Old/New Testament
Restoration of Israel
30 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write(A) in a book all the words I have spoken to you. 3 The days(B) are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will bring(C) my people Israel and Judah back from captivity[a] and restore(D) them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the Lord.”
4 These are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: 5 “This is what the Lord says:
“‘Cries of fear(E) are heard—
terror, not peace.
6 Ask and see:
Can a man bear children?
Then why do I see every strong man
with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor,(F)
every face turned deathly pale?(G)
7 How awful that day(H) will be!
No other will be like it.
It will be a time of trouble(I) for Jacob,
but he will be saved(J) out of it.
8 “‘In that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty,
‘I will break the yoke(K) off their necks
and will tear off their bonds;(L)
no longer will foreigners enslave them.(M)
9 Instead, they will serve the Lord their God
and David(N) their king,(O)
whom I will raise up for them.
10 “‘So do not be afraid,(P) Jacob my servant;(Q)
do not be dismayed, Israel,’
declares the Lord.
‘I will surely save(R) you out of a distant place,
your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,(S)
and no one will make him afraid.(T)
11 I am with you(U) and will save you,’
declares the Lord.
‘Though I completely destroy all the nations
among which I scatter you,
I will not completely destroy(V) you.
I will discipline(W) you but only in due measure;
I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’(X)
12 “This is what the Lord says:
“‘Your wound(Y) is incurable,
your injury beyond healing.(Z)
13 There is no one to plead your cause,(AA)
no remedy for your sore,
no healing(AB) for you.
14 All your allies(AC) have forgotten you;
they care nothing for you.
I have struck you as an enemy(AD) would
and punished you as would the cruel,(AE)
because your guilt is so great
and your sins(AF) so many.
15 Why do you cry out over your wound,
your pain that has no cure?(AG)
Because of your great guilt and many sins
I have done these things to you.(AH)
16 “‘But all who devour(AI) you will be devoured;
all your enemies will go into exile.(AJ)
Those who plunder(AK) you will be plundered;
all who make spoil of you I will despoil.
17 But I will restore you to health
and heal(AL) your wounds,’
declares the Lord,
‘because you are called an outcast,(AM)
Zion for whom no one cares.’(AN)
18 “This is what the Lord says:
“‘I will restore the fortunes(AO) of Jacob’s tents(AP)
and have compassion(AQ) on his dwellings;
the city will be rebuilt(AR) on her ruins,
and the palace will stand in its proper place.
19 From them will come songs(AS) of thanksgiving(AT)
and the sound of rejoicing.(AU)
I will add to their numbers,(AV)
and they will not be decreased;
I will bring them honor,(AW)
and they will not be disdained.
20 Their children(AX) will be as in days of old,
and their community will be established(AY) before me;
I will punish(AZ) all who oppress them.
21 Their leader(BA) will be one of their own;
their ruler will arise from among them.(BB)
I will bring him near(BC) and he will come close to me—
for who is he who will devote himself
to be close to me?’
declares the Lord.
22 “‘So you will be my people,(BD)
and I will be your God.(BE)’”
23 See, the storm(BF) of the Lord
will burst out in wrath,
a driving wind swirling down
on the heads of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger(BG) of the Lord will not turn back(BH)
until he fully accomplishes
the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
you will understand(BI) this.
31 “At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the God(BJ) of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”
2 This is what the Lord says:
“The people who survive the sword
will find favor(BK) in the wilderness;
I will come to give rest(BL) to Israel.”
3 The Lord appeared to us in the past,[b] saying:
“I have loved(BM) you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn(BN) you with unfailing kindness.
4 I will build you up again,
and you, Virgin(BO) Israel, will be rebuilt.(BP)
Again you will take up your timbrels(BQ)
and go out to dance(BR) with the joyful.(BS)
5 Again you will plant(BT) vineyards
on the hills of Samaria;(BU)
the farmers will plant them
and enjoy their fruit.(BV)
6 There will be a day when watchmen(BW) cry out
on the hills of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Zion,
to the Lord our God.’”(BX)
7 This is what the Lord says:
“Sing(BY) with joy for Jacob;
shout for the foremost(BZ) of the nations.
Make your praises heard, and say,
‘Lord, save(CA) your people,
the remnant(CB) of Israel.’
8 See, I will bring them from the land of the north(CC)
and gather(CD) them from the ends of the earth.
Among them will be the blind(CE) and the lame,(CF)
expectant mothers and women in labor;
a great throng will return.
9 They will come with weeping;(CG)
they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead(CH) them beside streams of water(CI)
on a level(CJ) path where they will not stumble,
because I am Israel’s father,(CK)
and Ephraim is my firstborn son.
10 “Hear the word of the Lord, you nations;
proclaim it in distant coastlands:(CL)
‘He who scattered(CM) Israel will gather(CN) them
and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’(CO)
11 For the Lord will deliver Jacob
and redeem(CP) them from the hand of those stronger(CQ) than they.
