1 ¶ In that time, said the LORD, I will be the God unto all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.

“At that time,” says the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be My people.”

2 T hus hath the LORD said, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness as I went to cause Israel to find rest.

The Lord says, “The people who were not killed by the sword found loving-favor in the desert, when Israel looked for rest.”

3 T he LORD has appeared of old unto me, saying, I have loved thee with an eternal love: therefore, I have put up with thee with mercy.

The Lord came to us from far away, saying, “I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. So I have helped you come to Me with loving-kindness.

4 A gain I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tambourines and shalt go forth in the chorus of dancers.

Again I will build you, and you will be built, O pure Israel! Again you will take up your brass noise-makers and go to the dances of the happy people.

5 T hou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant and shall eat them as common things.

Again you will plant grape-fields on the hills of Samaria. The planters will plant and find joy in the fruit.

6 F or there shall be a day in which the watchmen upon the Mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise, and let us go up into Zion unto the LORD our God.

For there will be a day when watchmen on the hills of Ephraim will call out, ‘Get up, and let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.’”

7 F or thus hath the LORD said; Rejoice in Jacob with joy, and give shouts of joy at the head of the Gentiles; cause this to be heard, give praise, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.

For the Lord says, “Sing loud with joy for Jacob, and call out among the heads of the nations. Make it known, give praise, and say, ‘O Lord, save Your people. Save those who are left of Israel.’

8 B ehold, I turn them from the land of the north wind and gather them from the coasts of the earth; there shall be blind and lame among them, and women with child and those that travail with child together; a great company shall return there.

See, I am bringing them from the north country. And I will gather them from the farthest parts of the earth. Among them will be the blind and those who cannot walk, the woman with child and she who is giving birth, together. Many people will return here.

9 T hey shall come with weeping, but with mercies I will cause them to return; I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, in which they shall not stumble; for I shall be a father to Israel, and Ephraim shall be my firstborn.

They will come crying, and in answer to their prayers, I will lead them. I will make them walk by rivers of waters on a straight path where they will not fall. For I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is My first-born.”

10 ¶ Hear the word of the LORD, O ye Gentiles, and cause it to be known in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him and keep him, as a shepherd does his flock.

Hear the Word of the Lord, O nations, and make it known in the lands far across the sea. Say, “He Who sent Israel everywhere will gather them, and will watch over His flock like a shepherd.”

11 F or the LORD has ransomed Jacob, and redeemed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.

For the Lord has paid the price to make Jacob free. He has made him free from the one who was stronger than he.

12 T herefore they shall come and do praises in the height of Zion and shall run unto the goodness of the LORD, unto the bread, and unto the wine, and unto the oil, and unto the gain of the flock and of the herd and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.

And they will come and call out for joy on the height of Zion. They will shine with joy over the goodness of the Lord, over the grain, the new wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the cattle. Their life will be like a well-watered garden. They will never have sorrow again.

13 T hen shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

Then the young women who have never had a man will dance for joy, and the young men and old as well. For I will change their sorrow to joy, and will comfort them. I will give them joy for their sorrow.

14 A nd I will satiate the soul of the priest with fatness, and my people shall be filled with my goodness, said the LORD.

I will fill the soul of the religious leaders with more than they need. My people will be filled with My goodness,” says the Lord. The Lord Shows His Loving-Kindness on Israel

15 T hus hath the LORD said; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her sons, she refused to be comforted regarding her sons, because they perished.

The Lord says, “The sound of crying and much sorrow is heard in Ramah. Rachel is crying for her children. She will not be comforted because they are dead.”

16 T hus hath the LORD said; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

The Lord says, “Keep your voice from crying and your eyes from tears. For you will receive pay for your work,” says the Lord. “They will return from the land of those who hate them.

17 T here is also hope for thine end, saith the LORD, and the sons shall come again to their own border.

There is hope for your future,” says the Lord, “and your children will return to their own land.

18 ¶ I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou hast afflicted me, and I was chastised as an indomitable bullock: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.

I have heard Ephraim crying in sorrow, ‘You have punished me, and I was punished, like a calf that has not learned. Bring me back that I may return to my place, for You are the Lord my God.

19 S urely after I was turned, I repented; and after I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh; I was ashamed, and even confounded, because I bore the reproach of my youth.

For after I turned back, I was sorry for my sins. And after I was taught, I hit my upper leg in sorrow. I was ashamed and troubled, because I suffered the shame from what I did when I was young.’

