“ But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there.

“后来我必劝导她，领她到旷野，对她说安慰的话。

因此，看哪，我要诱导她，领她到旷野，我要说动她的心。

因此，看哪，我要诱导她，领她到旷野，我要说动她的心。

“然而，我要挽回她，领她到旷野，柔声安慰她。

“因此，我要诱导她，领她到旷野，对她说安慰的话。

後來我必勸導她，領她到曠野，對她說安慰的話。

因此，看哪，我要誘導她，領她到曠野，我要說動她的心。

因此，看哪，我要誘導她，領她到曠野，我要說動她的心。

「然而，我要挽回她，領她到曠野，柔聲安慰她。

“因此，我要誘導她，領她到曠野，對她說安慰的話。

『因此你看吧、是我要誘導她，領她到野地，和她談心。

我將誘掖之、導之於野、以善言慰之、

厥後我勸迪斯民、導之於野、以善言慰藉、

雖然、厥後我仍勸誘之、導之於野、以善言慰藉其心、

“ Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her.

“ So now I am going to draw her back to me. I will lead her into the desert. There I will speak tenderly to her.

“ Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.

Therefore, I am going to persuade her, lead her to the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.

“ Therefore, behold, I am going to persuade her, Bring her into the wilderness, And speak kindly to her.

“ Therefore, behold, I will allure her, Will bring her into the wilderness, And speak comfort to her.

Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.

Therefore, I am going to persuade her, lead her to the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.

Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.

However, in the future I will allure her; I will lead her back into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.

“ Therefore behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days.

“ Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.“ Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins.”

I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will judge you face to face.I will judge you there just as I did your ancestors in the wilderness after bringing them out of Egypt, says the Sovereign Lord.

For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.

But she was given two wings like those of a great eagle so she could fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness. There she would be cared for and protected from the dragon for a time, times, and half a time.

Otherwise, I will strip her as naked as she was on the day she was born. I will leave her to die of thirst, as in a dry and barren wilderness.

O Lord, protect your people with your shepherd’s staff; lead your flock, your special possession. Though they live alone in a thicket on the heights of Mount Carmel, let them graze in the fertile pastures of Bashan and Gilead as they did long ago.“ Yes,” says the Lord,“ I will do mighty miracles for you, like those I did when I rescued you from slavery in Egypt.”All the nations of the world will stand amazed at what the Lord will do for you. They will be embarrassed at their feeble power. They will cover their mouths in silent awe, deaf to everything around them.Like snakes crawling from their holes, they will come out to meet the Lord our God. They will fear him greatly, trembling in terror at his presence.Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love.Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.

And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”

And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say,“ The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness.And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins.”

“ But the time is coming,” says the Lord,“ when people who are taking an oath will no longer say,‘ As surely as the Lord lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.’

With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees.Say to those with fearful hearts,“ Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”

Take me with you; come, let’s run! The king has brought me into his bedroom. How happy we are for you, O king. We praise your love even more than wine. How right they are to adore you.

“ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The traditional fasts and times of mourning you have kept in early summer, midsummer, autumn, and winter are now ended. They will become festivals of joy and celebration for the people of Judah. So love truth and peace.“ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: People from nations and cities around the world will travel to Jerusalem.The people of one city will say to the people of another,‘ Come with us to Jerusalem to ask the Lord to bless us. Let’s worship the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. I’m determined to go.’Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and to ask for his blessing.“ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: In those days ten men from different nations and languages of the world will clutch at the sleeve of one Jew. And they will say,‘ Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”

“ Now I want to say something more about this city. You have been saying,‘ It will fall to the king of Babylon through war, famine, and disease.’ But this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:I will certainly bring my people back again from all the countries where I will scatter them in my fury. I will bring them back to this very city and let them live in peace and safety.They will be my people, and I will be their God.And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants.And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me.I will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land.

