Jeremiah 31:4

31:4 I will rebuild you, my dear children Israel, 1 

so that you will once again be built up.

Once again you will take up the tambourine

and join in the happy throng of dancers. 2 

Jeremiah 31:28

31:28 In the past I saw to it that they were uprooted and torn down, that they were destroyed and demolished. But now I will see to it that they are built up and firmly planted. 3  I, the Lord, affirm it!” 4 

1 tn Heb “Virgin Israel.”

sn For the significance of this metaphor see the note on Jer 14:17. Here the emphasis appears on his special love and care for his people and the hint (further developed in vv. 21-22) that, though guilty of sin, he considers them like an innocent young virgin.

2 sn Contrast Jer 7:34 and 25:10.

3 tn Heb “Just as I watched over them to uproot and to tear down, to destroy and demolish, so I will watch over them to build and to plant.” The words here repeat those of 1:10 and 1:12.

4 tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”