Jeremiah 30-33
New Covenant
Coming!

Main Image
How it works

0 MIN READ

Psalm 88:1-18 Prayer in the Depths of Depression

I Have Cried Day and Night Before You
1 A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.

 O LORD, God of my salvation,
 I cry out day and night before you.
2 Let my prayer come before you;
 incline your ear to my cry!

3 For my soul is full of troubles,
 and my life draws near to Sheol.
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
 I am a man who has no strength,
5 like one set loose among the dead,
 like the slain that lie in the grave,
like those whom you remember no more,
 for they are cut off from your hand.
6 You have put me in the depths of the pit,
 in the regions dark and deep.
7 Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
 and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah

8 You have caused my companions to shun me;
 you have made me a horror to them.
I am shut in so that I cannot escape;
9  my eye grows dim through sorrow.
Every day I call upon you, O LORD;
 I spread out my hands to you.
10 Do you work wonders for the dead?
 Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah
11 Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,
 or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
12 Are your wonders known in the darkness,
 or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

13 But I, O LORD, cry to you;
 in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 O LORD, why do you cast my soul away?
 Why do you hide your face from me?
15 Afflicted and close to death from my youth up,
 I suffer your terrors; I am helpless.
16 Your wrath has swept over me;
 your dreadful assaults destroy me.
17 They surround me like a flood all day long;
 they close in on me together.
18 You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me;
 my companions have become darkness.

Application

It's best to strive to avoid God's discipline by paying attention to what He wants and giving it to him, but when being disciplined, don't stop praying, because your God doesn't stop being the God of your salvation.

Prayer

You are the God of my salvation; I have no one else to turn to, so I will continue to ask You to save me, and spare me, so I can praise You, as You desire. Amen.

Proverbs 21:11-13 Wise Ways

11 When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise;
 when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.
12 The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked;
 he throws the wicked down to ruin.
13 Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor
 will himself call out and not be answered.

Application

The wise person treats others like he/she would want to be treated by God.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, show me how to use the life You've entrusted to me for Your purposes, and not selfishly waste it on my lusts. Amen.

Jeremiah 30-33 New Covenant Coming!

These chapters offer hope to the nation of their restoration and rest in the promised land, after their discipline is accomplished. God gives the details of the New Covenant in chapter 31, and His plans to regather and bless Israel. Jeremiah continues to suffer abuse, buys some land, and God invites him to call upon the God for whom nothing is too difficult.

Jeremiah 30 Time of Jacob's Trouble

The Restoration of Israel and Judah
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. 3 For behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the LORD, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it.”
4 These are the words that the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah:

5 “Thus says the LORD:
We have heard a cry of panic,
 of terror, and no peace.
6 Ask now, and see,
 can a man bear a child?
Why then do I see every man
 with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor?
 Why has every face turned pale?
7 Alas! That day is so great
 there is none like it;
it is a time of distress for Jacob;
 yet he shall be saved out of it.
8 “And it shall come to pass in that day, declares the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and I will burst your bonds, and foreigners shall no more make a servant of him. 9 But they shall serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

10 “Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the LORD,
 nor be dismayed, O Israel;
for behold, I will save you from far away,
 and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
 and none shall make him afraid.
11 For I am with you to save you,
 → declares the LORD;
I will make a full end of all the nations
 among whom I scattered you,
 but of you I will not make a full end.
I will discipline you in just measure,
 and I will by no means leave you unpunished.

12 “For thus says the LORD:
Your hurt is incurable,
 and your wound is grievous.
13 There is none to uphold your cause,
 no medicine for your wound,
 no healing for you.
14 All your lovers have forgotten you;
 they care nothing for you;
for I have dealt you the blow of an enemy,
 the punishment of a merciless foe,
because your guilt is great,
 because your sins are flagrant.
15 Why do you cry out over your hurt?
 Your pain is incurable.
Because your guilt is great,
 because your sins are flagrant,
 I have done these things to you.
16 Therefore all who devour you shall be devoured,
 and all your foes, every one of them, shall go into captivity;
those who plunder you shall be plundered,
 and all who prey on you I will make a prey.
17 For I will restore health to you,
 and your wounds I will heal,
 → declares the LORD,
because they have called you an outcast:
 ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’

18 “Thus says the LORD:
Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob
 and have compassion on his dwellings;
the city shall be rebuilt on its mound,
 and the palace shall stand where it used to be.
19 Out of them shall come songs of thanksgiving,
 and the voices of those who celebrate.
I will multiply them, and they shall not be few;
 I will make them honored, and they shall not be small.
20 Their children shall be as they were of old,
 and their congregation shall be established before me,
 and I will punish all who oppress them.
21 Their prince shall be one of themselves;
 their ruler shall come out from their midst;
I will make him draw near, and he shall approach me,
 for who would dare of himself to approach me?
 → declares the LORD.
22 And you shall be my people,
 and I will be your God.”