Therefore, go and give this message to Israel. This is what the Lord says:“ O Israel, my faithless people, come home to me again, for I am merciful. I will not be angry with you forever.Only acknowledge your guilt. Admit that you rebelled against the Lord your God and committed adultery against him by worshiping idols under every green tree. Confess that you refused to listen to my voice. I, the Lord, have spoken!“ Return home, you wayward children,” says the Lord,“ for I am your master. I will bring you back to the land of Israel— one from this town and two from that family— from wherever you are scattered.And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding.“ And when your land is once more filled with people,” says the Lord,“ you will no longer wish for‘ the good old days’ when you possessed the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant. You will not miss those days or even remember them, and there will be no need to rebuild the Ark.In that day Jerusalem will be known as‘ The Throne of the Lord.’ All nations will come there to honor the Lord. They will no longer stubbornly follow their own evil desires.In those days the people of Judah and Israel will return together from exile in the north. They will return to the land I gave your ancestors as an inheritance forever.“ I thought to myself,‘ I would love to treat you as my own children!’ I wanted nothing more than to give you this beautiful land— the finest possession in the world. I looked forward to your calling me‘ Father,’ and I wanted you never to turn from me.But you have been unfaithful to me, you people of Israel! You have been like a faithless wife who leaves her husband. I, the Lord, have spoken.”Voices are heard high on the windswept mountains, the weeping and pleading of Israel’s people. For they have chosen crooked paths and have forgotten the Lord their God.“ My wayward children,” says the Lord,“ come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts.”“ Yes, we’re coming,” the people reply,“ for you are the Lord our God.Our worship of idols on the hills and our religious orgies on the mountains are a delusion. Only in the Lord our God will Israel ever find salvation.From childhood we have watched as everything our ancestors worked for— their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters— was squandered on a delusion.

“ Go and shout this message to Jerusalem. This is what the Lord says:“ I remember how eager you were to please me as a young bride long ago, how you loved me and followed me even through the barren wilderness.

“ Nevertheless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem’s wounds and give it prosperity and true peace.I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel and rebuild their towns.I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion.Then this city will bring me joy, glory, and honor before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see all the good I do for my people, and they will tremble with awe at the peace and prosperity I provide for them.“ This is what the Lord says: You have said,‘ This is a desolate land where people and animals have all disappeared.’ Yet in the empty streets of Jerusalem and Judah’s other towns, there will be heard once morethe sounds of joy and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will be heard again, along with the joyous songs of people bringing thanksgiving offerings to the Lord. They will sing,‘ Give thanks to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, for the Lord is good. His faithful love endures forever!’ For I will restore the prosperity of this land to what it was in the past, says the Lord.“ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: This land— though it is now desolate and has no people and animals— will once more have pastures where shepherds can lead their flocks.Once again shepherds will count their flocks in the towns of the hill country, the foothills of Judah, the Negev, the land of Benjamin, the vicinity of Jerusalem, and all the towns of Judah. I, the Lord, have spoken!“ The day will come, says the Lord, when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good things I have promised them.“ In those days and at that time I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will do what is just and right throughout the land.In that day Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this will be its name:‘ The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’For this is what the Lord says: David will have a descendant sitting on the throne of Israel forever.And there will always be Levitical priests to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings and sacrifices to me.”Then this message came to Jeremiah from the Lord:“ This is what the Lord says: If you can break my covenant with the day and the night so that one does not follow the other,only then will my covenant with my servant David be broken. Only then will he no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. The same is true for my covenant with the Levitical priests who minister before me.And as the stars of the sky cannot be counted and the sand on the seashore cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who minister before me.”The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said,“ Have you noticed what people are saying?—‘ The Lord chose Judah and Israel and then abandoned them!’ They are sneering and saying that Israel is not worthy to be counted as a nation.But this is what the Lord says: I would no more reject my people than I would change my laws that govern night and day, earth and sky.I will never abandon the descendants of Jacob or David, my servant, or change the plan that David’s descendants will rule the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, I will restore them to their land and have mercy on them.”

her husband set out for Bethlehem to speak personally to her and persuade her to come back. He took with him a servant and a pair of donkeys. When he arrived at her father’s house, her father saw him and welcomed him.

Upon hearing this, the angel of the Lord prayed this prayer:“ O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, for seventy years now you have been angry with Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. How long until you again show mercy to them?”And the Lord spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.Then the angel said to me,“ Shout this message for all to hear:‘ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: My love for Jerusalem and Mount Zion is passionate and strong.But I am very angry with the other nations that are now enjoying peace and security. I was only a little angry with my people, but the nations inflicted harm on them far beyond my intentions.“‘ Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I have returned to show mercy to Jerusalem. My Temple will be rebuilt, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and measurements will be taken for the reconstruction of Jerusalem.’“ Say this also:‘ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The towns of Israel will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem as his own.’”

