כֹּה אָמַר ה' מָצָא חֵן בַּמִּדְבָּר עַם שְׂרִידֵי חָרֶב הָלוֹךְ לְהַרְגִּיעוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל

So said the Lord: The people, survivors of the sword of exile, found favor in My eyes when they were in the wilderness of the nations. I was, and am still going to provide Israel with rest, secure in its land. The mention of the wilderness also recalls the wanderings of Israel in the desert at the time of the redemption from Egypt, which is mentioned on several occasions in the book of Jeremiah (see 2:2, 6).

מֵרָחוֹק ה' נִרְאָה לִי ואַהֲבַת עוֹלָם אֲהַבְתִּיךְ עַל־כֵּן מְשַׁכְתִּיךְ חָסֶד

The assembly of Israel complains: The Lord appeared to me from afar, or a long time ago, and now His presence is no longer with me. Alternatively, this is a statement of the prophet, who envisions from afar God leading and drawing His children out of exile. And an eternal love I loved you. I love you always; therefore, I have drawn you, I treat you, with kindness.

עוֹד אֶבְנֵךְ וְנִבְנֵית בְּתוּלַת יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹד תַּעְדִּי תֻפַּיִךְ וְיָצָאת בִּמְחוֹל מְשַׂחֲקִים

Therefore, despite the destruction of the land and the exile, I will build you again, and you will be rebuilt, maiden of Israel; you will again be adorned with your small drums, like the ones used by Miriam, and you will go out in a dance of revelers. Israel is compared to a young woman, singing and dancing with timbrels.

עוֹד תִּטְּעִי כְרָמִים בְּהָרֵי שֹׁמְרוֹן נָטְעוּ נֹטְעִים וְחִלֵּלוּ

You will again plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria, which are currently deserted, as their former population has been exiled to distant lands, and the foreigners brought there have not restored them all. In the future this will change, as the planters will plant a vineyard, and will also redeem it. They will be able to enjoy the fruit of the vineyard after the first three years of its planting, during which the grapes are forbidden as orla.

כִּי יֶשׁ־יוֹם קָרְאוּ נֹצְרִים בְּהַר אֶפְרָיִם קוּמוּ וְנַעֲלֶה צִיּוֹן אֶל־ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ

For there will be a day in the future when watchmen, who guard the fields, will call on the highlands of Ephraim: Arise, and we shall go up to Zion, to the Lord our God, where we can enjoy our new fruit in Jerusalem. For many years Mount Ephraim was disconnected from Jerusalem. The prophet foresees that people will return to Zion even from there, as the division of the children of Israel into separate kingdoms will be abolished.

כִּי־כֹה אָמַר ה' רָנּוּ לְיַעֲקֹב שִׁמְחָה וְצַהֲלוּ בְּרֹאשׁ הַגּוֹיִם הַשְׁמִיעוּ הַלְלוּ וְאִמְרוּ הוֹשַׁע ה' אֶת־עַמְּךָ אֵת שְׁאֵרִית יִשְׂרָאֵל

For so said the Lord: Sing with joy for Jacob and exult at the head of all the nations, everyone, or: The heads of the nations; proclaim, praise, and say in song: Lord, save Your people, the remnant of Israel.

הִנְנִי מֵבִיא אוֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ צָפוֹן וְקִבַּצְתִּים מִיַּרְכְּתֵי אָרֶץ בָּם עִוֵּר וּפִסֵּחַ הָרָה וְיֹלֶדֶת יַחְדָּו קָהָל גָּדוֹל יָשׁוּבוּ הֵנָּה

For behold, I am bringing them from the land of the north, Babylonia and the other places in the north where they were exiled, and I will gather them from the ends of the earth, among them, the returnees, are the blind and the lame, the unfortunate and blemished, women with child and women in childbirth, for whom walking is difficult, who will all ascend together; a great assembly will return here, not only the elite.

בִּבְכִי יָבֹאוּ וּבְתַחֲנוּנִים אוֹבִילֵם אוֹלִיכֵם אֶל נַחֲלֵי מַיִם בְּדֶרֶךְ יָשָׁר לֹא יִכָּשְׁלוּ בָּהּ כִּי־הָיִיתִי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְאָב וְאֶפְרַיִם בְּכֹרִי הוּא

They will come with weeping of joy and excitement, and with their memories of the difficulties of the past, and with supplications, together with hope, I will lead them; I will guide them to walk by streams of water, not on a crooked route, but on a straight path on which they will not falter, for I have been a father to Israel, who guides his son and is concerned for his future, and the tribe of Ephraim is My firstborn, as Joseph was granted the status of firstborn, and Ephraim is the more prominent of the sons. Some maintain that here Ephraim represents all Israel, who elsewhere is called God’s firstborn.

שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר־ה' גּוֹיִם וְהַגִּידוּ בָאִיִּים מִמֶּרְחָק וְאִמְרוּ מְזָרֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל יְקַבְּצֶנּוּ וּשְׁמָרוֹ כְּרֹעֶה עֶדְרוֹ

Hear the word of the Lord, nations, and tell it, God’s word, in the distant islands, and say: He who scattered Israel, God, who exiled Israel, is the One who will gather it and safeguard it, like a shepherd watching over his flock.

כִּי־פָדָה ה' אֶת־יַעֲקֹב וּגְאָלוֹ מִיַּד חָזָק מִמֶּנּוּ

For the Lord has redeemed, released, Jacob, and rescued him from the hand of one more powerful than he.

וּבָאוּ וְרִנְּנוּ בִמְרוֹם צִיּוֹן וְנָהֲרוּ אֶל טוּב ה' עַל־דָּגָן וְעַל־תִּירֹשׁ וְעַל־יִצְהָר וְעַל־בְּנֵי־צֹאן וּבָקָר וְהָיְתָה נַפְשָׁם כְּגַן רָוֶה וְלֹא־יוֹסִיפוּ לְדַאֲבָה עוֹד

They will come, the ingathering from all the lands, and sing in the heights of Mount Zion, and stream to, or light up and shine toward, the goodness of the Lord, to the grain and to the wine and to the oil and to the offspring of the flock and the herd, and their soul will be like a watered garden, which represents a good and full life, and they will not continue to anguish any longer.

אָז תִּשְׂמַח בְּתוּלָה בְּמָחוֹל וּבַחֻרִים וּזְקֵנִים יַחְדָּו וְהָפַכְתִּי אֶבְלָם לְשָׂשׂוֹן וְנִחַמְתִּים וְשִׂמַּחְתִּים מִיגוֹנָם

Then the maiden will rejoice in dance; the young women will dance for joy, and the young men and the old will exult together. All will be filled with happiness; and I will transform their mourning into gladness, and I will console them and cheer them from their sorrow.

וְרִוֵּיתִי נֶפֶשׁ הַכֹּהֲנִים דָּשֶׁן וְעַמִּי אֶת־טוּבִי יִשְׂבָּעוּ נְאֻם־ה'

I will satiate the priests’ desire with fat and choice foods, as people will bring many animal offerings to God; and My people will be satisfied with My goodness – this is the utterance of the Lord.

כֹּה אָמַר ה' קוֹל בּרָמָה נִשְׁמָע נְהִי בְּכִי תַמְרוּרִים רָחֵל מְבַכָּה עַל־בָּנֶיהָ מֵאֲנָה לְהִנָּחֵם עַל בָּנֶיהָ כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ

So said the Lord: A voice is heard in a place called Rama, wailing, lamentations, bitter weeping, it is the voice of Rachel weeping for her children. Rachel, who did not have an easy life, is the personification of the weeping mother of Israel. She suffered when she was childless and when she gave birth to her sons, and she can understand the pain, bereavement, and loneliness of her descendants. She refuses to be consoled for her children, for he, the people, or each and every child, is not here.

כֹּה אָמַר ה' מִנְעִי קוֹלֵךְ מִבֶּכִי וְעֵינַיִךְ מִדִּמְעָה כִּי יֵשׁ שָׂכָר לִפְעֻלָּתֵךְ נְאֻם־ה' וְשָׁבוּ מֵאֶרֶץ אוֹיֵב

So said the Lord: Restrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, as there is reward for your good actions – the utterance of the Lord – and they, your children, will return from the land of the enemy.

וְיֵשׁ־תִּקְוָה לְאַחֲרִיתֵךְ נְאֻם־ה' וְשָׁבוּ בָנִים לִגְבוּלָם

And there is hope for your own future, or that of your descendants, at the end of days – the utterance of the Lord – and your children will return to their borders.

שָׁמוֹעַ שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶפְרַיִם מִתְנוֹדֵד יִסַּרְתַּנִי וָאִוָּסֵר כְּעֵגֶל לֹא לֻמָּד הֲשִׁיבֵנִי וְאָשׁוּבָה כִּי אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהָי

I heard Ephraim, the son who strayed from the proper path, moaning, or swaying, shaking his head in sorrow, or considering his ways and seeking a change. Ephraim represents here the exiles of Israel that have vanished and have been wiped from the map of history. He says to God: You chastised me, and I was chastised, I accepted my punishment like an untrained calf, which is stricken until it learns to bear its burden and walk straight along the furrow. Bring me back to You, and I will return, for You are the Lord my God.

כִּי־אַחֲרֵי שׁוּבִי נִחַמְתִּי וְאַחֲרֵי הִוָּדְעִי סָפַקְתִּי עַל־יָרֵךְ בֹּשְׁתִּי וְגַם־נִכְלַמְתִּי כִּי נָשָׂאתִי חֶרְפַּת נְעוּרָי

For after my return from my evil ways, or after I returned to the Land of Israel, I regretted the past, and after my realization of the truth, I slapped my thigh in sorrow and mourning; I was ashamed and also humiliated because I bore in my memory the disgrace of my youth.

הֲבֵן יַקִּיר לִי אֶפְרַיִם ! אִם יֶלֶד שַׁעֲשֻׁעִים ! — כִּי מִדֵּי דַבְּרִי בּוֹ זָכֹר אֶזְכְּרֶנּוּ עוֹד עַל־כֵּן הָמוּ מֵעַי לוֹ רַחֵם אֲרַחֲמֶנּוּ נְאֻם־ה'

The father responds to his son’s plea: Is this Ephraim a dear son to Me, that I hear? Is it he, a child of My delights? For whenever I speak of him, I remember him still, ceaselessly. Despite all that he has done, he is My unforgettable, cherished son. Therefore My innards yearn for him, I will certainly have mercy on him – the utterance of the Lord.

הַצִּיבִי לָךְ צִיֻּנִים שִׂמִי לָךְ תַּמְרוּרִים שִׁתִי לִבֵּךְ לַמְסִלָּה דֶּרֶךְ הָלָכְתְּ שׁוּבִי בְּתוּלַת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֻׁבִי אֶל־עָרַיִךְ אֵלֶּה

The image of a wayward son changes here into a vision of redemption for a wayward daughter: Establish for you, Zion, landmarks, signs when you leave for exile; place for you road and place signs; take note of the path of the highway, the route that you went along, so that you will be able to come back with ease; return, maiden of Israel, return to these, your cities from which you departed.

עַד־מָתַי תִּתְחַמָּקִין הַבַּת הַשּׁוֹבֵבָה ! כִּי־בָרָא ה'חֲדָשָׁה בָּאָרֶץ — נְקֵבָה תְּסוֹבֵב גָּבֶר

Until when will you evade, hide, or wander around, deviant daughter, who waits for God to act on her behalf? For the Lord has created, will create, a novelty on the earth: A woman will court a man, which is unlike the way of the world up to this point. For many years, the initiative came from God, as He approached the people of Israel and sought to persuade them to repent. This situation will change, as Israel, compared to a woman, will return to God willingly and of her own initiative.

כֹּה־אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹד יֹאמְרוּ אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה בְּאֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה וּבְעָרָיו בְּשׁוּבִי אֶת־שְׁבוּתָם יְבָרֶכְךָ ה' נְוֵה צֶדֶק הַר הַקֹּדֶשׁ

So said the Lord of hosts, God of Israel: They will again say this matter in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I restore their returnees: The Lord will bless you, abode of righteousness, mountain of sanctity. They will yet return to the place of the Temple, and bless it by wishing that God will dwell there.

וְיָשְׁבוּ בָהּ יְהוּדָה וכָל־עָרָיו יַחְדָּו אִכָּרִים וְנָסְעוּ בָּעֵדֶר

They will inhabit it, the land of Judah and all its cities together, farmers and those shepherds who will travel with the flocks, in tranquility and security as in days of yore.

