Prophecy 23 of 30 · Covenant
A new covenant
God promises a new covenant with the house of Israel and Judah: Torah on the heart, everyone knowing God, and sins remembered no more.
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Hebrew · Leningrad Codexעִבְרִית
31הִנֵּ֛ה יָמִ֥ים בָּאִ֖ים נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה וְכָרַתִּ֗י אֶת־בֵּ֧ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאֶת־בֵּ֥ית יְהוּדָ֖ה בְּרִ֥ית חֲדָשָֽׁה׃hinne yamim ba'im ne'um-ADONAI vekharatti et-bet yisra'el ve'et-bet yehuda berit chadasha
32לֹ֣א כַבְּרִ֗ית אֲשֶׁ֤ר כָּרַ֨תִּי֙ אֶת־אֲבוֹתָ֔ם בְּיוֹם֙ הֶחֱזִיקִ֣י בְיָדָ֔ם לְהוֹצִיאָ֖ם מֵאֶ֖רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁר־הֵ֜מָּה הֵפֵ֣רוּ אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֗י וְאָנֹכִ֛י בָּעַ֥לְתִּי בָ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃lo khabberit asher karatti et-avotam beyom hecheziki veyadam lehotzi'am me'eretz mitzrayim asher-hemma heferu et-beriti ve'anokhi ba'alti vam ne'um-ADONAI
33כִּ֣י זֹ֣את הַבְּרִ֡ית אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶכְרֹת֩ אֶת־בֵּ֨ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אַחֲרֵ֨י הַיָּמִ֤ים הָהֵם֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה נָתַ֤תִּי אֶת־תּֽוֹרָתִי֙ בְּקִרְבָּ֔ם וְעַל־לִבָּ֖ם אֶכְתֲּבֶ֑נָּה וְהָיִ֤יתִי לָהֶם֙ לֵֽאלֹהִ֔ים וְהֵ֖מָּה יִֽהְיוּ־לִ֥י לְעָֽם׃ki zot habberit asher ekhrot et-bet yisra'el achare hayyamim hahem ne'um-ADONAI natatti et-torati bekirbam ve'al-libbam ekhtavenna vehayiti lahem lelohim vehemma yihyu-li le'am
34וְלֹ֧א יְלַמְּד֣וּ ע֗וֹד אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵ֜הוּ וְאִ֤ישׁ אֶת־אָחִיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר דְּע֖וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה כִּֽי־כוּלָּם֩ יֵדְע֨וּ אוֹתִ֜י לְמִקְטַנָּ֤ם וְעַד־גְּדוֹלָם֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֤י אֶסְלַח֙ לַֽעֲוֺנָ֔ם וּלְחַטָּאתָ֖ם לֹ֥א אֶזְכָּר־עֽוֹד׃velo yelammedu od ish et-re'ehu ve'ish et-achiv lemor de'u et-ADONAI ki-khulam yed'u oti lemiktannam ve'ad-gedolam ne'um-ADONAI ki eslach la'avonam ulechattatam lo ezkar-od
JPS 1917 · Jewish translation
31Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah;
32not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; forasmuch as they broke My covenant, although I was a lord over them, saith the LORD.
33But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the LORD, I will put My law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people;
34and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying: ‘Know the LORD’; for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.
World Messianic Bible
31“Behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah,“Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah,
32not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which covenant of mine they broke, although I was a husband to them,” says the LORD.not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which covenant of mine they broke, although I was a husband to them,” says Yahweh.
33“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says the LORD: “I will put my law in their inward parts, and I will write it in their heart. I will be their God, and they shall be my people.“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says Yahweh: “I will put my law in their inward parts, and I will write it in their heart. I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34They will no longer each teach his neighbor, and every man teach his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD;’ for they will all know me, from their least to their greatest,” says the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”They will no longer each teach his neighbor, and every man teach his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh;’ for they will all know me, from their least to their greatest,” says Yahweh, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Jeremiah 31:31-34. Transliteration simplified. Read the whole chapter
Fulfilment · New CovenantWMB
Luke 22:20 Likewise, he took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Hebrews 8:8-12 For finding fault with them, he said, “Behold, the days are coming”, says the Lord, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they didn’t continue in my covenant, and I disregarded them,” says the Lord. “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says the Lord: “I will put my laws into their mind; I will also write them on their heart. I will be their God, and they will be my people. They will not teach every man his fellow citizen and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all will know me, from their least to their greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more.”
Hebrews 10:16-18 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days,” says the Lord, “I will put my laws on their heart, I will also write them on their mind;” then he says, “I will remember their sins and their iniquities no more.” Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
How rabbinic tradition reads it
Usually read as the messianic age when Israel will keep Torah wholeheartedly; the covenant is "new" in renewal, not replacement.
Why Messianic Jews read it as Yeshua
At his last Passover Yeshua lifted the cup: "This cup is the new covenant in my blood." It's a covenant made first with Israel, not a gentile religion.
Look at the text for yourself
Read Jeremiah 31:31-34 slowly, in the Hebrew and the JPS translation above. Then ask the question the Ethiopian official asked: "Who is the prophet talking about?"
Sources
- Hebrews 8:8-12 quotes the passage in full
- Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), via OpenScriptures. English: JPS 1917; World Messianic Bible (public domain).