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

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

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

Thus says the Lord: The people who survived the sword found favor in the wilderness —when Israel sought to find rest.

3 T he 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.

The Lord appeared from of old to me, saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn you and continued My faithfulness to you.

4 A gain 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.

Again I will build you and you will be built, O Virgin Israel! You will again be adorned with your timbrels and go forth in the dancing of those who make merry.

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

Again you shall plant vineyards upon the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and make the fruit common and enjoy it.

6 F or 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.’”

For there shall be a day when the watchmen on the hills of Ephraim shall cry out, Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.

7 F or 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.’

For thus says the Lord: Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and shout for the head of the nations. Proclaim, praise, and say, The Lord has saved His people, the remnant of Israel!

8 S ee, 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.

Behold, I will bring them from the north country and gather them from the uttermost parts of the earth, and among them will be the blind and the lame, the woman with child and she who labors in childbirth together; a great company, they will return here to Jerusalem.

9 T hey 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.”

They will come with weeping, pouring out prayers. I will lead them back; I will cause them to walk by streams of water and bring them in a straight way in which they will not stumble, for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.

10 H ear 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.”

Hear the word of the Lord, O you nations, and declare it in the isles and coastlands far away, and say, He Who scattered Israel will gather him and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.

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

For the Lord has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from the hand of him who was too strong for him.

12 A nd 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.

They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion and shall flow together and be radiant with joy over the goodness of the Lord—for the corn, for the juice, for the oil, and for the young of the flock and the herd. And their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall not sorrow or languish any more at all.

13 T hen 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.

Then will the maidens rejoice in the dance, and the young men and old together. For I will turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them and make them rejoice after their sorrow.

14 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

I will satisfy fully the life of the priests with abundance, and My people will be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord.

15 T he 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.”

Thus says the Lord: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.

16 T he 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.

Thus says the Lord: Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord; and shall return from the enemy’s land.

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

And there is hope for your future, says the Lord; your children shall come back to their own country.

18 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.

I have surely heard Ephraim moaning thus: You have chastised me, and I was chastised, like a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke; bring me back, that I may be restored, for You are the Lord my God.

19 F or 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.’

Surely after I was turned, I repented; and after I was instructed, I penitently smote my thigh. I was ashamed, yes, even confounded, because I bore the disgrace of my youth.

20 I s 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.

Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a darling child and beloved? For as often as I speak against him, I do remember him still. Therefore My affection is stirred and My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy, pity, and loving-kindness for him, says the Lord.

21 “ 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.

Set up for yourselves highway markers, make for yourselves guideposts; turn your thoughts and attention to the way by which you went. Retrace your steps, O Virgin Israel, return to these your cities.

22 H ow 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

How long will you waver and hesitate, O you backsliding daughter? For the Lord has created a new thing in the land: a female shall compass (woo, win, and protect) a man.

23 T he 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!’

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Once more they shall use these words in the land of Judah and in her cities when I release them from exile: The Lord bless you, O habitation of justice and righteousness, O holy mountain!

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

And Judah and all its cities shall dwell there together— farmers and those who wander about with their flocks.

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

For I will satisfy the weary soul, and I will replenish every languishing and sorrowful person.

26 A t this I woke up and looked, and my sleep was pleasing to me.

Thereupon I awoke and looked, and my sleep was sweet to me.

27 “ 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.

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed (offspring) of man and of beast.

28 A nd 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.

And it will be that as I have watched over them to pluck up and to break down, and to overthrow, destroy, and afflict, so will I watch over them to build and to plant, says the Lord.

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

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

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

But everyone shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats sour grapes—his teeth shall be set on edge.

31 T he 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.

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,

32 T he 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.

Not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was their Husband, says the Lord.

33 “ 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.

But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel: After those days, says the Lord, I will put My law within them, and on their hearts will I write it; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.

34 N o 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.”

And they will no more teach each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

35 T he 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,

Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for a light by day and the fixed order of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, Who stirs up the sea’s roaring billows or stills the waves when they roar—the Lord of hosts is His name:

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

If these ordinances depart from before Me, says the Lord, then the posterity of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me throughout the ages.

37 T he 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.

Thus says the Lord: If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, says the Lord.

38 “ 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.

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when the city shall be built for the Lord from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.

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

And the measuring line shall go out farther straight onward to the hill Gareb and shall then turn to Goah.

40 T he 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.”

And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to the Lord. It shall not be plucked up or overthrown any more to the end of the age.