⁶ Seek^(A) the Lord while he may be found;^(B)
    call^(C) on him while he is near.
⁷ Let the wicked forsake^(D) their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.^(E)
Let them turn^(F) to the Lord, and he will have mercy^(G) on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.^(H)

⁸ “For my thoughts^(I) are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”^(J)
declares the Lord.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,^(K)
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.^(L)
10 As the rain^(M) and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,^(N)
    so that it yields seed^(O) for the sower and bread for the eater,^(P)
11 so is my word^(Q) that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,^(R)
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose^(S) for which I sent it.
¹² You will go out in joy^(T)
    and be led forth in peace;^(U)
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song^(V) before you,
and all the trees^(W) of the field
    will clap their hands.^(X)
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
    and instead of briers^(Y) the myrtle^(Z) will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,^(AA)
    for an everlasting sign,
    that will endure forever.”

“Maintain justice^(AB)
    and do what is right,^(AC)
for my salvation^(AD) is close at hand
    and my righteousness^(AE) will soon be revealed.
² Blessed^(AF) is the one who does this—
    the person who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath^(AG) without desecrating it,
    and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”

³ Let no foreigner^(AH) who is bound to the Lord say,
    “The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”^(AI)
And let no eunuch^(AJ) complain,
    “I am only a dry tree.”

“To the eunuchs^(AK) who keep my Sabbaths,
    who choose what pleases me
    and hold fast to my covenant^(AL)—
⁵ to them I will give within my temple and its walls^(AM)
    a memorial^(AN) and a name
    better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name^(AO)
    that will endure forever.^(AP)
6 And foreigners^(AQ) who bind themselves to the Lord
    to minister^(AR) to him,
to love the name^(AS) of the Lord,
    and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath^(AT) without desecrating it
    and who hold fast to my covenant—
⁷ these I will bring to my holy mountain^(AU)
    and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices^(AV)
    will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
    a house of prayer for all nations.^(AW)”^(AX)
8 The Sovereign Lord declares—
    he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather^(AY) still others to them
    besides those already gathered.”

⁴ “I will heal^(I) their waywardness^(J)
    and love them freely,^(K)
    for my anger has turned away^(L) from them.
⁵ I will be like the dew^(M) to Israel;
    he will blossom like a lily.^(N)
Like a cedar of Lebanon^(O)
    he will send down his roots;^(P)
6     his young shoots will grow.
His splendor will be like an olive tree,^(Q)
    his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.^(R)
7 People will dwell again in his shade;^(S)
    they will flourish like the grain,
they will blossom^(T) like the vine—
    Israel’s fame will be like the wine^(U) of Lebanon.^(V)
8 Ephraim, what more have I^[b] to do with idols?^(W)
    I will answer him and care for him.
I am like a flourishing juniper;^(X)
    your fruitfulness comes from me.”

⁹ Who is wise?^(Y) Let them realize these things.
    Who is discerning? Let them understand.^(Z)
The ways of the Lord are right;^(AA)
    the righteous walk^(AB) in them,
    but the rebellious stumble in them.

¹⁸ Who is a God^(A) like you,
    who pardons sin^(B) and forgives^(C) the transgression
    of the remnant^(D) of his inheritance?^(E)
You do not stay angry^(F) forever
    but delight to show mercy.^(G)
19 You will again have compassion on us;
    you will tread our sins underfoot
    and hurl all our iniquities^(H) into the depths of the sea.^(I)
20 You will be faithful to Jacob,
    and show love to Abraham,^(J)
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors^(K)
    in days long ago.^(L)

¹⁵ Blow the trumpet^(A) in Zion,^(B)
    declare a holy fast,^(C)
    call a sacred assembly.^(D)
16 Gather the people,
    consecrate^(E) the assembly;
bring together the elders,^(F)
    gather the children,
    those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom^(G) leave his room
    and the bride her chamber.
¹⁷ Let the priests, who minister^(H) before the Lord,
    weep^(I) between the portico and the altar.^(J)
Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord.
    Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,^(K)
    a byword^(L) among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
    ‘Where is their God?^(M)’”

“I am sending you grain, new wine^(P) and olive oil,^(Q)
    enough to satisfy you fully;^(R)
never again will I make you
    an object of scorn^(S) to the nations.

²⁰ “I will drive the northern horde^(T) far from you,
    pushing it into a parched and barren land;
its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea
    and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea.
And its stench^(U) will go up;
    its smell will rise.”

Surely he has done great things!
²¹     Do not be afraid,^(V) land of Judah;
    be glad and rejoice.^(W)
Surely the Lord has done great things!^(X)
22     Do not be afraid, you wild animals,
    for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.^(Y)
The trees are bearing their fruit;
    the fig tree^(Z) and the vine^(AA) yield their riches.^(AB)
23 Be glad, people of Zion,
    rejoice^(AC) in the Lord your God,
for he has given you the autumn rains
    because he is faithful.^(AD)
He sends you abundant showers,^(AE)
    both autumn^(AF) and spring rains,^(AG) as before.
²⁴ The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
    the vats will overflow^(AH) with new wine^(AI) and oil.

²⁵ “I will repay you for the years the locusts^(AJ) have eaten^(AK)—
    the great locust and the young locust,
    the other locusts and the locust swarm^[b]—
my great army^(AL) that I sent among you.
²⁶ You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,^(AM)
    and you will praise^(AN) the name of the Lord your God,
    who has worked wonders^(AO) for you;
never again will my people be shamed.^(AP)
27 Then you will know^(AQ) that I am in Israel,
    that I am the Lord^(AR) your God,
    and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.^(AS)

“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.”^[c](F)