1 A t that time, an affirmation of Jehovah, I am for God to all families of Israel, And they -- they are to Me for a 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 said Jehovah: Found grace in the wilderness Hath a people remaining from the sword Going to cause it to rest -- Israel.

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

3 F rom afar Jehovah hath appeared to me, With love age-during I have loved thee, Therefore I have drawn thee kindness.

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 do I build thee, And thou hast been built, O virgin of Israel, Again thou puttest on thy tabrets, And hast gone out in the chorus of the playful.

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 A gain thou dost plant vineyards In mountains of Samaria, Planters have planted, and made common.

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 is a day, Cried have watchmen on mount Ephraim, `Rise, and we go up to Zion, unto Jehovah 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 said Jehovah: Sing, O ye to Jacob, joy, And cry aloud at the head of the nations, Sound ye, praise ye, and say, Save, O Jehovah, 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 L o, I am bringing them in from the north country, And have gathered them from the sides of the earth, Among them blind and lame, Conceiving and travailing one -- together, A great assembly -- they turn back hither.

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 W ith weeping they come in, And with supplications I bring them, I cause them to go unto streams of waters, In a right way -- they stumble not in it, For I have been to Israel for a father, And Ephraim -- My first-born he.

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 H ear a word of Jehovah, O nations, And declare ye among isles afar off, and say: He who is scattering Israel doth gather him, And hath kept him as a shepherd 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 Jehovah hath ransomed Jacob, And redeemed him from a hand 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 A nd they have come in, And have sung in the high place of Zion, And flowed unto the goodness of Jehovah, For wheat, and for new wine, and for oil, And for the young of the flock and herd, And their soul hath been as a watered garden, And they add not to grieve any more.

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 rejoice doth a virgin in a chorus, Both young men and old men -- together, And I have turned their mourning to joy, And have comforted them, And gladdened them above 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 satisfied the soul of the priests fatness, And My people with My goodness are satisfied, An affirmation of Jehovah.

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 said Jehovah, A voice in Ramah is heard, wailing, weeping most bitter, Rachel is weeping for her sons, She hath refused to be comforted for her sons, because they are not.

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 said Jehovah: Withhold thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears, For there is a reward for thy work, An affirmation of Jehovah, And they have turned back 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 A nd there is hope for thy latter end, An affirmation of Jehovah, And the sons have turned back their 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, `Thou hast chastised me, And I am chastised, as a heifer not taught, Turn me back, and I turn back, For thou Jehovah 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 F or after my turning back I repented, And after my being instructed I struck on the thigh, I have been ashamed, I have also blushed, For I have borne 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 A precious son is Ephraim to Me? A child of delights? For since My speaking against him, I do thoroughly remember him still, Therefore have My bowels been moved for him, I do greatly love him, An affirmation of Jehovah.

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 S et up for thee signs, make for thee heaps, Set thy heart to the highway, the way thou wentest, Turn back, O virgin of Israel, Turn back 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 T ill when dost thou withdraw thyself, O backsliding daughter? For Jehovah hath prepared a new thing in the land, Woman doth compass 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 said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, Still they say this word in the land of Judah, And in its cities, In My turning back their captivity, Jehovah doth bless thee, habitation of righteousness, 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 dwelt in Judah have husbandmen, and in all its cities together, And they have journeyed in order.

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 every grieved soul I have filled.'

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

26 O n this I have awaked, and I behold, and my sleep hath been sweet to me.

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

27 L o, days are coming, an affirmation of Jehovah, And I have sown the house of Israel, And the house of Judah, With seed of man, and 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 hath been, as I watched over them to pluck up, And to break down, and to throw down, And to destroy, and to afflict; So do I watch over them to build, and to plant, An affirmation of Jehovah.

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 do not say any more: Fathers have eaten unripe fruit, And the sons' teeth are blunted.

“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 for his own iniquity doth die, Every man who is eating the unripe fruit, Blunted are his teeth.

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

31 L o, days are coming, an affirmation of Jehovah, And I have made with the house of Israel And with the house of Judah a new covenant,

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 like the covenant that I made with their fathers, In the day of My laying hold on their hand, To bring them out of the land of Egypt, In that they made void My covenant, And I ruled over them -- an affirmation of Jehovah.

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 F or this the covenant that I make, With the house of Israel, after those days, An affirmation of Jehovah, I have given My law in their inward part, And on their heart I do write it, And I have been to them for God, And they are to me for a 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 do not teach any more Each his neighbour, and each his brother, Saying, Know ye Jehovah, For they all know Me, from their least unto their greatest, An affirmation of Jehovah; For I pardon their iniquity, And of their sin I make mention 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 T hus said Jehovah, Who is giving the sun for a light by day, The statutes of moon and stars for a light by night, Quieting the sea when its billows roar, Jehovah of Hosts 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 statutes depart from before Me, An affirmation of Jehovah, Even the seed of Israel doth cease From being a nation before Me all the days.

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

37 T hus said Jehovah: If the heavens above be measured, And the foundations of earth below searched, Even I kick against all the seed of Israel, For all that they have done, An affirmation of Jehovah.

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 L o, days, an affirmation of Jehovah, And the city hath been built to Jehovah, From the tower of Hananeel to 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 gone out again hath the measuring line Over-against it, unto the height of Gareb, And it hath compassed to Goah.

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

40 A nd all the valley of the carcases and of the ashes, And all the fields unto the brook Kidron, Unto the corner of the horse-gate eastward, holy to Jehovah, it is not plucked up, Nor is it thrown down any more to the age!

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.”