כִּי הִרְוֵיתִי נֶפֶשׁ עֲיֵפָה וְכָל־נֶפֶשׁ דָּאֲבָה מִלֵּאתִי

For I satiated the weary, dry soul, and I replenished with goodness every anguished soul.

עַל־זֹאת הֱקִיצֹתִי וָאֶרְאֶה וּשְׁנָתִי עָרְבָה לִּי

Here the prophet pauses from his prophecies and speaks in his own voice: Because of this prophecy of comfort, I awoke, and I saw, I opened my eyes, and my sleep was sweet to me, which is not the case after seeing the more disturbing visions to which I am accustomed. Alternatively, the verse can be explained as follows: Jeremiah reflected upon the prophecy when he awoke, or after he awoke he saw another prophecy in a dream, the one that begins in the next verse.

הִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים נְאֻם־ה' וְזָרַעְתִּי אֶת־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶת־בֵּית יְהוּדָה זֶרַע אָדָם וְזֶרַע בְּהֵמָה

Behold, days are coming – the utterance of the Lord – and I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah in their land, with the seed of people and with the seed of animals. The blessing of reproduction will apply both to mankind and to animals. Others explain that the word “animal” is referring to people of lower moral worth, as all will be blessed with children.

וְהָיָה כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁקַדְתִּי עֲלֵיהֶם לִנְתוֹשׁ וְלִנְתוֹץ וְלַהֲרֹס וּלְהַאֲבִיד וּלְהָרֵעַ — כֵּן אֶשְׁקֹד עֲלֵיהֶם לִבְנוֹת וְלִנְטוֹעַ נְאֻם־ה'

It shall be that just as I was diligent in their regard to uproot and to smash the house of Israel and the house of Judah, to destroy, to eradicate, and to do harm, so I will be diligent in their regard to build and to plant – the utterance of the Lord. This depiction is reminiscent of Jeremiah’s first prophecy (see 1:1–12).

בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם לֹא־יֹאמְרוּ עוֹד אָבוֹת אָכְלוּ בֹסֶר וְשִׁנֵּי בָנִים תִּקְהֶינָה

In those days they will no longer say the popular proverb: The fathers ate unripe grapes, and the children’s teeth will be damaged.

כִּי אִם אִישׁ בַּעֲוֹנוֹ יָמוּת כָּל־הָאָדָם הָאֹכֵל הַבֹּסֶר — תִּקְהֶינָה שִׁנָּיו

Rather, each man will die for his own iniquity, each person who eats unripe grapes, his teeth will be damaged. Perhaps it is currently assumed that the exile must continue because of the sins of the fathers, but there will come a time when the children will think otherwise.

הִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים נְאֻם־ה' וְכָרַתִּי אֶת־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶת־בֵּית יְהוּדָה בְּרִית חֲדָשָׁה

Behold, days are coming – the utterance of the Lord – and I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. I will renew My covenant with them,

לֹא כַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר כָּרַתִּי אֶת אֲבוֹתָם בְּיוֹם הֶחֱזִיקִי בְיָדָם לְהוֹצִיאָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם אֲשֶׁר־הֵמָּה הֵפֵרוּ אֶת־בְּרִיתִי וְאָנֹכִי בָּעַלְתִּי בָם נְאֻם־ה'

not like the covenant that I established with their fathers on the day that I held their hand in order to take them out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and with great awe, that they breached My covenant, although I became their master when I ruled over them – the utterance of the Lord. Some explain: They breached My covenant despite the fact that I treated them like a loving husband, or that I took them as My people. Yet others interpret the verse in the opposite manner: They breached My covenant, and I loathed them. Either way, the exodus from Egypt and the subsequent covenant are depicted here as unilateral acts on the part of God. The new bond will be different in nature:

כִּי זֹאת הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר אֶכְרֹת אֶת־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל אַחֲרֵי הַיָּמִים הָהֵם נְאֻם־ה' נָתַתִּי אֶת־תּוֹרָתִי בְּקִרְבָּם וְעַל־לִבָּם אֶכְתֳּבֶנָּה וְהָיִיתִי לָהֶם לֵאלֹהִים וְהֵמָּה יִהְיוּ־לִי לְעָם

Rather, this is the covenant that I will establish with the house of Israel after those days – the utterance of the Lord: I will place My Torah not in books alone, but it will be engraved within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. The relationship between God and the people will be real and meaningful, and therefore it will last.

