Judah and Israel, in the past you have been a curse among the nations. But now I will save you. You will be a blessing to others. Do not be afraid. Let your hands be strong so that you can do my work.”

犹大家和以色列家啊，你们从前在列国中怎样成为可咒诅的；照样，我要拯救你们，使人称你们为有福的。你们不要惧怕，手要强壮。”

犹大家和以色列家啊，你们从前在列国中怎样成为可诅咒的；照样，我要拯救你们，使你们得福。不要惧怕，你们的手要坚强。

犹大家和以色列家啊，你们从前在列国中怎样成为可诅咒的；照样，我要拯救你们，使你们得福。不要惧怕，你们的手要坚强。

犹大家和以色列家啊，从前你们在列国中是受咒诅的，现在我要拯救你们，使你们成为蒙福的人。你们不要惧怕，要刚强。’

犹大家和以色列家啊！你们从前怎样在万国中成为可咒诅的，将来，我也要怎样拯救你们，使你们成为祝福。你们不要惧怕，你们的手务要刚强。’

猶大家和以色列家啊，你們從前在列國中怎樣成為可咒詛的；照樣，我要拯救你們，使人稱你們為有福的。你們不要懼怕，手要強壯。」

猶大家和以色列家啊，你們從前在列國中怎樣成為可詛咒的；照樣，我要拯救你們，使你們得福。不要懼怕，你們的手要堅強。

猶大家和以色列家啊，你們從前在列國中怎樣成為可詛咒的；照樣，我要拯救你們，使你們得福。不要懼怕，你們的手要堅強。

猶大家和以色列家啊，從前你們在列國中是受咒詛的，現在我要拯救你們，使你們成為蒙福的人。你們不要懼怕，要剛強。』

猶大家和以色列家啊！你們從前怎樣在萬國中成為可咒詛的，將來，我也要怎樣拯救你們，使你們成為祝福。你們不要懼怕，你們的手務要剛強。’

猶大家和以色列家啊，你們從前怎樣在列國中成為可咒詛的，我也必怎樣拯救你們，使你們成為蒙祝福的樣本。你們不要懼怕；你們的手務要剛強。』

猶大家和以色列家啊，你們曾經在列國中成了受詛咒的，現在我必拯救你們，使你們成為蒙祝福的！你們不要害怕，願你們的手堅固！』

猶大與以色列家歟、爾在列邦、為人呪詛、我將救爾、使爾為人祝嘏、勿懼、其強乃手、

昔猶大家以色列族在異邦中、為人咒詛、後我將救爾、為人祝福、勿畏懼、壯乃心、

猶大族與以色列族、爾在異邦中受咒詛、今我必救爾、使爾被人祝福、勿畏懼、當奮勇勉力、

Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse among the nations, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.”

And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.”

Among the other nations, Judah and Israel became symbols of a cursed nation. But no longer! Now I will rescue you and make you both a symbol and a source of blessing. So don’t be afraid. Be strong, and get on with rebuilding the Temple!

As you have been a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Don’t be afraid; let your hands be strong.”

And it will come about that just as you were a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a blessing. Do not fear; let your hands be strong.’

And it shall come to pass That just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, Let your hands be strong.’

And it shall come to pass that, as ye were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.

As you have been a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Don’t be afraid; let your hands be strong.”

And it shall come to pass,[ that] as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not,[ but] let your hands be strong.

And it will come about that just as you( both Judah and Israel) were a curse to the nations, so I will save you and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid! Instead, be strong!’

It shall come to pass that, as you were a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Don’t be afraid. Let your hands be strong.”

All the people of Israel have broken your law and turned away from it. They have refused to obey you.“ Curses and warnings are written down in the Law of Moses. He was your servant. Those curses have been poured out on us. That’s because we have sinned against you.

You will be put to shame. The nations will make fun of you. You will serve as a warning to others. They will be shocked when they see you. So I will punish you because I am very angry with you. You will feel the sting of my warning. I have spoken. I am the Lord.

I will hunt them down with war, hunger and plague. I will make all the kingdoms on earth displeased with them. They will use their name in a curse. All the nations where I drive them will be shocked at them. They will make fun of them. And they will bring shame on them.

The Lord who rules over all says to his people,“ Now listen to these words,‘ Let your hands be strong so that you can rebuild the temple.’ This also was said by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. They spoke to you when the work on my temple began again.

We are something our neighbors joke about. The nations around us laugh at us and make fun of us.

You have made us something that our neighbors laugh at. Those who live around us make fun of us and tease us.The nations make jokes about us. They shake their heads at us.

May the king’s name be remembered forever. May his fame last as long as the sun shines. Then all nations will be blessed because of him. They will call him blessed.

