¹ Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying, ² So says the LORD the maker of it, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name; ³ Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you know not. ⁴ For so says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword; ⁵ They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men, who I have slain in mine anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city. ⁶ See, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth. ⁷ And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first. ⁸ And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, through which they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, through which they have sinned, and through which they have transgressed against me. ⁹ And it will be to me a name of joy, a praise and a honour before all the nations of the earth, which will hear all the good that I do to them: and they will fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure to it. ¹⁰ So says the LORD; Again there will be heard in this place, which you say will be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast, 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 that will say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endures forever: and of them that will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, says the LORD. ¹² So says the LORD of hosts; Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all the cities of it, will be a habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down. ¹³ In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, will the flocks pass again under the hands of him that tells them, says the LORD. ¹⁴ See, the days come, says the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. ¹⁵ In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up to David; and he will execute judgment and righteousness in the land. ¹⁶ In those days will Judah be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely: and this is the name with which she will be called, The LORD our righteousness. ¹⁷ For so says the LORD David will never want a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel ¹⁸ Neither will the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually. ¹⁹ And the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, ²⁰ So says the LORD; If you can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; ²¹ Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign on his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. ²² As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister to me. ²³ Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, ²⁴ Consider you not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the LORD has chosen, he has even cast them off ? so they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them. ²⁵ So says the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; ²⁶ Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return , and have mercy on them.