“ But the mountains of Israel will produce heavy crops of fruit for my people— for they will be coming home again soon!See, I care about you, and I will pay attention to you. Your ground will be plowed and your crops planted.I will greatly increase the population of Israel, and the ruined cities will be rebuilt and filled with people.I will increase not only the people, but also your animals. O mountains of Israel, I will bring people to live on you once again. I will make you even more prosperous than you were before. Then you will know that I am the Lord.I will cause my people to walk on you once again, and you will be their territory. You will never again rob them of their children.“ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The other nations taunt you, saying,‘ Israel is a land that devours its own people and robs them of their children!’But you will never again devour your people or rob them of their children, says the Sovereign Lord.I will not let you hear those other nations insult you, and you will no longer be mocked by them. You will not be a land that causes its nation to fall, says the Sovereign Lord.”

“ So now, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will end the captivity of my people; I will have mercy on all Israel, for I jealously guard my holy reputation!They will accept responsibility for their past shame and unfaithfulness after they come home to live in peace in their own land, with no one to bother them.When I bring them home from the lands of their enemies, I will display my holiness among them for all the nations to see.Then my people will know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them away to exile and brought them home again. I will leave none of my people behind.And I will never again turn my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit upon the people of Israel. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

“ In that day,” says the Lord,“ I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.This is what the Lord says:“ Those who survive the coming destruction will find blessings even in the barren land, for I will give rest to the people of Israel.”Long ago the Lord said to Israel:“ I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel. You will again be happy and dance merrily with your tambourines.Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria and eat from your own gardens there.The day will come when watchmen will shout from the hill country of Ephraim,‘ Come, let us go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord our God.’”Now this is what the Lord says:“ Sing with joy for Israel. Shout for the greatest of nations! Shout out with praise and joy:‘ Save your people, O Lord, the remnant of Israel!’For I will bring them from the north and from the distant corners of the earth. I will not forget the blind and lame, the expectant mothers and women in labor. A great company will return!Tears of joy will stream down their faces, and I will lead them home with great care. They will walk beside quiet streams and on smooth paths where they will not stumble. For I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my oldest child.“ Listen to this message from the Lord, you nations of the world; proclaim it in distant coastlands: The Lord, who scattered his people, will gather them and watch over them as a shepherd does his flock.For the Lord has redeemed Israel from those too strong for them.They will come home and sing songs of joy on the heights of Jerusalem. They will be radiant because of the Lord’s good gifts— the abundant crops of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and the healthy flocks and herds. Their life will be like a watered garden, and all their sorrows will be gone.The young women will dance for joy, and the men— old and young— will join in the celebration. I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing.The priests will enjoy abundance, and my people will feast on my good gifts. I, the Lord, have spoken!”This is what the Lord says:“ A cry is heard in Ramah— deep anguish and bitter weeping. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted— for her children are gone.”But now this is what the Lord says:“ Do not weep any longer, for I will reward you,” says the Lord.“ Your children will come back to you from the distant land of the enemy.There is hope for your future,” says the Lord.“ Your children will come again to their own land.I have heard Israel saying,‘ You disciplined me severely, like a calf that needs training for the yoke. Turn me again to you and restore me, for you alone are the Lord my God.I turned away from God, but then I was sorry. I kicked myself for my stupidity! I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days.’“ Is not Israel still my son, my darling child?” says the Lord.“ I often have to punish him, but I still love him. That’s why I long for him and surely will have mercy on him.Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Mark well the path by which you came. Come back again, my virgin Israel; return to your towns here.How long will you wander, my wayward daughter? For the Lord will cause something new to happen— Israel will embrace her God.”This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says:“ When I bring them back from captivity, the people of Judah and its towns will again say,‘ The Lord bless you, O righteous home, O holy mountain!’Townspeople and farmers and shepherds alike will live together in peace and happiness.For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing.”At this, I woke up and looked around. My sleep had been very sweet.“ The day is coming,” says the Lord,“ when I will greatly increase the human population and the number of animals here in Israel and Judah.In the past I deliberately uprooted and tore down this nation. I overthrew it, destroyed it, and brought disaster upon it. But in the future I will just as deliberately plant it and build it up. I, the Lord, have spoken!“ The people will no longer quote this proverb:‘ The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children’s mouths pucker at the taste.’All people will die for their own sins— those who eat the sour grapes will be the ones whose mouths will pucker.“ The day is coming,” says the Lord,“ when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord.“ But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord.“ I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying,‘ You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord.“ And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”It is the Lord who provides the sun to light the day and the moon and stars to light the night, and who stirs the sea into roaring waves. His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and this is what he says:“ I am as likely to reject my people Israel as I am to abolish the laws of nature!”This is what the Lord says:“ Just as the heavens cannot be measured and the foundations of the earth cannot be explored, so I will not consider casting them away for the evil they have done. I, the Lord, have spoken!

