Jeremiah 33

1 And the word of Yahweh came unto Jeremiah, the second time, when he was yet imprisoned in the guard-court, saying:

A second message came from the Lord to Jeremiah while he was still being held in the guard's courtyard of the guard.

2 Thus, saith Yahweh, who doeth it, —Yahweh, who fashioneth it to establish it, Yahweh, is his name:

This is what the Lord says, the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who shaped it and set it in place, the Lord is his name:

3 Call unto me that I may answer thee, —and tell thee things great and inaccessible, which thou hast not known.

Call out to me, and I will answer you, explaining to you amazing, hidden things about which you don't have any idea.

4 For, Thus, saith Yahweh God of Israel, Concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, —which are thrown down against the earthworks and against the sword:

For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about Jerusalem's houses and the palaces of the kings of Judah that were demolished for materials to be used to defend against the siege ramps and the enemy attacks.

5 In entering to fight with the Chaldeans, it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have smitten in mine anger and in mine indignation, —and because of whom I have hidden my face from this city, —by reason of all their wickedness.

They come to fight the Babylonians but will only fill those houses with the dead bodies of those I'm going to kill in my furious anger. I have given up on this city because of all its wickedness.

6 Behold me! laying upon her a bandage of healing, so will I heal them, —And will reveal to them abundance of prosperity and truth;

But even so, in the future I will restore and repair it, and I will heal its people and give them lasting peace and safety.

7 And I will bring back Them of the captivity of Judah, and Them of the captivity of Israel, —And I will build them, as at the first;

I will bring Judah and Israel back from exile and will make them as strong as before.

8 And I will purify them, from all their iniquity wherewith they have sinned against me, —And I will grant pardon for all their iniquities Wherewith they have sinned against me, and Wherewith they have transgressed against me;

I will wash away all their sins that they committed against me, and I will forgive all their guilt from when they sinned in rebelling against me.

9 So shall she become to me—A name of joy, A praise and An adorning, To all the nations of the earth, —Who will hear all the good which I am doing them, And will dread and be deeply moved over all the good and over all the prosperity which I am causing her.

Then this city will bring me a glorious reputation, celebrated and praised by all the nations of the earth who get to hear of all the good things I do for it. They will tremble, amazed at how much good I have done for it, how I have made it so prosperous.

10 Thus, saith Yahweh—Again, shall be heard in this place, as to which ye are saying, Deserted, it is without man or beast, In the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, Which are desolate without man or inhabitant or beast

This is what the Lord says: You call this place “a wasteland where there's no people or animals.” Well, here in the towns of Judah and in the empty streets of Jerusalem where no people or animals live, one day

11 The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness The voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, The voice of them who are saying, Praise ye Yahweh of hosts, For good is Yahweh For age-abiding is his lovingkindness, The voice of them who are bringing a thank-offering into the house of Yahweh, —For I will bring back the captives of the land, as at the first, Saith Yahweh.

the sounds of joy and celebration will be heard there again, the happy voices of bride and bridegroom, and the shouts of praise of those bringing thank offerings to the Lord's Temple, saying: “Thank the Lord Almighty! For the Lord is good; his trustworthy love lasts endures forever.” For I will bring the land back from its “captivity” too, says the Lord.

12 Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Again, shall there be in this place—Which is deserted without man or even beast—And all the cities thereof, —The home of shepherds, causing flocks to lie down.

This is what the Lord Almighty says: In this wasteland where there's no people or animals, and in all its towns, once again there'll be pastures where shepherds can take their flocks.

13 In the cities of the hill country, In the cities of the lowland, and In the cities of the South, and In the land of Benjamin, and In the places round about Jerusalem, and In the cities of Judah, Again shall the flock pass over the hands of the numberer, Saith Yahweh.

In all the towns, whether in the hill country, or the foothills, or the Negev, or the land of Benjamin or the towns around Jerusalem, or throughout the cities of Judah, flocks will once again be counted by their shepherds, says the Lord.

14 Lo! days are coming, Declareth Yahweh, —when I will establish my good word, which I have spoken—As to the house of Israel And concerning the house of Judah:

Look! The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will keep my promise to do good to the people of Israel and Judah.

15 In those days and at that time, will I cause to bud unto David A Bud of righteousness, —And he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land:

At that time, right there and then, I will give you a good king from the line of David. He will do what is just and right throughout the country.

16 In those days, Judah shall be saved, and, Jerusalem abide, securely, —And, this, is that which shall be proclaimed to her—Yahweh, our righteousness!

This is when Judah will be saved, and the people of Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name he will be called: The Lord Who Makes Us Right.

17 For, Thus, saith Yahweh, —There shall not be wanting to David—A man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;

This is what the Lord says: David will always have a descendant who will be king of Israel,

18 Nor to the priests the Levites, shall there be wanting—A man, before me, To offer an ascending-sacrifice, or To make a perfume with a gift, or To offer a [peace-] offering, all the days!

and the Levitical priests will always have a descendant to present burnt offerings, grain offerings, and sacrifices to me.

19 And the word of Yahweh came unto Jeremiah saying:

A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah:

20 Thus, saith Yahweh, If ye can break, My covenant of the day, and My covenant of the night, That there be not day and night in their season,

This is what the Lord says: If you were able to break my agreement with the day and with the night, so that they wouldn't come at the right time,

21 My covenant also, may be broken With David my servant, that he shall not have a son, to reign upon his throne, —And with the Levites the priests, mine attendants:

only then would my agreement be broken with David my servant and with the Levites who serve as my priests, so that David would not have a descendant to rule on his throne.

22 As, the host of the heavens, cannot be recorded, Nor the sand of the sea, be measured, So, will I multiply, The seed of David my servant, And the Levites who attend upon me.

In the same way that the stars of heaven can't be counted, and the sand on the seashore can't be measured, that's how many times I will multiply the number of my servant David's descendants and the Levites who serve me.

23 And the word of Yahweh came unto Jeremiah, saying:

Another message from the Lord came to Jeremiah:

24 Hast thou not observed what, this people, have spoken saying, The two families which Yahweh did choose, he hath even cast them off? And so, my people, they despise, as though they could not again become a nation in their sight!

Have you heard what people are saying: “The Lord chose two families, but now he's rejected them”? So they look down on my people and don't consider them worthy of being called a nation.

25 Thus, saith Yahweh, If my covenant of day and night, the ordinances of the heavens and the earth, I did not appoint,

This is what the Lord says: Just as I can't break my agreement with the day and the night and the laws that regulate heaven and earth,

26 The seed of Jacob also and of David my servant, might I cast off so as not to take of his seed as rulers unto the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, —For I will bring back them of their captivity, and will have compassion upon them.

so I can't reject the descendants of Jacob and of my servant David, and I can't fail to make his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will bring them back from exile and I will be kind to them.