Jeremiah – Chapter 30

Old Testament24 Verses

Chapter Summary

"This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying:" — so begins Jeremiah 30. The chapter centers on Jacob, Jeremiah and David. Across its 24 verses, two threads run through the text: sin and divine judgment and God's protection and deliverance. Read slowly, this chapter rewards the kind of prayerful attention the Church calls lectio divina.

1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying:

2Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, saying: Write thee all the words that I have spoken to thee, in a book.

3For behold the days come, saith the Lord, and I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Juda, saith the Lord: and I will cause them to return to the land which I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.

4And these are the words that the Lord hath spoken to Israel and to Juda:

5For thus saith the Lord: We have heard a voice of terror: there is fear and no peace.

6Ask ye, and see if a man bear children? why then have I seen every man with his hands on his loins, like a woman in labour, and all faces are turned yellow?

7Alas, for that day is great, neither is there the like to it; and it is the time of tribulation to Jacob, but he shall be saved out of it.

8And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst his bands: and strangers shall no more rule over him:

9But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up to them.

10Therefore fear thou not, my servant Jacob, saith the Lord, neither be dismayed, O Israel: for behold, I will save thee from a country afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity: and Jacob shall return, and be at rest, and abound with all good things, and there shall be none whom he may fear:

11For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee: for I will utterly consume all the nations, among which I have scattered thee: but I will not utterly consume thee: but I will chastise thee in judgment, that thou mayst not seem to thyself innocent.

12For thus saith the Lord: Thy bruise is incurable, thy wound is very grievous.

13There is none to judge thy judgment to bind it up: thou hast no healing medicines.

14All thy lovers have forgotten thee, and will not seek after thee: for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with cruel chastisement: by reason of the multitude of thy iniquities, thy sins are hardened.

15Why criest thou for thy affliction? thy sorrow is incurable: for the multitude of thy iniquity, and for thy hardened sins I have done these things to thee.

16Therefore all they that devour thee, shall be devoured: and all thy enemies shall be carried into captivity: and they that waste thee shall be wasted, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey.

17For I will close up thy scar, and will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord. Because they have called thee, O Sion, an outcast: This is she that hath none to seek after her.

18Thus saith the Lord: Behold I will bring back the captivity of the pavilions of Jacob, and will have pity on his houses, and the city shall be built in her high place, and the temple shall be founded according to the order thereof.

19And out of them shall come forth praise, and the voice of them that play: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be made few: and I will glorify them, and they shall not be lessened.

20And their children shall be as from the beginning, and their assembly shall be permanent before me: and I will visit against all that afflict them.

21And their leader shall be of themselves: and their prince shall come forth from the midst of them: and I will bring him near, and he shall come to me: for who is this that setteth his heart to approach to me, saith the Lord?

22And you shall be my people: and I will be your God.

23Behold the whirlwind of the Lord, his fury going forth, a violent storm, it shall rest upon the head of the wicked.

24The Lord will not turn away the wrath of his indignation, till he have executed and performed the thought of his heart: in the latter days you shall understand these things.

Important Verses in Jeremiah 30

Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, saying: Write thee all the words that I have spoken to thee, in a book.

Jeremiah 30:2

For thus saith the Lord: We have heard a voice of terror: there is fear and no peace.

Jeremiah 30:5

But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up to them.

Jeremiah 30:9

The Lord will not turn away the wrath of his indignation, till he have executed and performed the thought of his heart: in the latter days you shall understand these things.

Jeremiah 30:24

Historical Context

Jeremiah belongs to the Old Testament and was composed for judah on the brink of destruction, called to repentance. Chapter 30 of 52 stands in the central portion of the book, where decisive events or teachings take shape. It is a prophetic oracle addressed to Israel in a moment of covenant crisis or renewal with 24 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. Jacob, Jeremiah and David appear at the center of the events recorded here. The passage starts with these words: "This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying:" The final verse reads: "The Lord will not turn away the wrath of his indignation, till he have executed and performed the thought of his heart:…" Read against its original backdrop, Jeremiah prophesied through Judah's final decades, warning of Babylon's coming judgment while priests and false prophets promised peace. Catholic tradition dates the book to the period described in its introduction: Jeremiah's ministry about 627-580 BC.

Who Wrote It

The prophet Jeremiah, with his scribe Baruch

When It Was Written

Jeremiah's ministry about 627-580 BC

Catholic Commentary

The prophetic discourse in this chapter speaks to a community facing the consequences of its choices before God. A pivotal line is verse 2: "Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, saying: Write thee all the words that I have spoken to thee, in a book." The passage repeatedly touches on sin and divine judgment.

The Church teaches that every passage of Scripture must be read in light of Christ and the Magisterium (CIC 2105). Here, Jeremiah's new covenant prophecy is fulfilled in Christ (CIC 1965). The spiritual sense invites believers to recognize sin and divine judgment as part of God's pedagogy of salvation.

The moral and spiritual import remains timely: Sin has real consequences, but God's judgment always aims at conversion and restoration.. St. Jerome insisted that ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ; this chapter offers material for meditation, examination of conscience, and deeper love of God.

Main Teachings

  • Sin has real consequences, but God's judgment always aims at conversion and restoration.
  • The Lord is a refuge and deliverer for all who call upon Him in trouble.
  • Suffering, united to Christ, becomes a path of purification and deeper trust in God.

People in This Chapter

Jacob4 mentionsJeremiah1 mentionDavid1 mention

Reflection for Today

Catholic exegesis approaches Jeremiah Chapter 30 with reverence, seeking both the literal sense and the spiritual meaning ordered to Christ.

Catholic theology recognizes that judgment, the new covenant, and hope is not an abstract idea but a reality encountered in prayer, sacraments, and charity. This chapter contributes to that vision by stressing the reality of spiritual combat and vigilance.

Consider praying with this chapter again at day's end, offering God gratitude for one insight received. The Church encourages daily contact with Scripture (CIC 618) so that Christ's mind may be formed in us.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Jeremiah Chapter 30 about?

Jeremiah 30 contains 24 verses. It opens with "This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying:" and closes with "The Lord will not turn away the wrath of his indignation, till he have executed and performed the thought of his heart:…". The book as a whole is prophetic oracles, biography, and laments.

What is a key verse in Jeremiah 30?

One of the most significant verses is verse 2: "Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, saying: Write thee all the words that I have spoken to thee, in a book." It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Jeremiah Chapter 30?

This chapter mentions Jacob, Jeremiah, David.

Who wrote Jeremiah and when?

The prophet Jeremiah, with his scribe Baruch. Jeremiah's ministry about 627-580 BC.

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