⁴ “In those days, at that time,”
    declares the Lord,
“the people of Israel and the people of Judah together^(A)
    will go in tears^(B) to seek^(C) the Lord their God.
⁵ They will ask the way^(D) to Zion
    and turn their faces toward it.
They will come^(E) and bind themselves to the Lord
    in an everlasting covenant^(F)
    that will not be forgotten.

⁶ “My people have been lost sheep;^(G)
    their shepherds^(H) have led them astray^(I)
    and caused them to roam on the mountains.
They wandered over mountain and hill^(J)
    and forgot their own resting place.^(K)
7 Whoever found them devoured^(L) them;
    their enemies said, ‘We are not guilty,^(M)
for they sinned against the Lord, their verdant pasture,
    the Lord, the hope^(N) of their ancestors.’

⁸ “Flee^(O) out of Babylon;^(P)
    leave the land of the Babylonians,
    and be like the goats that lead the flock.

¹⁷ “Israel is a scattered flock^(A)
    that lions^(B) have chased away.
The first to devour^(C) them
    was the king^(D) of Assyria;
the last to crush their bones^(E)
    was Nebuchadnezzar^(F) king^(G) of Babylon.”

“I will punish the king of Babylon and his land
    as I punished the king^(H) of Assyria.^(I)
19 But I will bring^(J) Israel back to their own pasture,
    and they will graze on Carmel and Bashan;
their appetite will be satisfied^(K)
    on the hills^(L) of Ephraim and Gilead.^(M)
20 In those days, at that time,”
    declares the Lord,
“search will be made for Israel’s guilt,
    but there will be none,^(N)
and for the sins^(O) of Judah,
    but none will be found,
    for I will forgive^(P) the remnant^(Q) I spare.

“The people of Israel are oppressed,^(A)
    and the people of Judah as well.
All their captors hold them fast,
    refusing to let them go.^(B)

³⁴ Yet their Redeemer^(A) is strong;
    the Lord Almighty^(B) is his name.
He will vigorously defend their cause^(C)
    so that he may bring rest^(D) to their land,
    but unrest to those who live in Babylon.