12 They will come and shout for joy(CR) on the heights(CS) of Zion;
they will rejoice in the bounty(CT) of the Lord—
the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,(CU)
the young of the flocks(CV) and herds.
They will be like a well-watered garden,(CW)
and they will sorrow(CX) no more.
13 Then young women will dance and be glad,
young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning(CY) into gladness;
I will give them comfort(CZ) and joy(DA) instead of sorrow.
14 I will satisfy(DB) the priests(DC) with abundance,
and my people will be filled with my bounty,(DD)”
declares the Lord.
15 This is what the Lord says:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,(DE)
mourning and great weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,(DF)
because they are no more.”(DG)
16 This is what the Lord says:
“Restrain your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears,(DH)
for your work will be rewarded,(DI)”
declares the Lord.
“They will return(DJ) from the land of the enemy.
17 So there is hope(DK) for your descendants,”
declares the Lord.
“Your children(DL) will return to their own land.
18 “I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:
‘You disciplined(DM) me like an unruly calf,(DN)
and I have been disciplined.
Restore(DO) me, and I will return,
because you are the Lord my God.
19 After I strayed,(DP)
I repented;
after I came to understand,
I beat(DQ) my breast.
I was ashamed(DR) and humiliated
because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’(DS)
20 Is not Ephraim my dear son,
the child(DT) in whom I delight?
Though I often speak against him,
I still remember(DU) him.
Therefore my heart yearns for him;
I have great compassion(DV) for him,”
declares the Lord.
21 “Set up road signs;
put up guideposts.(DW)
Take note of the highway,(DX)
the road that you take.
Return,(DY) Virgin(DZ) Israel,
return to your towns.
22 How long will you wander,(EA)
unfaithful(EB) Daughter Israel?
The Lord will create a new thing(EC) on earth—
the woman will return to[c](ED) the man.”
23 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity,[d](EE) the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: ‘The Lord bless(EF) you, you prosperous city,(EG) you sacred mountain.’(EH) 24 People will live(EI) together in Judah and all its towns—farmers and those who move about with their flocks.(EJ) 25 I will refresh the weary(EK) and satisfy the faint.”(EL)
26 At this I awoke(EM) and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.
27 “The days are coming,”(EN) declares the Lord, “when I will plant(EO) the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals. 28 Just as I watched(EP) over them to uproot(EQ) and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster,(ER) so I will watch over them to build and to plant,”(ES) declares the Lord. 29 “In those days people will no longer say,
30 Instead, everyone will die for their own sin;(EV) whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.
31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will make a new covenant(EW)
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant(EX)
I made with their ancestors(EY)
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,(EZ)
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband(FA) to[e] them,[f]”
declares the Lord.
33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds(FB)
and write it on their hearts.(FC)
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.(FD)
34 No longer will they teach(FE) their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know(FF) me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive(FG) their wickedness
and will remember their sins(FH) no more.”
35 This is what the Lord says,
he who appoints(FI) the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,(FJ)
who stirs up the sea(FK)
so that its waves roar(FL)—
the Lord Almighty is his name:(FM)
36 “Only if these decrees(FN) vanish from my sight,”
declares the Lord,
“will Israel(FO) ever cease
being a nation before me.”
37 This is what the Lord says:
“Only if the heavens above can be measured(FP)
and the foundations of the earth below be searched out
will I reject(FQ) all the descendants of Israel
because of all they have done,”
declares the Lord.
38 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this city will be rebuilt(FR) for me from the Tower of Hananel(FS) to the Corner Gate.(FT) 39 The measuring line(FU) will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. 40 The whole valley(FV) where dead bodies(FW) and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley(FX) on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate,(FY) will be holy(FZ) to the Lord. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.”
1 Paul, a prisoner(A) of Christ Jesus, and Timothy(B) our brother,(C)
To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker(D)— 2 also to Apphia our sister and Archippus(E) our fellow soldier(F)—and to the church that meets in your home:(G)
3 Grace and peace to you[a] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(H)
Thanksgiving and Prayer
4 I always thank my God(I) as I remember you in my prayers,(J) 5 because I hear about your love for all his holy people(K) and your faith in the Lord Jesus.(L) 6 I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. 7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement,(M) because you, brother, have refreshed(N) the hearts of the Lord’s people.
Paul’s Plea for Onesimus
8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I prefer to appeal to you(O) on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner(P) of Christ Jesus— 10 that I appeal to you for my son(Q) Onesimus,[b](R) who became my son while I was in chains.(S) 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains(T) for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced(U) but would be voluntary. 15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave,(V) but better than a slave, as a dear brother.(W) He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.
17 So if you consider me a partner,(X) welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.(Y) 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand.(Z) I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20 I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh(AA) my heart in Christ. 21 Confident(AB) of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
22 And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be(AC) restored to you in answer to your prayers.(AD)
23 Epaphras,(AE) my fellow prisoner(AF) in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. 24 And so do Mark,(AG) Aristarchus,(AH) Demas(AI) and Luke, my fellow workers.(AJ)
25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.(AK)
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