For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord,‘ plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

耶和华说：我知道我向你们所怀的意念是赐平安的意念，不是降灾祸的意念，要叫你们末后有指望。

我知道我向你们所怀的意念是赐平安的意念，不是降灾祸的意念，要叫你们末后有指望。这是耶和华说的。

我知道我向你们所怀的意念是赐平安的意念，不是降灾祸的意念，要叫你们末后有指望。这是耶和华说的。

因为我知道我为你们安排的计划。我的计划不是要降祸给你们，而是要赐福给你们，使你们的未来充满希望。这是耶和华说的。

因我自己知道我为你们所定的计划，是使你们得平安，而不是遭受灾祸的计划；要赐给你们美好的前程和盼望。’这是耶和华的宣告。

耶和華說：我知道我向你們所懷的意念是賜平安的意念，不是降災禍的意念，要叫你們末後有指望。

我知道我向你們所懷的意念是賜平安的意念，不是降災禍的意念，要叫你們末後有指望。這是耶和華說的。

我知道我向你們所懷的意念是賜平安的意念，不是降災禍的意念，要叫你們末後有指望。這是耶和華說的。

因為我知道我為你們安排的計劃。我的計劃不是要降禍給你們，而是要賜福給你們，使你們的未來充滿希望。這是耶和華說的。

因我自己知道我為你們所定的計劃，是使你們得平安，而不是遭受災禍的計劃；要賜給你們美好的前程和盼望。’這是耶和華的宣告。

因為我知道我向你們懷的意念、永恆主發神諭說、是賜福利的意念，不是降災禍的意念；是要給你們好的晚景和希望。

耶和華曰、我為爾所存之念、我自知之、乃平康之念、非災害之念也、俾爾終有所望、

耶和華又云、予待爾將若何、予自知之、欲錫平康、不加災害、終有可望。

主又云、我為爾所懷之意、惟我知之、我意賜爾平康、不加災害、爾曹終有可望、

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,“ plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I know the plans I have for you,” announces the Lord.“ I want you to enjoy success. I do not plan to harm you. I will give you hope for the years to come.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.“ They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

For I know the plans I have for you”— this is the LORD’s declaration—“ plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith Jehovah, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope in your latter end.

For I know the plans I have for you”— this is the Lord’s declaration—“ plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the LORD.‘ I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says Yahweh,“ thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.

“ For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.“ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it produce and sprout, And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.For you will go out with joy And be led in peace; The mountains and the hills will break into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

The plan of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation.

Many, Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is no one to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count.

But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord, And they do not understand His plan; For He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.

But He is unique, and who can make Him turn? Whatever His soul desires, He does it.

It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the Lord.

Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying,‘ My plan will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a distant country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, I will certainly do it.

For the Lord God says this:“ Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and look after them.As a shepherd cares for his flock on a day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day.I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land.I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing place will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down in a good grazing place and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.I Myself will feed My flock and I Myself will lead them to rest,” declares the Lord God.“ I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will eliminate. I will feed them with judgment.“ As for you, My flock, this is what the Lord God says:‘ Behold, I am going to judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats.Is it too little a thing for you to feed in the good pasture, that you must trample with your feet the rest of your pastures? Or too little for you to drink the clear waters, that you must muddy the rest with your feet?But as for My flock, they must eat what you trample with your feet, and drink what you muddy with your feet!’ ”Therefore, this is what the Lord God says to them:“ Behold, I, I Myself will also judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.Since you push away with your side and shoulder, and gore all the weak with your horns until you have scattered them abroad,therefore, I will save My flock, and they will no longer be plunder; and I will judge between one sheep and another.“ Then I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd.And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the Lord have spoken.“ And I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful animals from the land, so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will make showers fall in their season; they will be showers of blessing.Also the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its produce, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have saved them from the hand of those who enslaved them.They will no longer be plunder to the nations, and the animals of the earth will not devour them; but they will live securely, and no one will make them afraid.I will establish for them a renowned planting place, and they will not again be victims of famine in the land, and they will not endure the insults of the nations anymore.Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,” declares the Lord God.“ As for you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are mankind, and I am your God,” declares the Lord God.

Go and proclaim these words toward the north and say,‘ Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the Lord;‘ I will not look at you in anger. For I am gracious,’ declares the Lord;‘ I will not be angry forever.Only acknowledge your wrongdoing, That you have revolted against the Lord your God, And have scattered your favors to the strangers under every leafy tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,’ declares the Lord.‘ Return, you faithless sons,’ declares the Lord;‘ For I am a master to you, And I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, And bring you to Zion.’“ Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you knowledge and understanding.And it shall be in those days when you become numerous and are fruitful in the land,” declares the Lord,“ they will no longer say,‘ The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ And it will not come to mind, nor will they remember it, nor miss it, nor will it be made again.At that time they will call Jerusalem‘ The Throne of the Lord,’ and all the nations will assemble at it, at Jerusalem, for the name of the Lord; and they will no longer follow the stubbornness of their evil heart.In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers as an inheritance.“ Then I said,‘ How I would set you among My sons And give you a pleasant land, The most beautiful inheritance of the nations!’ And I said,‘ You shall call Me, My Father, And not turn away from following Me.’

“ At that time,” declares the Lord,“ I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.”This is what the Lord says:“ The people who survived the sword Found grace in the wilderness— Israel, when it went to find its rest.”The Lord appeared to him long ago, saying,“ I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you out with kindness.I will build you again and you will be rebuilt, Virgin of Israel! You will take up your tambourines again, And go out to the dances of the revelers.Again you will plant vineyards On the hills of Samaria; The planters will plant And will enjoy the fruit.For there will be a day when watchmen On the hills of Ephraim call out,‘ Arise, and let’s go up to Zion, To the Lord our God.’ ”For this is what the Lord says:“ Sing aloud with joy for Jacob, And be joyful with the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise, and say,‘ Lord, save Your people, The remnant of Israel!’Behold, I am bringing them from the north country, And I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth, Among them those who are blind and those who limp, The pregnant woman and she who is in labor, together; They will return here as a great assembly.They will come with weeping, And by pleading I will bring them; I will lead them by streams of waters, On a straight path on which they will not stumble; For I am a father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn.”Hear the word of the Lord, you nations, And declare it in the coastlands far away, And say,“ He who scattered Israel will gather him, And He will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.”For the Lord has ransomed Jacob And redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.“ They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, And they will be radiant over the bounty of the Lord— Over the grain, the new wine, the oil, And over the young of the flock and the herd. And their life will be like a watered garden, And they will never languish again.Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance, And the young men and the old together; For I will turn their mourning into joy And comfort them, and give them joy for their sorrow.I will refresh the soul of the priests with abundance, And My people will be satisfied with My goodness,” declares the Lord.This is what the Lord says:“ A voice is heard in Ramah, Lamenting and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; She refuses to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more.”This is what the Lord says:“ Restrain your voice from weeping And your eyes from tears; For your work will be rewarded,” declares the Lord,“ And they will return from the land of the enemy.There is hope for your future,” declares the Lord,“ And your children will return to their own territory.I have certainly heard Ephraim grieving,‘ You have disciplined me, and I was corrected, Like an untrained calf; Bring me back that I may be restored, For You are the Lord my God.For after I turned back, I repented; And after I was instructed, I slapped my thigh; I was ashamed and also humiliated Because I bore the shame of my youth.’Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a delightful child? Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him, I certainly still remember him; Therefore My heart yearns for him; I will certainly have mercy on him,” declares the Lord.“ Set up roadmarks for yourself, Place guideposts for yourself; Direct your mind to the highway, The way by which you went. Return, O virgin of Israel, Return to these your cities.How long will you waver, You rebellious daughter? For the Lord has created a new thing on the earth: A woman will shelter a man.”This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says:“ Once again they will speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities when I restore their fortunes,‘ The Lord bless you, O place of righteousness, O holy hill!’Judah and all its cities will live together in it, the farmers and those who travel with flocks.For I give plenty of water to the weary ones, and refresh everyone who languishes.”At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep had been pleasant to me.“ Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord,“ when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of mankind and the seed of animals.And just as I have watched over them to uproot them, tear them down, ruin, destroy, and bring disaster on them, so I will watch over them to build and to plant them,” declares the Lord.“ In those days they will no longer say,‘ The fathers have eaten sour grapes, But it is the children’s teeth that have become blunt.’But everyone will die for his own wrongdoing; each person who eats the sour grapes, his own teeth will become blunt.“ Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord,“ when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah,not like the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord.“ For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord:“ I will put My law within them and write it on their heart; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

“ It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, Your old men will have dreams, Your young men will see visions.And even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire, and columns of smoke.The sun will be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.And it will come about that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord Will be saved; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, Just as the Lord has said, Even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.

Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to Him,“ Take away all guilt And receive us graciously, So that we may present the fruit of our lips.Assyria will not save us, We will not ride on horses; Nor will we say again,‘ Our god’ To the work of our hands; For in You the orphan finds mercy.”I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, Because My anger has turned away from them.I will be like the dew to Israel; He will blossom like the lily, And he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon.His shoots will sprout, His majesty will be like the olive tree, And his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon.Those who live in his shadow Will again raise grain, And they will blossom like the vine. His fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like a luxuriant juniper; From Me comes your fruit.Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right, And the righteous will walk in them, But wrongdoers will stumble in them.

“ Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God.“ Speak kindly to Jerusalem; And call out to her, that her warfare has ended, That her guilt has been removed, That she has received of the Lord’s hand Double for all her sins.”The voice of one calling out,“ Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the uneven ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley;Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”A voice says,“ Call out.” Then he answered,“ What shall I call out?” All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.The grass withers, the flower fades, When the breath of the Lord blows upon it; The people are indeed grass!The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.Go up on a high mountain, Zion, messenger of good news, Raise your voice forcefully, Jerusalem, messenger of good news; Raise it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah,“ Here is your God!”Behold, the Lord God will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His compensation is with Him, And His reward before Him.Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in the fold of His robe; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And measured the heavens with a span, And calculated the dust of the earth with a measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales?Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, Or as His counselor has informed Him?With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge, And informed Him of the way of understanding?Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust.Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, Nor its animals enough for a burnt offering.All the nations are as nothing before Him, They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, A goldsmith plates it with gold, And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.He who is too impoverished for such an offering Selects a tree that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman To prepare an idol that will not totter.Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to live in.It is He who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.Scarcely have they been planted, Scarcely have they been sown, Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, But He merely blows on them, and they wither, And the storm carries them away like stubble.“ To whom then will you compare Me That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.Raise your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who brings out their multitude by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing.Why do you say, Jacob, and you assert, Israel,“ My way is hidden from the Lord, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”?Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is unsearchable.He gives strength to the weary, And to the one who lacks might He increases power.Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly,Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

“ Therefore, behold, I am going to persuade her, Bring her into the wilderness, And speak kindly to her.Then I will give her her vineyards from there, And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope. And she will respond there as in the days of her youth, As in the day when she went up from the land of Egypt.And it will come about on that day,” declares the Lord,“ That you will call Me my husband And no longer call Me my Baal.For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, So that they will no longer be mentioned by their names.On that day I will also make a covenant for them With the animals of the field, The birds of the sky, And the crawling things of the ground. And I will eliminate the bow, the sword, and war from the land, And will let them lie down in safety.I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, In favor and in compassion,And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the Lord.“ And it will come about on that day that I will respond,” declares the Lord.“ I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth,And the earth will respond to the grain, to the new wine, and to the oil, And they will respond to Jezreel.I will sow her for Myself in the land. I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, And I will say to those who were not My people,‘ You are My people!’ And they will say,‘ You are my God!’ ”

Shout for joy, daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, Israel! Rejoice and triumph with all your heart, Daughter of Jerusalem!The Lord has taken away His judgments against you, He has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; You will no longer fear disaster.On that day it will be said to Jerusalem:“ Do not be afraid, Zion; Do not let your hands fall limp.The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will rejoice over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.I will gather those who are worried about the appointed feasts— They came from you, Zion; The disgrace of exile is a burden on them.Behold, I am going to deal at that time With all your oppressors; I will save those who limp And gather the scattered, And I will turn their shame into praise and fame In all the earth.At that time I will bring you in, Even at the time when I gather you together; Indeed, I will make you famous and praiseworthy Among all the peoples of the earth, When I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” Says the Lord.

Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts,‘ The inhabitants of Jerusalem are a strong support for us through the Lord of armies, their God.’“ On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right and on the left all the surrounding peoples, while the inhabitants of Jerusalem again live on their own sites in Jerusalem.The Lord also will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be greater than Judah.On that day the Lord will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them on that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them.And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.“ And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of pleading, so that they will look at Me whom they pierced; and they will mourn for Him, like one mourning for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.

“ This is what the Lord says:‘ Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob And have compassion on his dwellings; And the city will be rebuilt on its ruins, And the palace will stand on its rightful place.From them will come a song of thanksgiving And the voices of those who celebrate; And I will multiply them and they will not decrease; I will honor them and they will not be insignificant.Their children also will be as before, And their congregation will be established before Me; And I will punish all their oppressors.Their leader shall be one of them, And their ruler will come out from their midst; And I will bring him near and he shall approach Me; For who would dare to risk his life to approach Me?’ declares the Lord.‘ You shall be My people, And I will be your God.’ ”

Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is righteous and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.And I will eliminate the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; And the bow of war will be eliminated. And He will speak peace to the nations; And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.As for you also, because of the blood of My covenant with you, I have set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.Return to the stronghold, you prisoners who have the hope; This very day I am declaring that I will restore double to you.For I will bend Judah as My bow, I will fill the bow with Ephraim. And I will stir up your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece; And I will make you like a warrior’s sword.Then the Lord will appear over them, And His arrow will go forth like lightning; And the Lord God will blow the trumpet, And march in the storm winds of the south.The Lord of armies will protect them. And they will devour and trample on the slingstones; And they will drink and be boisterous as with wine; And they will be filled like a sacrificial basin, Drenched like the corners of the altar.And the Lord their God will save them on that day As the flock of His people; For they are like the precious stones of a crown, Sparkling on His land.For how great will their loveliness and beauty be! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine, the virgins.

Shepherd Your people with Your scepter, The flock of Your possession Which lives by itself in the woodland, In the midst of a fruitful field. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead As in the days of old.“ As in the days when you went out from the land of Egypt, I will show you miracles.”Nations will see and be ashamed Of all their might. They will put their hand on their mouth, Their ears will be deaf.They will lick up dust like a snake, Like reptiles of the earth. They will come trembling out of their fortresses; To the Lord our God they will come in trepidation, And they will be afraid of You.Who is a God like You, who pardons wrongdoing And passes over a rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy.He will again take pity on us; He will trample on our wrongdoings. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea.You will give truth to Jacob And favor to Abraham, Which You swore to our forefathers From the days of old.

“ For this is what the Lord of armies says:‘ Just as I determined to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to anger,’ says the Lord of armies,‘ and I have not relented,so I have again determined in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear!

Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness in the last days.

Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom, And I will eliminate it from the face of the earth; Nevertheless, I will not totally eliminate the house of Jacob,” Declares the Lord.“ For behold, I am commanding, And I will shake the house of Israel among all nations As grain is shaken in a sieve, But not a pebble will fall to the ground.All the sinners of My people will die by the sword, Those who say,‘ The catastrophe will not overtake or confront us.’“ On that day I will raise up the fallen shelter of David, And wall up its gaps; I will also raise up its ruins And rebuild it as in the days of old;So that they may possess the remnant of Edom And all the nations who are called by My name,” Declares the Lord who does this.“ Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord,“ When the plowman will overtake the reaper, And the one who treads grapes will overtake him who sows the seed; When the mountains will drip grape juice, And all the hills will come apart.I will also restore the fortunes of My people Israel, And they will rebuild the desolated cities and live in them; They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit.I will also plant them on their land, And they will not be uprooted again from their land Which I have given them,” Says the Lord your God.

And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the Lord, In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they will remain, Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth.This One will be our peace. When the Assyrian invades our land, When he tramples on our citadels, Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight leaders of people.They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, The land of Nimrod at its entrances; And He will rescue us from the Assyrian When he invades our land, And when he tramples our territory.Then the remnant of Jacob Will be among many peoples Like dew from the Lord, Like showers on vegetation That do not wait for man, Or delay for mankind.

“ Now you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say,‘ You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord.This is what the Lord God says:“ Since the enemy has spoken against you,‘ Aha!’ and,‘ The everlasting heights have become our possession,’therefore prophesy and say,‘ This is what the Lord God says:“ For good reason they have made you desolate and harassed you from every side, so that you would become a possession of the rest of the nations; and you have been taken up in the talk and the rumor of the people.” ’ ”Therefore, you mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. This is what the Lord God says to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, to the desolate ruins and to the abandoned cities which have become plunder and an object of ridicule to the rest of the nations which are all around—therefore the Lord God says this:“ Certainly in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and with contempt of soul, in order to make its pastureland plunder.”Therefore prophesy in regard to the land of Israel and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys,“ This is what the Lord God says:‘ Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and in My wrath because you have endured the insults of the nations.’Therefore the Lord God says this:‘ I have sworn that the nations that are around you will certainly endure their insults themselves.But as for you, mountains of Israel, you will grow your branches and bear fruit for My people Israel; for they are about to come.For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you will be cultivated and sown.And I will multiply people on you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities will be inhabited and the ruins will be rebuilt.I will multiply on you people and animals, and they will increase and be fruitful; and I will populate you as you were previously, and treat you better than at the beginning. Then you will know that I am the Lord.Yes, I will have people— My people Israel— walk on you and possess you, so that you will become their inheritance and never again bereave them of children.’“ The Lord God says this:‘ Since they say to you,“ You are a devourer of people and have bereaved your nation of children,”for that reason you will no longer devour people and no longer bereave your nation of children,’ declares the Lord God.I will not let you hear insults from the nations anymore, nor will you suffer disgrace from the peoples any longer, nor will you make your nation stumble any longer,” declares the Lord God.’ ”Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,“ Son of man, when the house of Israel was living on their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity.Therefore I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols.I also scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them.When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them,‘ These are the people of the Lord, yet they have left His land.’But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.“ Therefore say to the house of Israel,‘ This is what the Lord God says:“ It is not for your sake, house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God,“ when I show Myself holy among you in their sight.For I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the lands; and I will bring you into your own land.Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.And I will put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and follow My ordinances.And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you.Instead, I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations.Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your wrongdoings and your abominations.I am not doing this for your sake,” declares the Lord God;“ let that be known to you. Be ashamed and humiliated for your ways, house of Israel!”‘ This is what the Lord God says:“ On the day that I cleanse you from all your wrongdoings, I will populate the cities, and the places of ruins will be rebuilt.The desolated land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by.And they will say,‘ This desolated land has become like the Garden of Eden; and the waste, desolated and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’Then the nations around you that are left will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolated; I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it.”‘ This is what the Lord God says:“ This too I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them: I will increase their people like a flock.

But did My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, not overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said,‘ Just as the Lord of armies planned to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.’ ” ’ ”

On that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses,“ Holy to the Lord.” And the cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be like the bowls before the altar.Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the Lord of armies; and all who sacrifice will come and take of them and boil in them. And there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of armies on that day.

And another angel, a second one, followed, saying,“ Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice,“ If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.And I heard a voice from heaven, saying,“ Write:‘ Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ ”“ Yes,” says the Spirit,“ so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, with a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand.

“ And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say,‘ This is what the Lord God says:“ Behold, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal;and I will turn you around, lead you on a rope, take you up from the remotest parts of the north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel.Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and make your arrows fall from your right hand.You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops, and the peoples who are with you; I will give you as food to every kind of predatory bird and animal of the field.You will fall on the open field; for it is I who have spoken,” declares the Lord God.“ And I will send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coastlands in safety; and they will know that I am the Lord.“ And I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not allow My holy name to be profaned anymore. But the nations will know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.Behold, it is coming and it shall be done,” declares the Lord God.“ That is the day of which I have spoken.“ Then those who inhabit the cities of Israel will go out and make fires with the weapons and burn them, both bucklers and shields, bows and arrows, war clubs and spears, and for seven years they will make fires of them.They will not take wood from the field or gather firewood from the forests, because they will make fires with the weapons; and they will take the spoils of those who plundered them and seize the plunder of those who plundered them,” declares the Lord God.“ On that day I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea, and it will block the way of those who would pass by. So they will bury Gog there with all his horde, and they will call it the Valley of Hamon gog.For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.And all the people of the land will bury them; and it will be to their renown on the day that I appear in My glory,” declares the Lord God.“ They will also select men who will constantly pass through the land, burying those who were passing through, those left on the surface of the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will conduct a search.As those who pass through the land pass through and anyone sees a human bone, then he will set up a marker by it until the burial detail has buried it in the Valley of Hamon gog.And even the name of the city will be Hamonah. So they will cleanse the land.” ’“ Now as for you, son of man, this is what the Lord God says:‘ Say to every kind of bird and to every animal of the field:“ Assemble and come, gather from every direction to My sacrifice, which I am going to sacrifice for you as a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel; and you will eat flesh and drink blood.You will eat the flesh of warriors and drink the blood of the leaders of the earth, as though they were rams, lambs, goats, and bulls, all of them fattened livestock of Bashan.So you will eat fat until you are full, and drink blood until you are drunk, from My sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.You will eat your fill at My table with horses and charioteers, with warriors and all the men of war,” declares the Lord God.“ And I will place My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed, and My hand which I have laid on them.And the house of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God, from that day onward.The nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile for their wrongdoing, because they were disloyal to Me, and I hid My face from them; so I handed them over to their adversaries, and all of them fell by the sword.In accordance with their uncleanness and their offenses I dealt with them, and I hid My face from them.” ’ ”Therefore this is what the Lord God says:“ Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on all the house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name.They will forget their disgrace and all their treachery which they perpetrated against Me, when they live securely on their own land with no one to make them afraid.When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall show Myself holy through them in the sight of the many nations.Then they will know that I am the Lord their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then I gathered them again to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer.I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,” declares the Lord God.