At that time the Lord will reach out his hand. He will gather his people a second time. He will bring back those who are left alive. He’ll bring them back from Assyria, Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt and Cush. He’ll bring them from Elam, Babylon and Hamath. He will also bring them from the islands of the Mediterranean Sea.

当那日，主必二次伸手救回自己百姓中所余剩的，就是在亚述、埃及、巴忒罗、古实、以拦、示拿、哈马，并众海岛所剩下的。

当那日，主必再度伸手救回自己百姓中所剩余的，就是在亚述、埃及、巴特罗、古实、以拦、示拿、哈马，并众海岛所剩下的。

当那日，主必再度伸手救回自己百姓中所剩余的，就是在亚述、埃及、巴特罗、古实、以拦、示拿、哈马，并众海岛所剩下的。

到那日，主必再次伸手从亚述、埃及、巴特罗、古实、以拦、示拿、哈马和众海岛救回祂剩余的子民。

到那日，主必再用自己的手，赎回他子民中的余民，就是从亚述、埃及、巴忒罗、古实、以拦、示拿和哈马，以及众海岛所剩下的。

到那日，主必第二次伸手收回他子民中的余剩者，就是在亚述、埃及、巴特罗、库实、以拦、示拿、哈马和众海岛所残留的人。

當那日，主必二次伸手救回自己百姓中所餘剩的，就是在亞述、埃及、巴忒羅、古實、以攔、示拿、哈馬，並眾海島所剩下的。

當那日，主必再度伸手救回自己百姓中所剩餘的，就是在亞述、埃及、巴特羅、古實、以攔、示拿、哈馬，並眾海島所剩下的。

當那日，主必再度伸手救回自己百姓中所剩餘的，就是在亞述、埃及、巴特羅、古實、以攔、示拿、哈馬，並眾海島所剩下的。

到那日，主必再次伸手從亞述、埃及、巴特羅、古實、以攔、示拿、哈馬和眾海島救回祂剩餘的子民。

到那日，主必再用自己的手，贖回他子民中的餘民，就是從亞述、埃及、巴忒羅、古實、以攔、示拿和哈馬，以及眾海島所剩下的。

當那日子、主必再舉手，擁有他自己的餘民，就是從亞述、從埃及、從巴忒羅、從古實、從以攔、從示拿和哈馬、以及海邊的沿岸各地、所剩下來的。

到那日，主必第二次伸手收回他子民中的餘剩者，就是在亞述、埃及、巴特羅、庫實、以攔、示拿、哈馬和眾海島所殘留的人。

是日也、主復舉手、救其遺民、使自亞述、埃及、巴忒羅、古實、以攔、示拿、哈馬、及諸海島而歸、

主將舉手、再拯其遺民、使自亞述、埃及、八羅、古實、以攔、示拿、哈末、及海之洲島而歸、

當是時主復伸手、以救其遺民、即在亞述、伊及、帕特羅、古實、以攔、示拿、哈末、及海島所遺之民、

In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean.

In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.

In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to bring back the remnant of his people— those who remain in Assyria and northern Egypt; in southern Egypt, Ethiopia, and Elam; in Babylonia, Hamath, and all the distant coastlands.

On that day the Lord will extend his hand a second time to recover the remnant of his people who survive— from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the coasts and islands of the west.

Then it will happen on that day that the Lord Will again recover with His hand the second time The remnant of His people who will remain, From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, And from the islands of the sea.

It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time To recover the remnant of His people who are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands of the sea.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, that shall remain, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover— from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the coasts and islands of the west— the remnant of His people who survive.

And it shall come to pass in that day,[ that] the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

At that time the sovereign master will again lift his hand to reclaim the remnant of his people from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the seacoasts.

It will happen in that day that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

At that time your people will come back to you. They’ll return from Assyria and the cities of Egypt. They’ll come from the countries between Egypt and the Euphrates River. They’ll return from the lands between the seas. They’ll come back from the countries between the mountains.

The sons of Shem were Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram.

He will not grow weak or lose hope. He will not give up until he brings justice to the earth. The islands will put their hope in his teaching.”

“ I will give them a sign. I will send to the nations some of those who are left alive. I will send some of them to the people of Tarshish, Libya and Lydia, who are famous for using bows. I will send others to Tubal and Greece. And I will send still others to islands far away. The people who live there have not heard about my fame. They have not seen my glory. But when I act, those I send will tell the nations about my glory.

“‘ But suppose you admit that both you and your people who lived before you have sinned. You admit the evil and dishonest things you have done against me. And you admit you have become my enemy.What you did made me become your enemy. I let your enemies take you into their land. But suppose you stop being stubborn. You stop being proud. And you pay for your sin.Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob. I will remember my covenant with Isaac. I will remember my covenant with Abraham. I will remember what I said to them about the land.

They will come from Egypt, trembling like sparrows. They will return from Assyria, flying in like doves. I will settle you again in your homes,” announces the Lord.

In days to come, some people will still be left alive in Israel. They will be from Jacob’s family line. But they won’t depend any longer on the nation that struck them down. Instead, they will truly depend on the Lord. He is the Holy One of Israel.

So give glory to him, you who live in the east. Honor the name of the Lord, you who are in the islands of the sea. He is the God of Israel.

So the people of Israel will live for a long time without a king or prince. They won’t have sacrifices or sacred stones. They won’t have sacred linen aprons or statues of family gods.After that, the people of Israel will return to the Lord their God. They will look to him and to a king from the family line of David. In the last days, they will tremble with fear as they come to the Lord. And they will receive his full blessing.

all the kings of Zimri, Elam and Media

I will bring my people Israel back home. I will bless them with great success again. They will rebuild the destroyed cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink the wine they produce. They will make gardens and eat their fruit.I will plant Israel in their own land. They will never again be removed from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God.

‘ I took over Kalno just as I took Carchemish. I took over Hamath just as I did Arpad. I took Samaria just as I did Damascus.

“‘ At that time I will break the yoke off their necks,’ announces the Lord who rules over all.‘ I will tear off the ropes that hold them. People from other lands will not make them slaves anymore.Instead, they will serve me. And they will serve David their king. I will raise him up for them. I am the Lord their God.“‘ People of Jacob, do not be afraid. You are my servant. Israel, do not be terrified,’ ” announces the Lord.“‘ You can be sure that I will save you. I will bring you out of a place far away. I will bring your children back from the land where they were taken. Your people will have peace and security again. And no one will make them afraid.I am with you. I will save you,’ ” announces the Lord.“‘ I will completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you. But I will not completely destroy you. I will correct you. But I will be fair. I will not let you go without any punishment.’ ”

They moved to the east and found a broad valley in Babylon. There they made their home.

The first capital cities of Nimrod’s kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh. These cities were in the land of Babylon.

The power of the Lord came on me. His Spirit brought me away from my home. He put me down in the middle of a valley. It was full of bones.He led me back and forth among them. I saw a huge number of bones in the valley. The bones were very dry.The Lord asked me,“ Son of man, can these bones live?” I said,“ Lord and King, you are the only one who knows.”Then he said to me,“ Prophesy to these bones. Tell them,‘ Dry bones, listen to the Lord’ s message.The Lord and King speaks to you. He says,“ I will put breath in you. Then you will come to life again.I will attach tendons to you. I will put flesh on you. I will cover you with skin. So I will put breath in you. And you will come to life again. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”So I prophesied just as the Lord commanded me to. As I was prophesying, I heard a noise. It was a rattling sound. The bones came together. One bone connected itself to another.I saw tendons and flesh appear on them. Skin covered them. But there was no breath in them.Then the Lord said to me,“ Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man. Tell it,‘ The Lord and King says,“ Breath, come from all four directions. Go into these people who have been killed. Then they can live.” ’ ”So I prophesied just as he commanded me to. And breath entered them. Then they came to life again. They stood up on their feet. They were like a huge army.Then the Lord said to me,“ Son of man, these bones stand for all the people of Israel. The people say,‘ Our bones are dried up. We’ve lost all hope. We are destroyed.’So prophesy. Tell them,‘ The Lord and King says,“ My people, I am going to open up your graves. I am going to bring you out of them. I will take you back to the land of Israel.So I will open up your graves and bring you out of them. Then you will know that I am the Lord. You are my people.I will put my Spirit in you. And you will live again. I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I have spoken. I have done it,” announces the Lord.’ ”A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said,“ Son of man, get a stick of wood. Write on it,‘ Belonging to the tribe of Judah and the Israelites who are connected with it.’ Then get another stick. Write on it,‘ Ephraim’s stick. Belonging to the tribes of Joseph and all the Israelites connected with them.’Join them together into one stick in your hand.“ Your people will ask you,‘ What do you mean by this?’Tell them,‘ The Lord and King says,“ I am going to get the stick of Joseph and the Israelites connected with it. That stick is in Ephraim’s hand. I am going to join it to Judah’s stick. I will make them a single stick of wood in my hand.” ’Show them the sticks you wrote on.Tell them,‘ The Lord and King says,“ I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them together from all around. I will bring them back to their own land.There I will make them one nation. They will live on the mountains of Israel. All of them will have one king. They will never be two nations again. They will never again be separated into two kingdoms.They will no longer make themselves‘ unclean’ by worshiping any of their evil gods. They will not do wrong things anymore. They always turn away from me. But I will save them from that sin. I will make them pure and‘ clean.’ They will be my people. And I will be their God.“‘ “A man who belongs to the family line of my servant David will be their king. All of them will have one shepherd. They will obey my laws. And they will be careful to keep my rules.They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob. That is where your people of long ago lived. They, their children, their children’s children, and their children after them will live there forever. And my servant from David’s family line will be their prince forever.I will make a covenant with them. It promises to give them peace. The covenant will last forever. I will make them my people. And I will cause there to be many of them. I will put my temple among them forever.I will live with them. I will be their God. And they will be my people.My temple will be among them forever. Then the nations will know that I make Israel holy. I am the Lord.” ’ ”

When all that happens, the Lord your God will bless you with great success again. He will be very kind to you. He’ll bring you back from all the nations where he scattered you.Suppose you have been forced to go away to the farthest land on earth. The Lord your God will bring you back even from there.He will bring you to the land that belonged to your people of long ago. You will take it over. He’ll make you better off than your people were. He’ll cause there to be more of you than there were of them.The Lord your God will keep you from being stubborn. He’ll do the same thing for your children and their children. Then you will love him with all your heart and with all your soul. And you will live.

From these people came the families who lived near the Mediterranean Sea. Each tribe and nation then spread out into its own territory and had its own language.The sons of Ham were Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan.The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteka. The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.

I will place one shepherd over them. He will belong to the family line of my servant David. He will take good care of them. He will look after them. He will be their shepherd.I am the Lord. I will be their God. And my servant from David’s family line will be the prince among them. I have spoken. I am the Lord.“ I will make a covenant with them. It promises to give them peace. I will get rid of the wild animals in the land. Then my sheep can live safely in the desert. They can sleep in the forests.I will make them and the places surrounding my holy mountain of Zion a blessing. I will send down rain at the right time. There will be showers of blessing.The trees will bear their fruit. And the ground will produce its crops. The people will be secure in their land. I will break the chains that hold them. I will save them from the power of those who made them slaves. Then they will know that I am the Lord.The nations will not carry them off anymore. Wild animals will no longer eat them up. They will live in safety. And no one will make them afraid.

Sing a new song to the Lord. Sing praise to him from one end of the earth to the other. Sing, you who sail out on the ocean. Sing, all you creatures in it. Sing, you islands. Sing, all you who live there.

There was a road the people of Israel used when they came up from Egypt. In the same way, there will be a wide road coming out of Assyria. It will be used by the Lord’ s people who are left alive there.

“‘ “I will take you out of the nations. I will gather you together from all the countries. I will bring you back into your own land.I will sprinkle pure water on you. Then you will be‘ clean.’ I will make you completely pure and‘ clean.’ I will take all the statues of your gods away from you.I will give you new hearts. I will give you a new spirit that is faithful to me. I will remove your stubborn hearts from you. I will give you hearts that obey me.I will put my Spirit in you. I will make you want to obey my rules. I want you to be careful to keep my laws.Then you will live in the land I gave your people of long ago. You will be my people. And I will be your God.

Lord, be like a shepherd to your people. Take good care of them. They are your flock. They live by themselves in the safety of a forest. Rich grasslands are all around them. Let them eat grass in Bashan and Gilead just as they did long ago.The Lord says to his people,“ I showed you my wonders when you came out of Egypt long ago. In the same way, I will show them to you again.”

The Lord says to the people of Jerusalem,“ You will get everything Egypt produces. You will receive everything the people of Cush and the tall Sabeans get in trade. All of it will belong to you. And all these people will walk behind you as slaves. They will be put in chains and come over to you. They will bow down to you. They will admit,‘ God is with you. There is no other God.’ ”

The people of Judah and Israel will come together again. They will appoint one leader and come up out of the land. And Jezreel’s day will be great.

