Then you will say to yourself,‘ Whose children are these? I lost my children. And I couldn’t have any more. My children were taken far away from me. And no one wanted them. Who brought these children up? I was left all alone. So where have these children come from?’ ”

那时你心里必说：我既丧子独居，是被掳的，漂流在外。谁给我生这些？谁将这些养大呢？撇下我一人独居的时候，这些在哪里呢？’”

那时你心里必说：“我既丧子不育，被掳，飘流在外，谁给我生了这些？谁将他们养大呢？看哪，我被撇下独自一人时，他们都在哪里呢？”

那时你心里必说：“我既丧子不育，被掳，飘流在外，谁给我生了这些？谁将他们养大呢？看哪，我被撇下独自一人时，他们都在哪里呢？”

你会在心里问，‘我丧失了儿女、不再生育、流亡在外、漂流不定，谁给我生了这些儿女？谁把他们养大？我孤身一人，他们是从哪里来的？’”

那时你心里必说：‘我既丧子，又不能生育；我是被掳的，又是被放逐在外的，谁给我生了这些孩子呢？谁把这些孩子养大呢？看哪！我独自一人被撇下，这些孩子是从哪里来的呢？’”

那时你心里必说：‘我既丧子，又不能生育，我被掳、被放逐，究竟是谁给我生了这些孩子呢？又是谁把这些孩子养大的呢？看哪！我被留下孤身一人，这些孩子究竟是从哪里来的呢？’”

那時你心裏必說：我既喪子獨居，是被擄的，漂流在外。誰給我生這些？誰將這些養大呢？撇下我一人獨居的時候，這些在哪裏呢？

那時你心裏必說：「我既喪子不育，被擄，飄流在外，誰給我生了這些？誰將他們養大呢？看哪，我被撇下獨自一人時，他們都在哪裏呢？」

那時你心裏必說：「我既喪子不育，被擄，飄流在外，誰給我生了這些？誰將他們養大呢？看哪，我被撇下獨自一人時，他們都在哪裏呢？」

你會在心裡問，『我喪失了兒女、不再生育、流亡在外、漂流不定，誰給我生了這些兒女？誰把他們養大？我孤身一人，他們是從哪裡來的？』」

那時你心裡必說：‘我既喪子，又不能生育；我是被擄的，又是被放逐在外的，誰給我生了這些孩子呢？誰把這些孩子養大呢？看哪！我獨自一人被撇下，這些孩子是從哪裡來的呢？’”

那時你心裏必說：「我既喪子，又不能孕育，又是被擄、被放逐於外的，誰給我生了這些孩子呢？誰將這些孩子養大呢？看哪，我被剩下、獨自一人：這些孩子從哪兒來呢？」』

那時你心裡必說：『我既喪子，又不能生育，我被擄、被放逐，究竟是誰給我生了這些孩子呢？又是誰把這些孩子養大的呢？看哪！我被留下孤身一人，這些孩子究竟是從哪裡來的呢？』」

爾將自謂、我既喪子、孑然一身、見逐流離、若輩誰所誕育耶、且我獨居、若輩何從而有耶、○

爾將謂焉得有是子耶、我子流離、自為鰥獨、見擄驅逐、伶仃無依、今此子果誰育之哉。

其時爾心自言曰、我喪子獨居、遭擄掠、被驅逐、此眾誰為我生之育之、我孤獨無依、此眾自何而有、

Then you will say in your heart,‘ Who bore me these? I was bereaved and barren; I was exiled and rejected. Who brought these up? I was left all alone, but these— where have they come from?’”

Then you will say in your heart:‘ Who has borne me these? I was bereaved and barren, exiled and put away, but who has brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; from where have these come?’”

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?’”

Then you will say within yourself,‘ Who fathered these for me? I was deprived of my children and unable to conceive, exiled and wandering— but who brought them up? See, I was left by myself— but these, where did they come from?’”

Then you will say in your heart,‘ Who has fathered these for me, Since I have been bereaved of my children And cannot conceive, and I am an exile, and a wanderer? And who has raised these? Behold, I was left alone; Where are these from?’ ”

Then you will say in your heart,‘ Who has begotten these for me, Since I have lost my children and am desolate, A captive, and wandering to and fro? And who has brought these up? There I was, left alone; But these, where were they?’”

Then shalt thou say in thy heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have been bereaved of my children, and am solitary, an exile, and wandering to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where were they?

Then you will say within yourself,‘ Who fathered these for me? I was deprived of my children and unable to conceive, exiled and wandering— but who brought them up? See, I was left by myself— but these, where did they come from?’”

Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where[ had] they[ been]?

Then you will think to yourself,‘ Who bore these children for me? I was bereaved and barren, dismissed and divorced. Who raised these children? Look, I was left all alone; where did these children come from?’”

Then you will say in your heart,‘ Who has conceived these for me, since I have been bereaved of my children and am alone, an exile, and wandering back and forth? Who has brought these up? Behold, I was left alone. Where were these?’”

The Lord says,“ A voice is heard in Ramah. It is the sound of weeping and deep sadness. Rachel is weeping for her children. She refuses to be comforted, because they are gone.”The Lord says,“ Do not weep anymore. Do not let tears fall from your eyes. I will reward you for your work,” announces the Lord.“ Your children will return from the land of the enemy.So there is hope for your children,” announces the Lord.“ Your children will return to their own land.

