Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.
Therefore, this is what the LORD says: If you come back to me, then I will restore you, and you will serve in my presence again. And if you separate what is valuable from what is worthless, you will be like my spokesperson. Let them come to you, but don't you go chasing after them.
God is promising Jeremiah that if he returns to faithful service, God will restore him and make him His spokesman again, but he must distinguish between what's valuable and worthless.
📚 Historical Context
This comes during Jeremiah's time as a prophet to Judah before the Babylonian exile, when he had become discouraged and complained bitterly to God about his difficult calling. Jeremiah had been feeling overwhelmed by the people's rejection and the hardship of delivering God's harsh messages of judgment.
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