Other days are also coming,” announces the Lord.“ At that time people will no longer say,‘ The Lord brought the Israelites up out of Egypt. And that’s just as sure as he is alive.’Instead, they will say,‘ The Lord brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north. He gathered them out of all the countries where he had forced them to go. And that’s just as sure as he is alive.’ Then they will live in their own land.”

Here is what the Lord says about Damascus. He says,“ The people of Hamath and Arpad are terrified. They have heard bad news. They have lost all hope. They are troubled like the rolling sea.

The Lord who rules over all will terrify Moab and Ammon. He will destroy all the gods on earth. Then distant nations will bow down to him. All of them will serve him in their own lands.

Amraphel was the king of Babylon. Arioch was the king of Ellasar. Kedorlaomer was the king of Elam. And Tidal was the king of Goyim.

This is a prophecy. It is the Lord’ s message about Israel. The Lord spreads out the heavens. He lays the foundation of the earth. He creates the human spirit within a person. He says,“ Jerusalem will be like a cup in my hand. It will make all the surrounding nations drunk from the wine of my anger. Judah will be attacked by its enemies. So will Jerusalem.At that time all the nations on earth will gather together against Jerusalem. Then it will become like a rock that can’t be moved. All the nations that try to move it will only hurt themselves.On that day I will fill every horse with panic. I will make every rider crazy,” announces the Lord.“ I will watch over the people of Judah. But I will make all the horses of the nations blind.Then the family groups of Judah will say in their hearts,‘ The people of Jerusalem are strong. That’s because the Lord who rules over all is their God.’“ At that time Judah’s family groups will be like a fire pot in a pile of wood. They will be like a burning torch among bundles of grain. They will destroy all the surrounding nations on every side. But Jerusalem will remain unharmed in its place.“ I will save the houses in Judah first. The honor of David’s family line is great. So is the honor of those who live in Jerusalem. But their honor will not be greater than the honor of the rest of Judah.At that time I will be like a shield to those who live in Jerusalem. Then even the weakest among them will be great warriors like David. And David’s family line will be like the angel of the Lord who leads them.On that day I will begin to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.“ I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on David’s family line. I will also send it on those who live in Jerusalem. They will look to me. I am the one they have pierced. They will mourn over me as someone mourns over an only child who has died. They will be full of sorrow over me. Their sorrow will be just like someone’s sorrow over an oldest son.At that time there will be a lot of weeping in Jerusalem. It will be as great as the weeping of the people at Hadad Rimmon. Hadad Rimmon is in the valley of Megiddo. They were weeping over Josiah’s death.Everyone in the land will mourn. Each family will mourn by themselves and their wives by themselves. That will include the family lines of David, Nathan,Levi, Shimei andall the others.

The Lord will judge Hamath too. It’s next to Damascus. He will also punish Tyre and Sidon even though they are very clever.

“ At that time I will bless Judah and Jerusalem with great success again.I will gather together all the nations. I will bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial. I will judge them for what they have done to my people Israel. They scattered them among the nations. They divided up my land among themselves.They cast lots for my people. They sold boys into slavery to get prostitutes. They sold girls to buy some wine to drink.“ Tyre and Sidon, why are you doing things like that to me? And why are you doing them, all you people in Philistia? Are you trying to get even with me for something I have done? If you are, I will pay you back for it in a quick and speedy way.You took my silver and gold. You carried off my finest treasures to your temples.You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks. You wanted to send them far away from their own country.“ But now I will stir them up into action. I will bring them back from the places you sold them to. And I will do to you what you did to them.I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah. And they will sell them to the Sabeans. The Sabeans are a nation that is far away.” The Lord has spoken.Announce this among the nations. Tell them to prepare for battle. Nations, get your soldiers ready! Bring all your fighting men together and march out to attack.Hammer your plows into swords. Hammer your pruning tools into spears. Let anyone who is weak say,“ I am strong!”Come quickly, all you surrounding nations. Gather together in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. Lord, send down your soldiers from heaven!The Lord says,“ Stir up the nations into action! Let them march into the valley where I will judge them. I will take my seat in court. I will judge all the surrounding nations.My soldiers, swing your blades. The nations are ripe for harvest. Come and stomp on them as if they were grapes. Crush them until the winepress of my anger is full. Do it until the wine spills over from the places where it is stored. The nations have committed far too many sins!”Huge numbers of soldiers are gathered in the valley where the Lord will hand down his sentence. The day of the Lord is near in that valley.The sun and moon will become dark. The stars won’t shine anymore.The Lord will roar like a lion from Jerusalem. His voice will sound like thunder from Zion. The earth and the heavens will tremble. But the Lord will keep the people of Israel safe. He will be a place of safety for them.The Lord says,“ You will know that I am the Lord your God. I live in Zion. It is my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be my holy city. People from other lands will never again attack it.“ At that time fresh wine will drip from the mountains. Milk will flow down from the hills. Water will run through all Judah’s valleys. A fountain will flow out of my temple. It will water the places where acacia trees grow.But Egypt will be deserted. Edom will become a dry and empty desert. They did terrible harm to the people of Judah. My people were not guilty of doing anything wrong. But Egypt and Edom spilled their blood anyway.My people will live in Judah and Jerusalem forever. The land will be their home for all time to come.Egypt and Edom have spilled my people’s blood. Should I let them escape my judgment? No, I will not.” The Lord lives in Zion!