23 Behold the storm of the LORD!
 Wrath has gone forth,
a whirling tempest;
 it will burst upon the head of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back
 until he has executed and accomplished
 the intentions of his mind.
In the latter days you will understand this.

Application

Since God will always win, it's wise not to fight with Him, but give Him what He wants, and enjoy His favor rather than discipline.

Prayer

God, I know that in Your justice You punish sin and seek to purify Your people; may I live so as to have boldness in Your presence, by doing what You desire. Amen.

Jeremiah 31 New Covenant with Israel

Mourning Turned to Joy
1 “At that time, declares the LORD, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people.”


2 Thus says the LORD:
“The people who survived the sword
 found grace in the wilderness;
when Israel sought for rest,
3  the LORD appeared to him from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
 therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
4 Again I will build you, and you shall be built,
 O virgin Israel!
Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines
 and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.
5 Again you shall plant vineyards
 on the mountains of Samaria;
the planters shall plant
 and shall enjoy the fruit.
6 For there shall be a day when watchmen will call
 in the hill country of Ephraim:
‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion,
 to the LORD our God.’”


7 For thus says the LORD:
“Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,
 and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;
proclaim, give praise, and say,
 ‘O LORD, save your people,
 the remnant of Israel.’
8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country
 and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,
among them the blind and the lame,
 the pregnant woman and she who is in labor, together;
 a great company, they shall return here.
9 With weeping they shall come,
 and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back,
I will make them walk by brooks of water,
 in a straight path in which they shall not stumble,
for I am a father to Israel,
 and Ephraim is my firstborn.

10 “Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
 and declare it in the coastlands far away;
say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him,
 and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’
11 For the LORD has ransomed Jacob
 and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
12 They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
 and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD,
over the grain, the wine, and the oil,
 and over the young of the flock and the herd;
their life shall be like a watered garden,
 and they shall languish no more.
13 Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,
 and the young men and the old shall be merry.
I will turn their mourning into joy;
 I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
14 I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance,
 and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,
 → declares the LORD.”


15 Thus says the LORD:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
 lamentation and bitter weeping.
Rachel is weeping for her children;
 she refuses to be comforted for her children,
 because they are no more.”


16 Thus says the LORD:
“Keep your voice from weeping,
 and your eyes from tears,
for there is a reward for your work,
 → declares the LORD,
 and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.
17 There is hope for your future,
 → declares the LORD,
 and your children shall come back to their own country.
18 I have heard Ephraim grieving,
‘You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined,
 like an untrained calf;
bring me back that I may be restored,
 for you are the LORD my God.
19 For after I had turned away, I relented,
 and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh;
I was ashamed, and I was confounded,
 because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’
20 Is Ephraim my dear son?
 Is he my darling child?
For as often as I speak against him,
 I do remember him still.
Therefore my heart yearns for him;
 I will surely have mercy on him,
 → declares the LORD.

21 “Set up road markers for yourself;
 make yourself guideposts;
consider well the highway,
 the road by which you went.
Return, O virgin Israel,
 return to these your cities.
22 How long will you waver,
 O faithless daughter?
For the LORD has created a new thing on the earth:
 a woman encircles a man.”

23 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Once more they shall use these words in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I restore their fortunes:

 “‘The LORD bless you, O habitation of righteousness,
 O holy hill!’
24 And Judah and all its cities shall dwell there together, and the farmers and those who wander with their flocks. 25 For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”

The New Covenant
26 At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me.
27 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. 28 And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the LORD. 29 In those days they shall no longer say:

 “‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
 and the children's teeth are set on edge.’
30 But everyone shall die for his own iniquity. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.
31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD.
33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”


35 Thus says the LORD,
who gives the sun for light by day
 and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,
who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
 the LORD of hosts is his name:
36 “If this fixed order departs
 from before me, declares the LORD,
then shall the offspring of Israel cease
 from being a nation before me forever.”


37 Thus says the LORD:
“If the heavens above can be measured,
 and the foundations of the earth below can be explored,
then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel
 for all that they have done,
 → declares the LORD.”

38 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when the city shall be rebuilt for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 And the measuring line shall go out farther, straight to the hill Gareb, and shall then turn to Goah. 40 The whole valley of the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be sacred to the LORD. It shall not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever.”

Application

It is only as we internalize God's words and values that we can live in covenantal loyalty with Him and experience the relationship He desires, and for which we were created.

Prayer

God, may Your word dwell at the very core of my being and values, so the decisions I make delight You, and I can trust that You will delight me. Amen.