At that time Egypt, Assyria and Israel will be a blessing to the whole earth.The Lord who rules over all will bless those three nations. He will say,“ Let the Egyptians be blessed. They are my people. Let the Assyrians be blessed. My hands created them. And let the Israelites be blessed. They are my very own people.”

I will make all the kingdoms on earth displeased with them. In fact, they will hate them a great deal. They will shake their heads at them. They will curse them and make fun of them. All this will happen no matter where I force them to go.

He is the Lord who rules over all. He is the God of Israel. He says,‘ My great anger has been poured out on those who used to live in Jerusalem. In the same way, it will be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. People will use your name in a curse. They will be shocked at you. They will say bad things about you. And they will say you are shameful. You will never see this place again.’

All those who pass by clap their hands and make fun of you. They laugh at you and shake their heads at the city of Jerusalem. They say,“ Could that be the city that was called perfect and beautiful? Is that the city that brought joy to everyone on earth?”All your enemies open their mouths wide against you. They laugh at you and grind their teeth. They say,“ We have swallowed up Jerusalem’s people. This is the day we’ve waited for. And we’ve lived to see it.”

That’s because they laugh at me and attack me with their words. They want to get even with me.

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.’

You will look very bad to all the nations where the Lord sends you. They will be completely shocked when they see you. They will mock you and make fun of you.

At that time I will gather you together. And I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the nations on earth. I will bless you with great success again,” says the Lord.

“ I will make the family of Judah strong. I will save the tribes of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have tender love for them. It will be as if I had not sent them away. I am the Lord their God. I will help them.The people of Ephraim will become like warriors. Their hearts will be glad as if they were drinking wine. Their children will see it and be filled with joy. I will make their hearts glad.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 make you into a great nation. And I will bless you. I will make your name great. You will be a blessing to others.I will bless those who bless you. I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you. All nations on earth will be blessed because of you.”

Be on your guard. Remain strong in the faith. Be brave.

Then I will remove Israel from my land. It is the land I gave them. I will turn my back on this temple. I will do it even though I have set it apart for my Name to be there. I will make all the nations hate it. They will laugh and joke about it.This temple will become a pile of stones. All those who pass by it will be shocked. They will say,‘ Why has the Lord done a thing like this to this land and temple?’People will answer,‘ Because they have deserted the Lord. He is the God of their people who lived long ago. He brought them out of Egypt. But they have been holding on to other gods. They’ve been worshiping them. They’ve been serving them. That’s why the Lord has brought all this horrible trouble on them.’ ”

He continued,“ Many nations will still come to you. And those who live in many cities will also come.The people who live in one city will go to another city. They will say,‘ Let’s go right away to ask the Lord for his blessing. Let’s look to him as our God. We ourselves are going.’Large numbers of people and nations will come to Jerusalem. They will look to me. They will ask me to bless them.”He continued,“ At that time many people of all nations and languages will take hold of one Jew. They will grab hold of the hem of his robe. And they will say,‘ We want to go to Jerusalem with you. We’ve heard that God is with you.’ ”

My chosen ones will use your names when they curse others. I am your Lord and King. I will put you to death. But I will give new names to those who serve me.They will ask me to bless their land. They will do it in my name. I am the one true God. They will make promises in their land. They will do it in my name. I am the one true God. The troubles of the past will be forgotten. They will be hidden from my eyes.

So do not be afraid. I am with you. Do not be terrified. I am your God. I will make you strong and help you. I will hold you safe in my hands. I always do what is right.“ All those who are angry with you will be put to shame. And they will be dishonored. Those who oppose you will be destroyed. And they will vanish.You might search for your enemies. But you will not find them. Those who go to war against you will completely disappear.I am the Lord your God. I take hold of your right hand. I say to you,‘ Do not be afraid. I will help you.’Family of Jacob, you are as weak as a worm. But do not be afraid. People of Israel, there are only a few of you. But do not be afraid. I myself will help you,” announces the Lord. He is the one who sets his people free. He is the Holy One of Israel.He says,“ I will make you into a threshing sled. It will be new and sharp. It will have many teeth. You will grind the mountains down and crush them. You will turn the hills into nothing but straw.You will toss them in the air. A strong wind will catch them and blow them away. You will be glad because I will make that happen. You will praise me. I am the Holy One of Israel.

Are any seeds still left in your barns? Until now, your vines and fig trees have not produced any fruit. Your pomegranate and olive trees have not produced any either.“‘ But from this day on I will bless you.’ ”

I will bend Judah as I bend my bow. I will make Ephraim’s people my arrows. Zion, I will stir up your sons. Greece, they will attack your sons. My people, I will use you as my sword.”