I will completely destroy Upper Egypt. I will set Zoan on fire. I will punish Thebes.

Let them give glory to the Lord. Let them praise him in the islands.

The Lord says,“ I will bring your enemies from Bashan. I will bring them up from the bottom of the sea.

They made your oars out of oak trees from Bashan. They made your deck out of cypress wood from the coasts of Cyprus. They decorated it with ivory.

At that time there will be a wide road from Egypt to Assyria. The people of Assyria will go to Egypt. And the people of Egypt will go to Assyria. The people of Egypt and Assyria will worship the Lord together.At that time Egypt, Assyria and Israel will be a blessing to the whole earth.

He replied,“ To the country of Babylon. A temple will be built for it. When the temple is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.”

“ People of Jerusalem, get up. Shine, because your light has come. The glory of the Lord will shine on you.Darkness covers the earth. Thick darkness spreads over the nations. But I will rise and shine on you. My glory will appear over you.Nations will come to your light. Kings will come to the brightness of your new day.“ Look up. Look all around you. All your people are getting together to come back to you. Your sons will come from far away. Your daughters will be carried on the hip like little children.Then your face will glow with joy. Your heart will beat fast because you are so happy. Wealth from across the ocean will be brought to you. The riches of the nations will come to you.Herds of young camels will cover your land. They will come from Midian and Ephah. They will also come from Sheba. They’ll carry gold and incense. And people will shout praises to me.All of Kedar’s flocks will be gathered to you. The rams of Nebaioth will serve as your sacrifices. I will accept them as offerings on my altar. That is how I will bring honor to my glorious temple.“ Whose ships are these that sail along like clouds? They fly like doves to their nests.People from the islands are coming to me. The ships of Tarshish are out in front. They are bringing your children back from far away. Your children are bringing their silver and gold with them. They are coming to honor me. I am the Lord your God. I am the Holy One of Israel. I have honored you.“ People from other lands will rebuild your walls. Their kings will serve you. When I was angry with you, I struck you. But now I will show you my tender love.Your gates will always stand open. They will never be shut, day or night. Then people can bring you the wealth of the nations. Their kings will come along with them.The nation or kingdom that will not serve you will be destroyed. It will be completely wiped out.“ Lebanon’s glorious trees will be brought to you. Its junipers, firs and cypress trees will be brought. They will be used to make my temple beautiful. And I will bring glory to the place where my throne is.The children of those who crush you will come and bow down to you. All those who hate you will kneel down at your feet. Jerusalem, they will call you the City of the Lord. They will name you Zion, the City of the Holy One of Israel.“ You have been deserted and hated. No one even travels through you. But I will make you into something to be proud of forever. You will be a place of joy for all time to come.You will get everything you need from kings and nations. You will be like children who are nursing at their mother’s breasts. Then you will know that I am the one who saves you. I am the Lord. I set you free. I am the Mighty One of Jacob.Instead of bronze I will bring you gold. In place of iron I will give you silver. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze. In place of stones I will give you iron. I will make peace govern you. I will make godliness rule over you.People will no longer harm one another in your land. They will not wipe out or destroy anything inside your borders. You will call your walls Salvation. And you will name your gates Praise.You will not need the light of the sun by day anymore. The bright light of the moon will no longer have to shine on you. I will be your light forever. My glory will shine on you. I am the Lord your God.Your sun will never set again. Your moon will never lose its light. I will be your light forever. Your days of sorrow will come to an end.Then all your people will do what is right. The land will belong to them forever. They will be like a young tree I have planted. My hands have created them. They will show how glorious I am.The smallest family among you will become a tribe. The smallest tribe will become a mighty nation. I am the Lord. When it is the right time, I will act quickly.”