So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.

“ In that day I will restore the fallen house of David. I will repair its damaged walls. From the ruins I will rebuild it and restore its former glory.And Israel will possess what is left of Edom and all the nations I have called to be mine.” The Lord has spoken, and he will do these things.“ The time will come,” says the Lord,“ when the grain and grapes will grow faster than they can be harvested. Then the terraced vineyards on the hills of Israel will drip with sweet wine!I will bring my exiled people of Israel back from distant lands, and they will rebuild their ruined cities and live in them again. They will plant vineyards and gardens; they will eat their crops and drink their wine.I will firmly plant them there in their own land. They will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God.

The Lord will comfort Israel again and have pity on her ruins. Her desert will blossom like Eden, her barren wilderness like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found there. Songs of thanksgiving will fill the air.“ Listen to me, my people. Hear me, Israel, for my law will be proclaimed, and my justice will become a light to the nations.My mercy and justice are coming soon. My salvation is on the way. My strong arm will bring justice to the nations. All distant lands will look to me and wait in hope for my powerful arm.Look up to the skies above, and gaze down on the earth below. For the skies will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing. The people of the earth will die like flies, but my salvation lasts forever. My righteous rule will never end!“ Listen to me, you who know right from wrong, you who cherish my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid of people’s scorn, nor fear their insults.For the moth will devour them as it devours clothing. The worm will eat at them as it eats wool. But my righteousness will last forever. My salvation will continue from generation to generation.”Wake up, wake up, O Lord! Clothe yourself with strength! Flex your mighty right arm! Rouse yourself as in the days of old when you slew Egypt, the dragon of the Nile.Are you not the same today, the one who dried up the sea, making a path of escape through the depths so that your people could cross over?Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness.“ I, yes I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear?Yet you have forgotten the Lord, your Creator, the one who stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth. Will you remain in constant dread of human oppressors? Will you continue to fear the anger of your enemies? Where is their fury and anger now? It is gone!Soon all you captives will be released! Imprisonment, starvation, and death will not be your fate!For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea, causing its waves to roar. My name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.And I have put my words in your mouth and hidden you safely in my hand. I stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth. I am the one who says to Israel,‘ You are my people!’”Wake up, wake up, O Jerusalem! You have drunk the cup of the Lord’s fury. You have drunk the cup of terror, tipping out its last drops.Not one of your children is left alive to take your hand and guide you.These two calamities have fallen on you: desolation and destruction, famine and war. And who is left to sympathize with you? Who is left to comfort you?For your children have fainted and lie in the streets, helpless as antelopes caught in a net. The Lord has poured out his fury; God has rebuked them.But now listen to this, you afflicted ones who sit in a drunken stupor, though not from drinking wine.This is what the Sovereign Lord, your God and Defender, says:“ See, I have taken the terrible cup from your hands. You will drink no more of my fury.Instead, I will hand that cup to your tormentors, those who said,‘ We will trample you into the dust and walk on your backs.’”

So I will rescue my flock, and they will no longer be abused. I will judge between one animal of the flock and another.And I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David. He will feed them and be a shepherd to them.And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince among my people. I, the Lord, have spoken!“ I will make a covenant of peace with my people and drive away the dangerous animals from the land. Then they will be able to camp safely in the wildest places and sleep in the woods without fear.I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing.The orchards and fields of my people will yield bumper crops, and everyone will live in safety. When I have broken their chains of slavery and rescued them from those who enslaved them, then they will know that I am the Lord.They will no longer be prey for other nations, and wild animals will no longer devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will frighten them.“ And I will make their land famous for its crops, so my people will never again suffer from famines or the insults of foreign nations.In this way, they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them. And they will know that they, the people of Israel, are my people, says the Sovereign Lord.You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

But then he fell in love with her, and he tried to win her affection with tender words.

