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1. While Jeremiah was still locked up in the courtyard of the guards, the message from the Lord came to him a second time:
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1. Moreover the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came H1961 unto H413 Jeremiah H3414 the second H8145 time , while he H1931 was yet H5750 shut up H6113 in the court H2691 of the prison H4307 , saying H559 ,
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2. "The Lord made the earth, and he keeps it safe. The Lord is his name. He says,
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2. Thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 the maker H6213 thereof , the LORD H3068 that formed H3335 it , to establish H3559 it ; the LORD H3068 is his name H8034 ;
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3. 'Judah, pray to me, and I will answer you. I will tell you important secrets. You have never heard these things before.'
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3. Call H7121 unto H413 me , and I will answer H6030 thee , and show H5046 thee great H1419 and mighty H1219 things , which thou knowest H3045 not H3808 .
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4. The Lord is the God of Israel. This is what he says about the houses in Jerusalem and about the palaces of the kings of Judah: 'The enemy will pull these houses down. They will build ramps up to the top of the city walls. They will use swords and fight the people in these cities.
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4. For H3588 thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 , the God H430 of Israel H3478 , concerning H5921 the houses H1004 of this H2063 city H5892 , and concerning H5921 the houses H1004 of the kings H4428 of Judah H3063 , which are thrown down H5422 by H413 the mounts H5550 , and by H413 the sword H2719 ;
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5. "'The people in Jerusalem have done many bad things. I am angry with them. I have turned against them, so I will kill many people there. The Babylonian army will come to fight against Jerusalem. There will be many dead bodies in the houses in Jerusalem.
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5. They come H935 to fight H3898 with H854 the Chaldeans H3778 , but it is to fill H4390 them with H854 the dead bodies H6297 of men H120 , whom H834 I have slain H5221 in mine anger H639 and in my fury H2534 , and for H5921 all H3605 whose H834 wickedness H7451 I have hid H5641 my face H6440 from this H2063 city H4480 H5892 .
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6. "'But then I will heal the people in that city. I will let them enjoy peace and safety.
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6. Behold H2009 , I will bring H4608 it health H724 and cure H4832 , and I will cure H7495 them , and will reveal H1540 unto them the abundance H6283 of peace H7965 and truth H571 .
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7. I will make good things happen to Judah and Israel again and make them strong as in the past.
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7. And I will cause H853 the captivity H7622 of Judah H3063 and the captivity H7622 of Israel H3478 to return H7725 , and will build H1129 them , as at the first H7223 .
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8. They sinned against me, but I will wash away that sin. They fought against me, but I will forgive them.
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8. And I will cleanse H2891 them from all H4480 H3605 their iniquity H5771 , whereby H834 they have sinned H2398 against me ; and I will pardon H5545 all H3605 their iniquities H5771 , whereby H834 they have sinned H2398 , and whereby H834 they have transgressed H6586 against me.
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9. Then Jerusalem will be a wonderful place. The people will be happy. People from other nations will praise it when they hear about the good things happening there. They will hear about the good things I am doing for Jerusalem.'
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9. And it shall be H1961 to me a name H8034 of joy H8342 , a praise H8416 and an honor H8597 before all H3605 the nations H1471 of the earth H776 , which H834 shall hear H8085 H853 all H3605 the good H2896 that H834 I H595 do unto H6213 them : and they shall fear H6342 and tremble H7264 for H5921 all H3605 the goodness H2896 and for H5921 all H3605 the prosperity H7965 that H834 I H595 procure H6213 unto it.
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10. "You people are saying, 'Our country is an empty desert. There are no people or animals living there.' It is now quiet in the streets of Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah. But it will be noisy there soon.
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10. Thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 ; Again H5750 there shall be heard H8085 in this H2088 place H4725 , which H834 ye H859 say H559 shall be desolate H2720 without H4480 H369 man H120 and without H4480 H369 beast H929 , even in the cities H5892 of Judah H3063 , and in the streets H2351 of Jerusalem H3389 , that are desolate H8074 , without H4480 H369 man H120 , and without H4480 H369 inhabitant H3427 , and without H4480 H369 beast H929 ,
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11. There will be sounds of joy and happiness. There will be the happy sounds of a bride and groom. There will be the sounds of people bringing their gifts to the Lord's Temple. They will say, 'Praise the Lord All- Powerful! The Lord is good! His faithful love will last forever!' They will say this because I will again do good things to Judah. It will be as it was in the beginning." This is what the Lord said.
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11. The voice H6963 of joy H8342 , and the voice H6963 of gladness H8057 , the voice H6963 of the bridegroom H2860 , and the voice H6963 of the bride H3618 , the voice H6963 of them that shall say H559 , Praise H3034 H853 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 : for H3588 the LORD H3068 is good H2896 ; for H3588 his mercy H2617 endureth forever H5769 : and of them that shall bring H935 the sacrifice of praise H8426 into the house H1004 of the LORD H3068 . For H3588 I will cause to return H7725 H853 the captivity H7622 of the land H776 , as at the first H7223 , saith H559 the LORD H3068 .
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12. The Lord All-Powerful says, "This place is empty now. There are no people or animals living here. But there will be people in all the towns of Judah. There will be shepherds, and there will be pastures where they will let their flocks rest.
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12. Thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 ; Again H5750 in this H2088 place H4725 , which is desolate H2720 without H4480 H369 man H120 and without H5704 beast H929 , and in all H3605 the cities H5892 thereof , shall be H1961 a habitation H5116 of shepherds H7462 causing their flocks H6629 to lie down H7257 .
