¹⁵ “Although you have been forsaken^(A) and hated,
    with no one traveling^(B) through,
I will make you the everlasting pride^(C)
    and the joy^(D) of all generations.

⁷ Instead of your shame^(A)
    you will receive a double^(B) portion,
and instead of disgrace
    you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit^(C) a double portion in your land,
    and everlasting joy^(D) will be yours.

¹⁷ But I will restore you to health
    and heal^(A) your wounds,’
declares the Lord,
‘because you are called an outcast,^(B)
    Zion for whom no one cares.’^(C)

¹⁴ But Zion^(A) said, “The Lord has forsaken^(B) me,
    the Lord has forgotten me.”

¹⁵ “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
    and have no compassion on the child^(C) she has borne?
Though she may forget,
    I will not forget you!^(D)
16 See, I have engraved^(E) you on the palms of my hands;
    your walls^(F) are ever before me.
¹⁷ Your children hasten back,
    and those who laid you waste^(G) depart from you.
¹⁸ Lift up your eyes and look around;
    all your children gather^(H) and come to you.
As surely as I live,^(I)” declares the Lord,
    “you will wear^(J) them all as ornaments;
    you will put them on, like a bride.

¹⁹ “Though you were ruined and made desolate^(K)
    and your land laid waste,^(L)
now you will be too small for your people,^(M)
    and those who devoured^(N) you will be far away.
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.’^(O)
21 Then you will say in your heart,
    ‘Who bore me these?^(P)
I was bereaved^(Q) and barren;
    I was exiled and rejected.^(R)
    Who brought these^(S) up?
I was left^(T) all alone,^(U)
    but these—where have they come from?’”

“See, I will beckon to the nations,
    I will lift up my banner^(W) to the peoples;
they will bring^(X) your sons in their arms
    and carry your daughters on their hips.^(Y)
23 Kings^(Z) will be your foster fathers,
    and their queens your nursing mothers.^(AA)
They will bow down^(AB) before you with their faces to the ground;
    they will lick the dust^(AC) at your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord;^(AD)
    those who hope^(AE) in me will not be disappointed.^(AF)”

“Give thanks to the Lord Almighty,
    for the Lord is good;^(C)
    his love endures forever.”^(D)

¹⁰     and those the Lord has rescued^(A) will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;^(B)
    everlasting joy^(C) will crown their heads.
Gladness^(D) and joy will overtake them,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.^(E)

⁶ The Lord will call you back^(A)
    as if you were a wife deserted^(B) and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,^(C)
    only to be rejected,” says your God.
⁷ “For a brief moment^(D) I abandoned^(E) you,
    but with deep compassion^(F) I will bring you back.^(G)
8 In a surge of anger^(H)
    I hid^(I) my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness^(J)
    I will have compassion^(K) on you,”
    says the Lord your Redeemer.^(L)

⁹ “To me this is like the days of Noah,
    when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.^(M)
So now I have sworn^(N) not to be angry^(O) with you,
    never to rebuke^(P) you again.
¹⁰ Though the mountains be shaken^(Q)
    and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love^(R) for you will not be shaken^(S)
    nor my covenant^(T) of peace^(U) be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion^(V) on you.

¹¹ “Afflicted^(W) city, lashed by storms^(X) and not comforted,^(Y)
    I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,^[a](Z)
    your foundations^(AA) with lapis lazuli.^(AB)
12 I will make your battlements of rubies,
    your gates^(AC) of sparkling jewels,
    and all your walls of precious stones.
¹³ All your children will be taught by the Lord,^(AD)
    and great will be their peace.^(AE)
14 In righteousness^(AF) you will be established:^(AG)
Tyranny^(AH) will be far from you;
    you will have nothing to fear.^(AI)
Terror^(AJ) will be far removed;
    it will not come near you.

¹² until the Lord has sent everyone far away^(A)
    and the land is utterly forsaken.^(B)