers’ you had have abandoned you; they could not care less. Yes, I struck you with cruel punishment because of your great guilt and countless sins. I struck you mercilessly like you were my enemy. There is no point in crying out over your pain, for your wound is incurable. I have treated you like this because of your great guilt and countless sins. “But rest assured, all those who devoured you will be devoured; all your enemies, every one of them, will go into captivity. Those who devastated you will be devastated, and all who made you their prey, I will make a prey. For I, YAHWEH, say to you who were once called ‘Outcast,’ I will heal your wounds. And to you who were once called ‘Forgotten Zion,’ I will restore your health.”