So the Lord was very angry with Israel. He removed them from his land. Only the tribe of Judah was left.And even Judah didn’t obey the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel had started.So the Lord turned his back on all the people of Israel. He made them suffer. He handed them over to people who stole everything they had. And finally he threw them out of his land.

“ 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.

Then I will remove Israel from the land. It is the land I gave them. I will turn my back on this temple. I will do it even though I have set it apart for my Name to be there. Then Israel will be hated by all the nations. They will laugh and joke about Israel.This temple will become a pile of stones. All those who pass by it will be shocked. They will make fun of it. And they will say,‘ Why has the Lord done a thing like this to this land and temple?’

Then the elders and all the people at the gate said,“ We are witnesses. The woman is coming into your home. May the Lord make her like Rachel and Leah. Together they built up the family of Israel. May you be an important person in Ephrathah. May you be famous in Bethlehem.The Lord will give you children through this young woman. May your family be like the family of Perez. He was the son Tamar had by Judah.”

The Lord couldn’t put up any longer with the evil things you were doing. He hated the things you did. So your land became a curse. It became a dry and empty desert. No one lived there. And that’s the way it still is today.

There is no Jew or Gentile. There is no slave or free person. There is no male or female. That’s because you are all one in Christ Jesus.You who belong to Christ are Abraham’s seed. So you will receive what God has promised.

So I will make this house like Shiloh. All the nations on earth will use the name of this city in a curse.” ’ ”

The whole land will be burned up. Nothing but salt and sulfur will be left. Nothing will be planted there. Nothing will grow there. In fact, nothing will even start to grow there. The land will be like Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim after they were destroyed. The Lord wiped out those cities because he was very angry.All the nations will ask,“ Why has the Lord done this to the land? What could have made him so very angry?”And they will hear the answer,“ It’s because the people living there have broken the covenant of the Lord. He’s the God of their people of long ago. He made that covenant with them when he brought them out of Egypt.They went off and worshiped other gods. They bowed down to them. They hadn’t known anything about those gods before. The Lord hadn’t given those gods to them.So the Lord became very angry with this land. He brought on it all the curses written down in this book.The Lord’ s anger blazed out against his people. So he pulled them up out of their land. He threw them into another land. And that’s where they are now.”

I will destroy the people of Judah who are left. They had decided to go to Egypt and make their homes there. But all of them will die in Egypt. They will die of war or hunger. All of them will die, from the least important of them to the most important. They will die of war or hunger. People will use their name as a curse. They will be shocked at them. They will say bad things about them. And they will say they are shameful.

“ Go away! You are‘ unclean’!” people cry out to them.“ Go away! Get out of here! Don’t touch us!” So they run away and wander around. Then people among the nations say,“ They can’t stay here anymore.”

I will make your children after you as many as the stars in the sky. And I will give them all these lands. All nations on earth will be blessed because of your children.

Strengthen the hands of those who are weak. Help those whose knees give way.Say to those whose hearts are afraid,“ Be strong and do not fear. Your God will come. He will pay your enemies back. He will come to save you.”

People will eat up everything they can find on their right. But they’ll still be hungry. They will eat everything they can find on their left. But they won’t be satisfied. So they will eat the dead bodies of their children.That’s what Manasseh’s people will do to Ephraim. And that’s what Ephraim’s people will do to Manasseh. Together they will turn against Judah. Even then, the Lord is still angry. His hand is still raised against them.

He sent me to Judah’s kings and officials. He told me to go to Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. He wanted me to tell them they would be destroyed. Then people would be shocked because of them. They would make fun of them. They would use their name in a curse. And that’s how things still are today.

“ 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.” ’

Jacob’s people who are still left alive will be scattered among many nations. They will be like dew the Lord has sent. Dew doesn’t depend on any human being. They will be like rain that falls on the grass. Rain doesn’t wait for someone to give it orders.

“ The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my eyes. They have done it since the nation was young. In fact, they have done nothing but make me very angry. They have worshiped statues of gods their own hands have made,” announces the Lord.“ This city has always stirred up my great anger. It has done it since the day it was built. Now I must remove it from my sight.The people of Israel and Judah have made me very angry. They have done many evil things. They, their kings and officials have sinned. So have their priests and prophets. And the people of Judah and Jerusalem have also sinned.

I spoke to the angel who was talking with me.“ What are these horns?” I asked. He said,“ They are the powerful nations that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.”

Christ Jesus set us free so that the blessing given to Abraham would come to the Gentiles through Christ. He did it so that we might receive the promise of the Holy Spirit. The promised Spirit comes by believing in Christ.