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Deliverance from Captivity Promised

¹ The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,² "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, '^(C1)Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book.³ 'For behold, ^(C1)days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will ^(C2)restore the ^(F1)fortunes of My people ^(C3)Israel and Judah.' The LORD says, 'I will also ^(C4)bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they shall possess it.'"

⁴ Now these are the words which the LORD spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah:

⁵ "For thus says the LORD,

'^(F1)I have heard a sound of ^(C1)terror,
Of dread, and there is no peace.

⁶ 'Ask now, and see
If a male can give birth.
Why do I see every man
With his hands on his loins, ^(C1)as a woman in childbirth?
And why have all faces turned pale?

⁷ 'Alas! for that ^(C1)day is great,
There is ^(C2)none like it;
And it is the time of Jacob's ^(C3)distress,
But he will be ^(C4)saved from it.

⁸ 'It shall come about on that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'that I will ^(C1)break his yoke from off ^(F1)their neck and will tear off ^(F1)their ^(C2)bonds; and strangers will no longer ^(C3)make ^(F2)them their slaves.⁹ 'But they shall serve the LORD their God and ^(C1)David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

¹⁰ '^(C1)Fear not, O Jacob My servant,' declares the LORD,
'And do not be dismayed, O Israel;
For behold, I will save you ^(C2)from afar
And your ^(F1)offspring from the land of their captivity.
And Jacob will return and will be ^(C3)quiet and at ease,
And ^(C4)no one will make him afraid.

¹¹ 'For ^(C1)I am with you,' declares the LORD, 'to save you;
For I will ^(C2)destroy completely all the nations where I have scattered you,
Only I will ^(C3)not destroy you completely.
But I will ^(C4)chasten you justly
And will by no means leave you unpunished.'

¹² "For thus says the LORD,
'Your wound is incurable
And your ^(C1)injury is serious.

¹³ 'There is no one to plead your cause;
No healing for your sore,
^(C1)No recovery for you.

¹⁴ 'All your ^(C1)lovers have forgotten you,
They do not seek you;
For I have ^(C2)wounded you with the wound of an enemy,
With the ^(C3)punishment of a ^(C4)cruel one,
Because your ^(C5)iniquity is great
And your ^(C6)sins are numerous.

¹⁵ 'Why do you cry out over your injury?
Your pain is incurable.
Because your iniquity is great
And your sins are numerous,
I have done these things to you.

¹⁶ 'Therefore all who ^(C1)devour you will be devoured;
And all your adversaries, every one of them, ^(C2)will go into captivity;
And those who plunder you will be for plunder,
And all who prey upon you I will give for prey.

¹⁷ 'For I will ^(F1)restore you to ^(F2)(C1)health
And I will heal you of your wounds,' declares the LORD,
'Because they have called you an ^(C2)outcast, saying:
"It is Zion; no one ^(F3)cares for her."'

Restoration of Jacob

¹⁸ "Thus says the LORD,
'Behold, I will ^(C1)restore the ^(F1)fortunes of the tents of Jacob
And ^(C2)have compassion on his dwelling places;
And the ^(C3)city will be rebuilt on its ruin,
And the ^(C4)palace will stand on its rightful place.

¹⁹ 'From them will proceed ^(C1)thanksgiving
And the voice of those who ^(F1)(C2)celebrate;
And I will ^(C3)multiply them and they will not be diminished;
I will also ^(C4)honor them and they will not be insignificant.

²⁰ '^(F1)Their children also will be as formerly,
And ^(F2)their congregation shall be ^(C1)established before Me;
And I will punish all ^(F2)their oppressors.

²¹ '^(F1)Their ^(C1)leader shall be one of them,
And ^(F1)their ruler shall come forth from ^(F1)their midst;
And I will ^(C2)bring him near and he shall approach Me;
For ^(F2)who would dare to risk his life to ^(C3)approach Me?' declares the LORD.

²² 'You shall be ^(C1)My people,
And I will be your God.'"

²³ Behold, the ^(C1)tempest of the LORD!
Wrath has gone forth,
A ^(F1)sweeping tempest;
It will burst on the head of the wicked.

²⁴ The ^(C1)fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back
Until He has performed and until He has accomplished
The intent of His heart;
In the ^(C2)latter days you will understand this.