20 P eradventure is Ephraim a precious son unto me? Peradventure is he unto me a delightful child? With all this since I spoke of him, I have remembered him constantly. Therefore my bowels are troubled for him; in tenderness I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.

Is Ephraim My loved son? Is he the child of My joy? Yes, as many times as I have spoken against him, I still remember him. So My heart has a desire for him. For sure I will have loving-pity on him,” says the Lord.

21 E stablish signs, make thee high markers; consider the highway with great care, even the way which thou didst come; return, O virgin of Israel, return unto these thy cities.

“Set up marks on the road for yourself. Set up marks to lead you the right way. Remember the way you went, and return, O pure Israel. Return to your cities.

22 H ow long wilt thou wander, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD will bring forth a new thing upon the earth, A woman shall compass the man.

How long will you go here and there, O daughter without faith? For the Lord has made a new thing on the earth: A woman will keep a man safe.” Good Will Come to God’s People

23 T hus hath the LORD of the hosts the God of Israel said; Even yet shall they speak this word in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof when I shall turn their captivity: The LORD bless thee, O habitation of justice and mountain of holiness.

The Lord of All, the God of Israel, says, “When I bring them back to their own land, once again the people in the land of Judah and in its cities will speak these words: ‘May the Lord bring good to you, O place that is right with God, O holy hill!’

24 A nd Judah shall dwell in her, and also in all her cities, husbandmen, and those that go forth with flocks.

The people of Judah and all its cities will live there together, the farmer and they who go about with flocks.

25 F or I have satiated the weary soul, and I have filled every sorrowful soul.

For I will help the tired ones and give strength to everyone who is weak.”

26 U pon this I awoke, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me.

At this I woke up and looked, and my sleep was pleasing to me.

27 ¶ Behold, the days come, said the LORD, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast.

“See, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when I will plant the people of Israel and the people of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of animal.

28 A nd it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up and to break down and to throw down and to destroy and to afflict, so will I watch over them, to build and to plant, said the LORD.

And as I have watched over them to pull up, to break down, to take power away, to destroy, and to bring trouble, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” says the Lord.

29 I n those days they shall no longer say, The fathers have eaten the sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.

“In those days they will no longer say, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children got the sour taste.’

30 B ut each one shall die for his own iniquity; every man that eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.

But every one will die for his own sin. Each man who eats the sour grapes will get the sour taste.

31 B ehold, the days come, said the LORD, in which I will make a new covenant with the house of Jacob and with the house of Judah:

The days are coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a New Way of Worship for the Jews and those of the family group of Judah.

32 n ot according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt because they invalidated my covenant although I was a husband unto them, said the LORD;

The New Way of Worship will not be like the Old Way of Worship I gave to their early fathers. That was when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. But they did not follow the Old Way of Worship, even when I was a husband to them,” says the Lord.

33 B ut this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, said the LORD, I will give my law in their souls and write it in their hearts and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

“This is the New Way of Worship that I will give to the Jews. When that day comes,” says the Lord, “I will put My Law into their minds. And I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people.

34 A nd they shall no longer teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD, for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, said the LORD, for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

No one will need to teach his neighbor or his brother to know the Lord. All of them will already know Me from the least to the greatest,” says the Lord. “I will forgive their sins. I will remember their sins no more.”

35 ¶ Thus hath the LORD said, who gives the sun for light by day, and the laws of the moon and of the stars for light by night, who divides the sea and the waves thereof roar; The LORD of the hosts is his name;

The Lord, the Lord of All is His name, Who gives the sun for light during the day, and put the moon and the stars in place to give light during the night, Who causes the waves of the sea to make a loud noise, says,

36 I f these laws depart from before me, said the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.

“If these laws change before Me, then the children of Israel will stop being a nation before Me forever.”

37 T hus hath the LORD said: If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, said the LORD.

The Lord says, “If one can find out how wide the heavens are, and look through the deepest places of the earth, then I will send all the children of Israel away from Me for all that they have done,” says the Lord.

38 B ehold, the days come, said the LORD, and the city shall be built unto the LORD from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner.

“See, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when the city will be built again for the Lord from the tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.

39 A nd the measuring line shall extend before him upon the hill Gareb and shall compass about to Goath.

And its wall will go out farther, straight on to the hill of Gareb. Then it will turn to Goah.

40 A nd the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes with the burnt fat, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east shall be holy unto the LORD; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.

The whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the river Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, will be holy to the Lord. It will never again be pulled up by the roots or destroyed.”