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13. Shepherds will count their sheep as the sheep walk in front of them. They will be counting their sheep all around the country�in the hill country, in the western foothills, in the Negev, and in all the other towns of Judah."
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13. In the cities H5892 of the mountains H2022 , in the cities H5892 of the vale H8219 , and in the cities H5892 of the south H5045 , and in the land H776 of Benjamin H1144 , and in the places about H5439 Jerusalem H3389 , and in the cities H5892 of Judah H3063 , shall the flocks H6629 pass H5674 again H5750 under H5921 the hands H3027 of him that telleth H4487 them , saith H559 the LORD H3068 .
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14. This message is from the Lord: "I made a special promise to the people of Israel and Judah. The time is coming when I will do what I promised.
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14. Behold H2009 , the days H3117 come H935 , saith H5002 the LORD H3068 , that I will perform H6965 H853 that good H2896 thing H1697 which H834 I have promised H1696 unto H413 the house H1004 of Israel H3478 and to H5704 the house H1004 of Judah H3063 .
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15. At that time I will make a good 'branch' grow from David's family. That good 'branch' will do what is good and right for the country.
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15. In those H1992 days H3117 , and at that H1931 time H6256 , will I cause the Branch H6780 of righteousness H6666 to grow up H6779 unto David H1732 ; and he shall execute H6213 judgment H4941 and righteousness H6666 in the land H776 .
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16. At the time of this 'branch,' the people of Judah will be saved. They will live safely in Jerusalem. The branch's name will be 'The Lord is Good.'"
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16. In those H1992 days H3117 shall Judah H3063 be saved H3467 , and Jerusalem H3389 shall dwell H7931 safely H983 : and this H2088 is the name wherewith H834 she shall be called H7121 , The LORD H3068 our righteousness H6664 .
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17. The Lord says, "Someone from David's family will always sit on the throne and rule the family of Israel.
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17. For H3588 thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 ; David H1732 shall never H3808 want H3772 a man H376 to sit H3427 upon H5921 the throne H3678 of the house H1004 of Israel H3478 ;
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18. And there will always be priests from the family of Levi. They will always stand before me and offer burnt offerings and sacrifice grain offerings and give sacrifices to me."
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18. Neither H3808 shall the priests H3548 the Levites H3881 want H3772 a man H376 before H4480 H6440 me to offer H5927 burnt offerings H5930 , and to kindle H6999 meat offerings H4503 , and to do H6213 sacrifice H2077 continually H3605 H3117 .
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19. This message from the Lord came to Jeremiah.
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19. And the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came H1961 unto H413 Jeremiah H3414 , saying H559 ,
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20. The Lord says, "I have an agreement with day and night. I agreed that they will continue forever. You cannot change that agreement. Day and night will always come at the right time. If you could change that agreement,
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20. Thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 ; If H518 ye can break H6565 H853 my covenant H1285 of the day H3117 , and my covenant H1285 of the night H3915 , and that there should not H1115 be H1961 day H3119 and night H3915 in their season H6256 ;
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21. then you could change my agreement with David and Levi. Then descendants from David would not be the kings, and the family of Levi would not be priests.
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21. Then may also H1571 my covenant H1285 be broken H6565 with H854 David H1732 my servant H5650 , that he should not have H4480 H1961 a son H1121 to reign H4427 upon H5921 his throne H3678 ; and with H854 the Levites H3881 the priests H3548 , my ministers H8334 .
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22. But I will give many descendants to my servant David and to the tribe of Levi. They will be as many as the stars in the sky�no one can count all the stars. And they will be as many as the grains of sand on the seashore�no one can count the grains of sand."
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22. As H834 the host H6635 of heaven H8064 cannot H3808 be numbered H5608 , neither H3808 the sand H2344 of the sea H3220 measured H4058 : so H3651 will I multiply H7235 H853 the seed H2233 of David H1732 my servant H5650 , and the Levites H3881 that minister unto H8334 me.
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23. Jeremiah received this message from the Lord:
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23. Moreover the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came H1961 to H413 Jeremiah H3414 , saying H559 ,
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24. "Jeremiah, have you heard what the people are saying? They are saying, 'The Lord turned away from the two families of Israel and Judah. He chose those people, but now he does not even accept them as a nation.'"
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24. Considerest H7200 thou not H3808 what H4100 this H2088 people H5971 have spoken H1696 , saying H559 , The two H8147 families H4940 which H834 the LORD H3068 hath chosen H977 , he hath even cast them off H3988 ? thus they have despised H5006 my people H5971 , that they should be no H4480 H1961 more H5750 a nation H1471 before H6440 them.
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25. The Lord says, "If my agreement with day and night does not continue, and if I had not made the laws for the sky and earth, maybe I would leave those people.
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25. Thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 ; If H518 my covenant H1285 be not H3808 with day H3119 and night H3915 , and if I have not H3808 appointed H7760 the ordinances H2708 of heaven H8064 and earth H776 ;
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26. Then maybe I would turn away from Jacob's descendants. And then maybe I would not let David's descendants rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But David is my servant, and I will be kind to those people. I will again cause good things to happen to them."
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26. Then H1571 will I cast away H3988 the seed H2233 of Jacob H3290 , and David H1732 my servant H5650 , so that I will not take H4480 H3947 any of his seed H4480 H2233 to be rulers H4910 over H413 the seed H2233 of Abraham H85 , Isaac H3446 , and Jacob H3290 : for H3588 I will cause H853 their captivity H7622 to return H7725 , and have mercy H7355 on them.
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