1 A second message came from the Lord to Jeremiah while he was still being held in the guard's courtyard of the guard.

2 This is what the Lord says, the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who shaped it and set it in place, the Lord is his name: 3 Call out to me, and I will answer you, explaining to you amazing, hidden things about which you don't have any idea. 4 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about Jerusalem's houses and the palaces of the kings of Judah that were demolished for materials to be used to defend against the siege ramps and the enemy attacks. 5 They come to fight the Babylonians but will only fill those houses with the dead bodies of those I'm going to kill in my furious anger. I have given up on this city because of all its wickedness.

6 But even so, in the future I will restore and repair it, and I will heal its people and give them lasting peace and safety. 7 I will bring Judah and Israel back from exile and will make them as strong as before. 8 I will wash away all their sins that they committed against me, and I will forgive all their guilt from when they sinned in rebelling against me.

9 Then this city will bring me a glorious reputation, celebrated and praised by all the nations of the earth who get to hear of all the good things I do for it. They will tremble, amazed at how much good I have done for it, how I have made it so prosperous.

10 This is what the Lord says: You call this place “a wasteland where there's no people or animals.” Well, here in the towns of Judah and in the empty streets of Jerusalem where no people or animals live, one day 11 the sounds of joy and celebration will be heard there again, the happy voices of bride and bridegroom, and the shouts of praise of those bringing thank offerings to the Lord's Temple, saying: “Thank the Lord Almighty! For the Lord is good; his trustworthy love lasts endures forever.” For I will bring the land back from its “captivity” too, says the Lord.

12 This is what the Lord Almighty says: In this wasteland where there's no people or animals, and in all its towns, once again there'll be pastures where shepherds can take their flocks. 13 In all the towns, whether in the hill country, or the foothills, or the Negev, or the land of Benjamin or the towns around Jerusalem, or throughout the cities of Judah, flocks will once again be counted by their shepherds, says the Lord.

14 Look! The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will keep my promise to do good to the people of Israel and Judah. 15 At that time, right there and then, I will give you a good king from the line of David.* Literally, “I will cause to sprout for David a righteous Branch.” He will do what is just and right throughout the country. 16 This is when Judah will be saved, and the people of Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name he will be called: The Lord Who Makes Us Right.

17 This is what the Lord says: David will always have a descendant who will be king of Israel, 18 and the Levitical priests will always have a descendant to present burnt offerings, grain offerings, and sacrifices to me.

19 A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 This is what the Lord says: If you were able to break my agreement with the day and with the night, so that they wouldn't come at the right time, 21 only then would my agreement be broken with David my servant and with the Levites who serve as my priests, so that David would not have a descendant to rule on his throne. 22 In the same way that the stars of heaven can't be counted, and the sand on the seashore can't be measured, that's how many times I will multiply the number of my servant David's descendants and the Levites who serve me.

23 Another message from the Lord came to Jeremiah: 24 Have you heard what people are saying: “The Lord chose two families, but now he's rejected them”? So they look down on my people and don't consider them worthy of being called† “Worthy of being called” supplied for clarity. a nation. 25 This is what the Lord says: Just as I can't break my agreement with the day and the night and the laws that regulate heaven and earth, 26 so I can't reject the descendants of Jacob and of my servant David, and I can't fail to make his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will bring them back from exile and I will be kind to them.