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20 The generations born in exile will return and say,
    ‘We need more room! It’s crowded here!’

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20 The children born during your bereavement
    will yet say in your hearing,
‘This place is too small for us;
    give us more space to live in.’(A)

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26 But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. 27 As Isaiah said,

“Rejoice, O childless woman,
    you who have never given birth!
Break into a joyful shout,
    you who have never been in labor!
For the desolate woman now has more children
    than the woman who lives with her husband!”[a]

28 And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac.

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Footnotes

  1. 4:27 Isa 54:1.

26 But the Jerusalem that is above(A) is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written:

“Be glad, barren woman,
    you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud,
    you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
    than of her who has a husband.”[a](B)

28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 4:27 Isaiah 54:1

Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.

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And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’(A) I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

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10 [a]“Yet the time will come when Israel’s people will be like the sands of the seashore—too many to count! Then, at the place where they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ it will be said, ‘You are children of the living God.’

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Footnotes

  1. 1:10 Verses 1:10-11 are numbered 2:1-2 in Hebrew text.

10 “Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted.(A) In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’(B)

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“Look and see, for everyone is coming home!
    Your sons are coming from distant lands;
    your little daughters will be carried home.

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“Lift up your eyes and look about you:
    All assemble(A) and come to you;
your sons come from afar,(B)
    and your daughters(C) are carried on the hip.(D)

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14 The descendants of Joseph came to Joshua and asked, “Why have you given us only one portion of land as our homeland when the Lord has blessed us with so many people?”

15 Joshua replied, “If there are so many of you, and if the hill country of Ephraim is not large enough for you, clear out land for yourselves in the forest where the Perizzites and Rephaites live.”

16 The descendants of Joseph responded, “It’s true that the hill country is not large enough for us. But all the Canaanites in the lowlands have iron chariots, both those in Beth-shan and its surrounding settlements and those in the valley of Jezreel. They are too strong for us.”

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14 The people of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance? We are a numerous people, and the Lord has blessed us abundantly.”(A)

15 “If you are so numerous,” Joshua answered, “and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest(B) and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites(C) and Rephaites.(D)

16 The people of Joseph replied, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have chariots fitted with iron,(E) both those in Beth Shan(F) and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel.”(G)

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Future Glory for Jerusalem

54 “Sing, O childless woman,
    you who have never given birth!
Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem,
    you who have never been in labor.
For the desolate woman now has more children
    than the woman who lives with her husband,”
    says the Lord.
“Enlarge your house; build an addition.
    Spread out your home, and spare no expense!
For you will soon be bursting at the seams.
    Your descendants will occupy other nations
    and resettle the ruined cities.

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The Future Glory of Zion

54 “Sing, barren woman,(A)
    you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,(B)
    you who were never in labor;(C)
because more are the children(D) of the desolate(E) woman
    than of her who has a husband,(F)
says the Lord.
“Enlarge the place of your tent,(G)
    stretch your tent curtains wide,
    do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
    strengthen your stakes.(H)
For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
    your descendants(I) will dispossess nations(J)
    and settle in their desolate(K) cities.

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The Lord will comfort Israel[a] again
    and have pity on her ruins.
Her desert will blossom like Eden,
    her barren wilderness like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness will be found there.
    Songs of thanksgiving will fill the air.

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Footnotes

  1. 51:3 Hebrew Zion; also in 51:16.

The Lord will surely comfort(A) Zion(B)
    and will look with compassion on all her ruins;(C)
he will make her deserts like Eden,(D)
    her wastelands(E) like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness(F) will be found in her,
    thanksgiving(G) and the sound of singing.

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The Floating Ax Head

One day the group of prophets came to Elisha and told him, “As you can see, this place where we meet with you is too small.

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An Axhead Floats

The company(A) of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us.

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