But the Jerusalem that is above is free. She is our mother.It is written,“ Be glad, woman, you who have never had children. Shout for joy and cry out loud, you who have never had labor pains. The woman who is all alone has more children than the woman who has a husband.”( Isaiah 54:1)Brothers and sisters, you are children because of God’s promise just as Isaac was.At that time, the son born in the usual way tried to hurt the other son. The other son was born by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the same now.

The city of Jerusalem is so empty! She used to be full of people. But now she’s like a woman whose husband has died. She used to be great among the nations. She was like a queen among the kingdoms. But now she is a slave.Jerusalem weeps bitterly at night. Tears run down her cheeks. None of her friends comforts her. All those who were going to help her have turned against her. They have become her enemies.After Judah’s people had suffered greatly, they were taken away as prisoners. Now they live among the nations. They can’t find any place to rest. All those who were chasing them have caught up with them. And they can’t get away.

The city of Zion will be very sad. Like a widow, she will lose everything. She will sit on the ground and mourn.

So my people will be taken away as prisoners. That’s because they don’t understand what the Lord has done. Their nobles will die of hunger. The rest of the people won’t have any water to drink.

You who belong to Christ are Abraham’s seed. So you will receive what God has promised.

Your sacred cities have become a desert. Even Zion is a desert. Jerusalem is a dry and empty place.

You will spread out to the right and the left. Your children after you will drive out the nations that are now living in your land. They will make their homes in the deserted cities of those nations.“ Do not be afraid. You will not be put to shame anymore. Do not be afraid of being dishonored. People will no longer make fun of you. You will forget the time when you suffered as slaves in Egypt. You will no longer remember the shame of being a widow in Babylon.I made you. I am now your husband. My name is the Lord Who Rules Over All. I am the Holy One of Israel. I have set you free. I am the God of the whole earth.You were like a wife who was deserted. And her heart was broken. You were like a wife who married young. And her husband sent her away. But now I am calling you to come back,” says your God.“ For a brief moment I left you. But because I love you so much, I will bring you back.For a moment I turned my face away from you. I was very angry with you. But I will show you my loving concern. My faithful love will continue forever,” says the Lord. He is the one who set you free.

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.Here is my covenant with them. I will take away their sins.”( Isaiah 59:20, 21; 27:9; Jeremiah 31:33, 34)As far as the good news is concerned, the people of Israel are enemies. This is for your good. But as far as God’s choice is concerned, the people of Israel are loved. This is because of God’s promises to the founders of our nation.God does not take back his gifts. He does not change his mind about those he has chosen.At one time you did not obey God. But now you have received mercy because Israel did not obey.In the same way, Israel has not been obeying God. But now they receive mercy because of God’s mercy to you.

Some will be killed by the sword. Others will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be taken over by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles come to an end.

Again, here is what I ask. The Israelites didn’t trip and fall once and for all time, did they? Not at all! Because Israel sinned, the Gentiles can be saved. That will make Israel jealous of them.Israel’s sin brought riches to the world. Their loss brings riches to the Gentiles. So then what greater riches will come when all Israel turns to God!I am talking to you who are not Jews. I am the apostle to the Gentiles. So I take pride in the work I do for God and others.I hope somehow to stir up my own people to want what you have. Perhaps I can save some of them.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.The first handful of dough that is offered is holy. This makes all of the dough holy. If the root is holy, so are the branches.Some of the natural branches have been broken off. You are a wild olive branch. But you have been joined to the tree with the other branches. Now you enjoy the life- giving sap of the olive tree root.

“ 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.

After all, weren’t you cut from a wild olive tree? Weren’t you joined to an olive tree that was taken care of? And wasn’t that the opposite of how things should be done? How much more easily will the natural branches be joined to their own olive tree!

Wake up, Jerusalem! Wake up! Get up! The Lord has handed you the cup of his great anger. And you have drunk from it. That cup makes people unsteady on their feet. And you have drunk from it to the very last drop.Among all the children who were born to you there was none to guide you. Among all the children you brought up there was none to lead you by the hand.Nothing but trouble has come to you. You have been wiped out and destroyed. And you have suffered hunger and war. No one feels sorry for you. No one can comfort you.Your children have fainted. They lie helpless at every street corner. They are like antelope that have been caught in a net. They have felt the full force of the Lord’ s great anger. Jerusalem, your God had to warn them strongly.

People will not call you Deserted anymore. They will no longer name your land Empty. Instead, you will be called One the Lord Delights In. Your land will be named Married One. That’s because the Lord will take delight in you. And your land will be married.

The city of Zion is left like a shed where someone stands guard in a vineyard. It is left like a hut in a cucumber field. It’s like a city being attacked.

“ Right after the terrible suffering of those days,“‘ The sun will be darkened. The moon will not shine. The stars will fall from the sky. The heavenly bodies will be shaken.’( Isaiah 13:10; 34:4)“ Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven. At that time, all the peoples of the earth will mourn. They will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven. He will come with power and great glory.

Get up, Jerusalem! Shake off your dust. Take your place on your throne. Captured people of Zion, remove the chains from your neck.