Jeremiah 31:10-17

English Standard Version

¹⁰“Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
    and declare it in the coastlands far away;
say, ‘He who scattered Israel will ^(A)gather him,
    and will keep him ^(B)as a shepherd keeps his flock.’
¹¹^(C)For the Lord has ransomed Jacob
    and has redeemed him from ^(D)hands too strong for him.
¹²They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
    ^(E)and they shall be radiant ^(F)over the goodness of the Lord,
^(G)over the grain, the wine, and the oil,
    and over the young of the flock and the herd;
^(H)their life shall be like a watered garden,
    ^(I)and they shall languish no more.
¹³^(J)Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,
    and the young men and the old shall be merry.
^(K)I will turn their mourning into joy;
    I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
¹⁴^(L)I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance,
    and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,
declares the Lord.”

¹⁵Thus says the Lord:
^(M)“A voice is heard in ^(N)Ramah,
    lamentation and bitter weeping.
^(O)Rachel is weeping for her children;
    she refuses to be comforted for her children,
    ^(P)because they are no more.”

¹⁶Thus says the Lord:
“Keep your voice from weeping,
    and your eyes from tears,
for there is a reward for your work,
declares the Lord,
    and ^(Q)they shall come back from the land of the enemy.
¹⁷^(R)There is hope for your future,
declares the Lord,
    and your children shall come back to their own country.