1. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the guard, saying,
2. Thus saith the Lord that doeth it, the Lord that formeth it to establish it; the Lord is his name:
3. Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and will shew thee great things, and difficult, which thou knowest not.
4. For thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are broken down to make a defence against the mounts, and against the sword:
5. they come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city.
6. Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them; and I will reveal unto them 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, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned against me, and whereby they have transgressed against me.
9. And this city shall be to me for a name of joy, for a praise and for a glory, before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them, and shall fear and tremble for all the good and for all the peace that I procure unto it.
10. Thus saith the Lord: Yet again there shall be heard in this place, whereof ye say, It is waste, 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 say, Give thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that bring sacrifices of thanksgiving into the house of the Lord. For I will cause the captivity of the land to return as at the first, saith the Lord.
12. Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Yet again shall there be in this place, which is waste, without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.