Yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth: An element of hope begins here. In contrast to the way the people broke the covenant in the previous verse, God now says that he will not break the covenant. Yet I, which renders the Hebrew waw conjunction and an emphatic pronoun, expresses a strong contrast. Good News Translation says “But I,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “Nevertheless, I.” Another possible model is “Unlike you, I.” I will remember my covenant with you does not imply that God had forgotten his side of the agreement with the people of Jerusalem but shows that he will “keep” (New Living Translation [1996]) or “honor” (Good News Translation) it. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “I will stand by my word.” In the days of your youth (see verse 22) reminds the reader again of the parable.

And I will establish with you an everlasting covenant does not imply that God will make another agreement with the people. The verb establish means rather to “maintain,” “make strong” or “renew” the existing agreement that the people had broken. This “renewed” agreement will be everlasting, that is, one that will “last forever” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). The Hebrew word for everlasting has the idea of going on and on into the distant future, longer than anyone can imagine. It does not mean “without end.”

Models for this verse are:

• We made that agreement when you were young. Although you broke our agreement, I will keep my side of the agreement and I will make the agreement strong so that it will go on and on [forever].

• Unlike you, I will keep the agreement I made with you when you were young. I will renew it and it will last forever.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .