Jeremiah, Sarah Barry
A NEW COVENANT
Passage: Jeremiah 31:23~40  
Key verse: 31
23 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity,[a](A) the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: ‘The Lord bless(B) you, you prosperous city,(C) you sacred mountain.’(D) 24 People will live(E) together in Judah and all its towns—farmers and those who move about with their flocks.(F) 25 I will refresh the weary(G) and satisfy the faint.”(H)
26 At this I awoke(I) and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.
27 “The days are coming,”(J) declares the Lord, “when I will plant(K) the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals. 28 Just as I watched(L) over them to uproot(M) and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster,(N) so I will watch over them to build and to plant,”(O) declares the Lord. 29 “In those days people will no longer say,
30 Instead, everyone will die for their own sin;(R) 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(S)
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant(T)
I made with their ancestors(U)
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,(V)
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband(W) to[b] them,[c]”
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(X)
and write it on their hearts.(Y)
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.(Z)
34 No longer will they teach(AA) their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know(AB) me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive(AC) their wickedness
and will remember their sins(AD) no more.”
35 This is what the Lord says,
he who appoints(AE) the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,(AF)
who stirs up the sea(AG)
so that its waves roar(AH)—
the Lord Almighty is his name:(AI)
36 “Only if these decrees(AJ) vanish from my sight,”
declares the Lord,
“will Israel(AK) ever cease
being a nation before me.”
37 This is what the Lord says:
“Only if the heavens above can be measured(AL)
and the foundations of the earth below be searched out
will I reject(AM) 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(AN) for me from the Tower of Hananel(AO) to the Corner Gate.(AP) 39 The measuring line(AQ) will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. 40 The whole valley(AR) where dead bodies(AS) and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley(AT) on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate,(AU) will be holy(AV) to the Lord. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 31:23 Or I restore their fortunes
- Jeremiah 31:32 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac / and I turned away from
- Jeremiah 31:32 Or was their master
Cross references
- Jeremiah 31:23 : S Jer 30:18
- Jeremiah 31:23 : S Ge 28:3; S Nu 6:24
- Jeremiah 31:23 : S Isa 1:26
- Jeremiah 31:23 : S Ps 48:1; S Isa 2:2
- Jeremiah 31:24 : S Jer 30:18; Zec 8:4-8
- Jeremiah 31:24 : S ver 12
- Jeremiah 31:25 : S Isa 40:29
- Jeremiah 31:25 : Jn 4:14
- Jeremiah 31:26 : Zec 4:1
- Jeremiah 31:27 : S Jer 16:14
- Jeremiah 31:27 : Hos 2:23
- Jeremiah 31:28 : S Job 29:2
- Jeremiah 31:28 : S Dt 29:28
- Jeremiah 31:28 : S Jer 18:8
- Jeremiah 31:28 : S Dt 28:63; S 30:9; S Jer 1:10; Eze 36:10-11; Am 9:14
- Jeremiah 31:29 : S Ge 9:25; Dt 24:16; La 5:7
- Jeremiah 31:29 : Eze 18:2
- Jeremiah 31:30 : S 2Ki 14:6; S Isa 3:11; Gal 6:7
- Jeremiah 31:31 : S Dt 29:14; S Isa 42:6; S 54:10; S Lk 22:20; Heb 8:8-12*; 10:16-17
- Jeremiah 31:32 : S Ex 24:8
- Jeremiah 31:32 : Dt 5:3
- Jeremiah 31:32 : Jer 11:4
- Jeremiah 31:32 : S Isa 54:5
- Jeremiah 31:33 : S Ex 4:15
- Jeremiah 31:33 : S Dt 6:6; S 2Co 3:3
- Jeremiah 31:33 : S Jer 11:4; Heb 10:16
- Jeremiah 31:34 : 1Jn 2:27
- Jeremiah 31:34 : S Isa 11:9; S Jn 6:45
- Jeremiah 31:34 : Ps 85:2; 130:4; Jer 33:8; 50:20
- Jeremiah 31:34 : S Job 7:21; S Isa 38:17; Mic 7:19; Heb 10:17*
- Jeremiah 31:35 : Ps 136:7-9
- Jeremiah 31:35 : S Ge 1:16
- Jeremiah 31:35 : S Ex 14:21
- Jeremiah 31:35 : S Ps 93:3
- Jeremiah 31:35 : S Jer 10:16
- Jeremiah 31:36 : S Job 38:33; Jer 33:20-26
- Jeremiah 31:36 : Ps 89:36-37
- Jeremiah 31:37 : S Job 38:5; Jer 33:22
- Jeremiah 31:37 : Jer 33:24-26; Ro 11:1-5
- Jeremiah 31:38 : S Jer 30:18
- Jeremiah 31:38 : S Ne 3:1
- Jeremiah 31:38 : S 2Ki 14:13; S 2Ch 25:23
- Jeremiah 31:39 : S 1Ki 7:23
- Jeremiah 31:40 : S Jer 2:23; 7:31-32
- Jeremiah 31:40 : S Jer 8:2
- Jeremiah 31:40 : S 2Sa 15:23; Jn 18:1
- Jeremiah 31:40 : S 2Ki 11:16
- Jeremiah 31:40 : S Isa 4:3; Joel 3:17; Zec 14:21
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
1. When I bring them back (23-32)
God's people broke their covenant with God. They were like an unfaithful wife who broke her marriage vows. So God allowed them to be taken into captivity. But Jeremiah dreamed of the time when they would return to rebuild and plant. At that time, each person would be responsible for his own sins. God would make a new covenant and call each person to a personal relationship with himself.
2. The new covenant (33-40)
The new covenant would not be written on stone tablets but on each person's heart. Each individual person must come to God, repent of his sins and be forgiven. Each person would know the Lord. The covenant relationship is based on God's mercy and grace--not on man's ability and will power. The Creator God who makes the sun shine by day and the moon and stars by night stooped to be the Savior and true Friend of man. And he is faithful.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for forgiving my sins through the covenant blood of Jesus.
One Word: A personal covenant with God