Jeremiah 32 Nothing is Too Hard for God

Jeremiah Buys Hanamel’s Field
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. 2 At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah.
3 For Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him, saying, “Why do you prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall capture it; 4 Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye. 5 And he shall take Zedekiah to Babylon, and there he shall remain until I visit him, declares the LORD. Though you fight against the Chaldeans, you shall not succeed’?”
6 Jeremiah said, “The word of the LORD came to me: 7 Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you and say, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.’ 8 Then Hanamel my cousin came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the LORD, and said to me, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.
9 “And I bought the field at Anathoth from Hanamel my cousin, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. 10 I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales. 11 Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions and the open copy. 12 And I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my cousin, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard.
13 I charged Baruch in their presence, saying, 14 ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware vessel, that they may last for a long time. 15 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.’
Jeremiah Prays for Understanding
16 “After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD, saying: 17 ‘Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.
18 You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts, 19 great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.
20 You have shown signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and to this day in Israel and among all mankind, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day. 21 You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, and with great terror. 22 And you gave them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey.
23 And they entered and took possession of it. But they did not obey your voice or walk in your law. They did nothing of all you commanded them to do. Therefore you have made all this disaster come upon them. 24 Behold, the siege mounds have come up to the city to take it, and because of sword and famine and pestilence the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What you spoke has come to pass, and behold, you see it.
25 Yet you, O Lord GOD, have said to me, “Buy the field for money and get witnesses”—though the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.’”
The LORD Answers Jeremiah
26 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 27 “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?
28 Therefore, thus says the LORD: Behold, I am giving this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall capture it. 29 The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city shall come and set this city on fire and burn it, with the houses on whose roofs offerings have been made to Baal and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods, to provoke me to anger.
30 For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth. The children of Israel have done nothing but provoke me to anger by the work of their hands, declares the LORD. 31 This city has aroused my anger and wrath, from the day it was built to this day, so that I will remove it from my sight 32 because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah that they did to provoke me to anger—their kings and their officials, their priests and their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33 They have turned to me their back and not their face. And though I have taught them persistently, they have not listened to receive instruction.
34 They set up their abominations in the house that is called by my name, to defile it. 35 They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
A Promise of Restoration
36 “Now therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence’: 37 Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. 38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them.
40 I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.
42 “For thus says the LORD: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them. 43 Fields shall be bought in this land of which you are saying, ‘It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’ 44 Fields shall be bought for money, and deeds shall be signed and sealed and witnessed, in the land of Benjamin, in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb; for I will restore their fortunes, declares the LORD.”

Application

There is nothing too difficult for God to do, so there is no lack of desire or power to bless His people; the only limiting factor is our fear and obedience.

Prayer

God, may I fear displeasing You and reaping Your wrath, so I may obey You and reap Your blessing. Thanks for being the kind of God who rejoices over doing good to His servants. Amen.

Jeremiah 33 We Call; God Answers

The Excellence of the Restored Nation
1 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the guard: 2 “Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it—the LORD is his name: 3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
4 For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against the siege mounds and against the sword: 5 They are coming in to fight against the Chaldeans and to fill them with the dead bodies of men whom I shall strike down in my anger and my wrath, for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their evil.
6 Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. 7 I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. 8 I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me.
9 And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.
10 “Thus says the LORD: In this place of which you say, ‘It is a waste without man or beast,’ in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast, there shall be heard again 11 the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD:

 “‘Give thanks to the LORD of hosts,
 for the LORD is good,
 for his steadfast love endures forever!’
For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the LORD.
12 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: In this place that is waste, without man or beast, and in all of its cities, there shall again be habitations of shepherds resting their flocks. 13 In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, flocks shall again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the LORD.
The Covenant with David
14 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’
17 “For thus says the LORD: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, 18 and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever.”

19 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 20 “Thus says the LORD: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, 21 then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my ministers. 22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant, and the Levitical priests who minister to me.”
23 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 24 “Have you not observed that these people are saying, ‘The LORD has rejected the two clans that he chose’? Thus they have despised my people so that they are no longer a nation in their sight. 25 Thus says the LORD: If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, 26 then I will reject the offspring of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.”

Application

God can be totally trusted to do what He said. For what are you calling upon Him? How are you asking for His goodness to you to reflect His glory?

Prayer

God, thanks for inviting me to call to You with my needs, and for Your willingness to answer and meet them; may my praise bring You glory. Amen.

Digging Deeper

God in a nutshell: God punishes the sins of His people, to purify them, and eventually regather and bless them. He has unlimited power to bring about His purposes, and nothing is too difficult for Him. He has plans to regather, forgive, purify, and bless the physical nation of Israel, in the promised land, by making the New Covenant with them (which hasn't happened yet). He has an unprecedented time of peace and prosperity planned.

Us in a nutshell: We have the ability to recite on our lips the very words of God that we are rejecting in our hearts and actions. That behavior will get us punished. However, we can be recipients of God's gracious pardon if we repent.

Where to go for more

The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.

Users may not copy or download more than 500 verses of the ESV Bible or more than one-half of any book of the ESV Bible.

ESV Full Copyright Notice and Permissions Information