וְלֹא יְלַמְּדוּ עוֹד אִישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ וְאִישׁ אֶת־אָחִיו לֵאמֹר דְּעוּ אֶת־ה' כִּי כוּלָּם יֵדְעוּ אוֹתִי לְמִקְּטַנָּם וְעַד־גְּדוֹלָם נְאֻם־ה' כִּי אֶסְלַח לַעֲוֹנָם וּלְחַטָּאתָם לֹא אֶזְכָּר־עוֹד

When the Torah will penetrate their hearts, no longer will they teach, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying: Know the Lord. They will not have to teach this to each other, for all of them will know Me, from their smallest to their greatest – the utterance of the Lord – for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no longer. At the time of their redemption they will have a new heart; they will cleave to Me from an internal awareness of God, not due to fear of punishment.

כֹּה אָמַר ה' נֹתֵן שֶׁמֶשׁ לְאוֹר יוֹמָם חֻקֹּת יָרֵחַ וְכוֹכָבִים לְאוֹר לָיְלָה רֹגַע הַיָּם — וַיֶּהֱמוּ גַלָּיו ה' צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ

The new covenant will be established with the eternal nation. So said the Lord, who gives the sun for light of day, and the statutes, the fixed movements, of the moon and stars for light of night, who agitates [roga] the sea, and its waves roar, the Lord of hosts is His name. There are many suggested interpretations of the term roga, including holds, rebukes, splits, calms, and freezes.

אִם־יָמֻשׁוּ הַחֻקִּים הָאֵלֶּה מִלְּפָנַי נְאֻם־ה' גַּם זֶרַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יִשְׁבְּתוּ מִהְיוֹת גּוֹי לְפָנַי כָּל־הַיָּמִים

If these statutes, the laws of nature, pass from before Me – the utterance of the Lord – the descendants of Israel too will cease from being a nation before Me all the days. As long as the ordinances of heaven and earth exist, so too, Israel will continue to survive as a nation.

כֹּה אָמַר ה'אִם־יִמַּדּוּ שָׁמַיִם מִלְמַעְלָה וְיֵחָקְרוּ מוֹסְדֵי אֶרֶץ לְמָטָּה גַּם־אֲנִי אֶמְאַס בְּכָל־זֶרַע יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ נְאֻם־ה'

So said the Lord, expressing the same idea in a different manner: If there is a way that the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below fully probed and examined, which are impossible tasks, I too will spurn all the descendants of Israel, the entire people, because of everything that they did – the utterance of the Lord. My relationship with the offspring of Israel is eternal.

הִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים נְאֻם־ה' וְנִבְנְתָה הָעִיר לַה' מִמִּגְדַּל חֲנַנְאֵל עַד־שַׁעַר הַפִּנָּה

Behold, days are coming – the utterance of the Lord – and the city, Jerusalem, will be built for the Lord once again, along its entire width, from the tower of Hananel all the way around to the Corner Gate. The walls of the city incorporated several towers designed to prevent the approach of enemies.

וְיָצָא עוֹד קַו הַמִּדָּה נֶגְדּוֹ עַל גִּבְעַת גָּרֵב וְנָסַב גֹּעָתָה

The measuring line will again go out opposite it, and turn in a different direction, passing to the hill of Garev, and will turn to Goa. These are places near Jerusalem.

וְכָל־הָעֵמֶק הַפְּגָרִים והַדֶּשֶׁן וְכָל־הַשְּׁדֵמוֹת עַד־נַחַל קִדְרוֹן ועַד־פִּנַּת שַׁעַר הַסּוּסִים מִזְרָחָה קֹדֶשׁ לַה' לֹא־יִנָּתֵשׁ וְלֹא־יֵהָרֵס עוֹד לְעוֹלָם

The entire valley near the city, the valley of corpses, and the place where the ashes of the offerings are poured out, and all the fields until the Kidron Valley, to the corner of the Horses’ Gate to the east, this entire area will be holy to the Lord; it will not be uprooted, nor will it be destroyed again forever.