But when anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

In my vision I saw myself in the city of Susa. It has high walls around it. It is in the land of Elam. In the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal.

“ Suppose my orders for creation disappear from my sight,” announces the Lord.“ Only then will the people of Israel stop being a nation in my sight.”The Lord says,“ Suppose the sky above could be measured. Suppose the foundations of the earth below could be completely discovered. Only then would I turn away the people of Israel. Even though they have committed many sins, I will still accept them,” announces the Lord.“ The days are coming,” announces the Lord.“ At that time Jerusalem will be rebuilt for me. It will be rebuilt from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.The measuring line will reach out from there. It will go straight to the hill of Gareb. Then it will turn and reach as far as Goah.There is a valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown. That whole valley will be holy to me. The side of the Kidron Valley east of the city will be holy to me. It will be holy all the way to the corner of the Horse Gate. The city will never again be pulled up by the roots. It will never be destroyed.”

“ Listen to my message, you nations. Announce it on shores far away. Say,‘ He who scattered Israel will gather them. He will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’

“ Haven’t you noticed what these people are saying? They say,‘ The Lord once chose the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah. But now he has turned his back on them.’ So they hate my people. They do not think of them as a nation anymore.I say,‘ What if I had not made my covenant with day and night? What if I had not established the laws of heaven and earth?Only then would I turn my back on the children of Jacob and my servant David. Only then would I not choose one of David’s sons to rule over the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But I will bless my people with great success again. I will love them with tender love.’ ”

I will signal for my people to come, and I will gather them in. I will set them free. There will be as many of them as before.I have scattered them among the nations. But in lands far away they will remember me. They and their children will be kept alive. And they will return.I will bring them back from Egypt. I will gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon. There will not be enough room for them.They will pass through a sea of trouble. The stormy sea will calm down. All the deep places in the Nile River will dry up. Assyria’s pride will be brought down. Egypt’s right to rule will disappear.I will make my people strong. They will live in safety because of me,” announces the Lord.

At that time the Lord will separate Israel from other people. He will gather the Israelites together one by one. He will gather them from the Euphrates River to the Wadi of Egypt.At that time a loud trumpet will be blown. Those who were dying in Assyria will come and worship the Lord. So will those who were taken away to Egypt. All of them will worship the Lord on his holy mountain in Jerusalem.

The Lord will drive you out of your land. He will scatter you among the nations. Only a few of you will remain alive there.There you will worship gods that men have made out of wood and stone. Those gods can’t see, hear, eat or smell.Perhaps while you are there, you will seek the Lord your God. You will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.All the things I’ve told you about might happen to you. And you will be in trouble. But later you will return to the Lord your God. You will obey him.The Lord your God is tender and loving. He won’t leave you or destroy you. He won’t forget the covenant he made with your people of long ago. He gave his word when he made it.

Then he will turn his attention to the lands along the Mediterranean coast. He will take over many of them. But a commander will put an end to his proud actions. He will turn his pride back on him.

A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. It was about all the Jews living in Lower Egypt. They were living in Migdol, Tahpanhes and Memphis. It was also about all the Jews living in Upper Egypt.

In this way all Israel will be saved. It is written,“ The God who saves will come from Mount Zion. He will remove sin from Jacob’s family.

“ So tell them,‘ The Lord and King says,“ I sent some of my people far away among the nations. I scattered them among the countries. But for a little while I have been their temple in the countries where they have gone.” ’“ Tell them,‘ The Lord and King says,“ I will gather you from the nations. I will bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered. I will give you back the land of Israel.” ’“ They will return to it. They will remove all its statues of evil gods. I hate those gods.I will give my people hearts that are completely committed to me. I will give them a new spirit that is faithful to me. I will remove their stubborn hearts from them. And I will give them hearts that obey me.Then they will follow my rules. They will be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people. And I will be their God.

When they were not accepted, it became possible for the whole world to be brought back to God. So what will happen when they are accepted? It will be like life from the dead.