Then he said to me,“ Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying,‘ We have become old, dry bones— all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’Therefore, prophesy to them and say,‘ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel.When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord.I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’”Again a message came to me from the Lord:“ Son of man, take a piece of wood and carve on it these words:‘ This represents Judah and its allied tribes.’ Then take another piece and carve these words on it:‘ This represents Ephraim and the northern tribes of Israel.’Now hold them together in your hand as if they were one piece of wood.When your people ask you what your actions mean,say to them,‘ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take Ephraim and the northern tribes and join them to Judah. I will make them one piece of wood in my hand.’“ Then hold out the pieces of wood you have inscribed, so the people can see them.And give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: I will gather the people of Israel from among the nations. I will bring them home to their own land from the places where they have been scattered.I will unify them into one nation on the mountains of Israel. One king will rule them all; no longer will they be divided into two nations or into two kingdoms.They will never again pollute themselves with their idols and vile images and rebellion, for I will save them from their sinful apostasy. I will cleanse them. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God.“ My servant David will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd. They will obey my regulations and be careful to keep my decrees.They will live in the land I gave my servant Jacob, the land where their ancestors lived. They and their children and their grandchildren after them will live there forever, generation after generation. And my servant David will be their prince forever.And I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give them their land and increase their numbers, and I will put my Temple among them forever.I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.And when my Temple is among them forever, the nations will know that I am the Lord, who makes Israel holy.”

“ Then I will purify the speech of all people, so that everyone can worship the Lord together.My scattered people who live beyond the rivers of Ethiopia will come to present their offerings.On that day you will no longer need to be ashamed, for you will no longer be rebels against me. I will remove all proud and arrogant people from among you. There will be no more haughtiness on my holy mountain.Those who are left will be the lowly and humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord.The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will never tell lies or deceive one another. They will eat and sleep in safety, and no one will make them afraid.”Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!For the Lord will remove his hand of judgment and will disperse the armies of your enemy. And the Lord himself, the King of Israel, will live among you! At last your troubles will be over, and you will never again fear disaster.On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be,“ Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid!For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”“ I will gather you who mourn for the appointed festivals; you will be disgraced no more.And I will deal severely with all who have oppressed you. I will save the weak and helpless ones; I will bring together those who were chased away. I will give glory and fame to my former exiles, wherever they have been mocked and shamed.On that day I will gather you together and bring you home again. I will give you a good name, a name of distinction, among all the nations of the earth, as I restore your fortunes before their very eyes. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

This is what the Lord says:“ When I bring Israel home again from captivity and restore their fortunes, Jerusalem will be rebuilt on its ruins, and the palace reconstructed as before.There will be joy and songs of thanksgiving, and I will multiply my people, not diminish them; I will honor them, not despise them.Their children will prosper as they did long ago. I will establish them as a nation before me, and I will punish anyone who hurts them.They will have their own ruler again, and he will come from their own people. I will invite him to approach me,” says the Lord,“ for who would dare to come unless invited?You will be my people, and I will be your God.”

Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering.Yet Jerusalem says,“ The Lord has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us.”“ Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins.Soon your descendants will come back, and all who are trying to destroy you will go away.Look around you and see, for all your children will come back to you. As surely as I live,” says the Lord,“ they will be like jewels or bridal ornaments for you to display.“ Even the most desolate parts of your abandoned land will soon be crowded with your people. Your enemies who enslaved you will be far away.The generations born in exile will return and say,‘ We need more room! It’s crowded here!’Then you will think to yourself,‘ Who has given me all these descendants? For most of my children were killed, and the rest were carried away into exile. I was left here all alone. Where did all these people come from? Who bore these children? Who raised them for me?’”This is what the Sovereign Lord says:“ See, I will give a signal to the godless nations. They will carry your little sons back to you in their arms; they will bring your daughters on their shoulders.Kings and queens will serve you and care for all your needs. They will bow to the earth before you and lick the dust from your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Those who trust in me will never be put to shame.”Who can snatch the plunder of war from the hands of a warrior? Who can demand that a tyrant let his captives go?But the Lord says,“ The captives of warriors will be released, and the plunder of tyrants will be retrieved. For I will fight those who fight you, and I will save your children.I will feed your enemies with their own flesh. They will be drunk with rivers of their own blood. All the world will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.”

So I brought them out of Egypt and led them into the wilderness.