23. The Lord of heaven’s armies, the God of Israel, says: “I will again do good things for the people of Judah. At that time the people in the land of Judah and its towns will again say: ‘May the Lord bless you. You are a righteous dwelling. You are a holy mountain.’
24. People in all the towns of Judah will live together in peace. Farmers and those who move around with their flocks will live together in peace.
25. I will give rest and strength to those who are weak and tired.”
26. After hearing that, I, Jeremiah, woke up and looked around. My sleep had been very pleasant.
27. The Lord says, “The days are coming when I will help the families of Israel and Judah to grow. I will help their children and animals to grow, too. It will be like planting and caring for a plant.
28. In the past I watched over Israel and Judah, but I watched for the time to pull them up. I tore them down. I destroyed them. I brought disaster to them. But now I will watch over them to build them up and make them strong,” says the Lord.
29. “At that time people will no longer say:‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes.And that caused the children to grind their teeth from the sour taste.’
30. But each person will die for his own sin. The person who eats sour grapes will grind his own teeth.
31. “Look, the time is coming,” says the Lord,“when I will make a new agreement.It will be with the people of Israeland the people of Judah.
32. It will not be like the agreementI made with their ancestors.That was when I took them by the handto bring them out of Egypt.I was a husband to them,but they broke that agreement,” says the Lord.
33. “I will make this agreementwith the people of Israel,” says the Lord.“I will put my teachings in their minds.And I will write them on their hearts.I will be their God,and they will be my people.
34. People will no longer have to teach their neighbors and relativesto know the Lord.This is because all people will know me,from the least to the most important,” says the Lord.“I will forgive them for the wicked things they did.I will not remember their sins anymore.”
35. This is what the Lord says:“The Lord makes the sun shine in the day.And he makes the moon and stars shine at night.He stirs up the sea so that its waves crash on the shore.The Lord of heaven’s armies is his name.
36. “Only if these laws should ever fail,”says the Lord,“will Israel’s descendants stopbeing a nation before me.”
37. This is what the Lord says:“There’s only one way I will reject all the descendants of Israel.That is if people can measure the sky above.It is if they can learn the secrets of the earth below.Then I will reject them because of what they have done,” says the Lord.
38. The Lord says, “The days are coming when Jerusalem will be rebuilt for me. Everything from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate will be rebuilt.
39. The measuring line will stretch from the Corner Gate straight to the hill of Gareb. Then it will turn to the place named Goah.
40. There is the whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown. It will be holy to the Lord. And all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley will be included. They are on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate. All that area will be holy to the Lord. The city of Jerusalem will never again be torn down or destroyed.”