13. Shepherds will again count their sheep as the sheep walk in front of them. People will be counting their sheep all around the country. They will count them in the mountains and in the western mountain slopes. They will count them in southern Judah and the land of Benjamin. They will count them around Jerusalem and the other towns of Judah!”
14. The Lord says, “The time is coming when I will do the things I promised. I made a special promise to the people of Israel and Judah.
15. In those days and at that time,I will make a righteous branch sprout from David’s family.He will do what is fair and right in the land.
16. At this time Judah will be saved.The people of Jerusalem will live in safety.The branch will be named:The Lord Does What Is Right.”
17. This is what the Lord says: “Someone from David’s family will always sit on the throne. And he will rule the family of Israel.
18. And there will always be priests from the family of Levi. Those priests will always stand before me. And they will offer burnt offerings and grain offerings. And they will offer sacrifices to me.”
19. The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah.
20. “This is what the Lord says: I have an agreement with day and night. I agreed that they will continue forever. Day and night will always come at the right times. If you could change that agreement,
21. you could also change my agreement with David and Levi. Only then would descendants from my servant David not be the kings on their thrones. And only then would the family of Levi not be priests serving me in the Temple.
22. But I will give many descendants to my servant David. And I will give them to the family group of Levi who serve me in the Temple. They will be as many as the stars in the sky that no one can count. And they will be as many as the grains of sand on the seashore that no one can count.”
23. The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah:
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 doesn’t think of them as a nation anymore!’”
25. This is what the Lord says: “If I had not made my agreement with day and night, and if I had not made the laws for the sky and earth,
26. only then might I turn away from Jacob’s descendants. And only then I might not let the descendants of David my servant rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And I will be kind to those people. I will cause good things to happen to them again.”