For thus says the Lord:
(A)“Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,
    and raise shouts for (B)the chief of the nations;
proclaim, give praise, and say,
    (C)‘O Lord, save your people,
    the remnant of Israel.’
Behold, I will bring them (D)from the north country
    and (E)gather them from (F)the farthest parts of the earth,
among them (G)the blind and the lame,
    the pregnant woman and she who is in labor, together;
    a great company, they shall return here.
(H)With weeping they shall come,
    (I)and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back,
I will make them (J)walk by brooks of water,
    (K)in a straight path in which they shall not stumble,
for (L)I am a father to Israel,
    and Ephraim is (M)my firstborn.

10 “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
    and declare it in the coastlands far away;
say, ‘He who scattered Israel will (N)gather him,
    and will keep him (O)as a shepherd keeps his flock.’
11 (P)For the Lord has ransomed Jacob
    and has redeemed him from (Q)hands too strong for him.
12 They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
    (R)and they shall be radiant (S)over the goodness of the Lord,
(T)over the grain, the wine, and the oil,
    and over the young of the flock and the herd;
(U)their life shall be like a watered garden,
    (V)and they shall languish no more.
13 (W)Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,
    and the young men and the old shall be merry.
(X)I will turn their mourning into joy;
    I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
14 (Y)I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance,
    and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,
declares the Lord.”

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God’s People Brought Home

For this is what the Lord says:

Sing with joy for Jacob;
shout for the chief of the nations!
Proclaim, praise, and say,
Lord, save Your people,(A)
the remnant of Israel!”
Watch! I am going to bring them from the northern land.
I will gather them from remote regions of the earth(B)
the blind and the lame will be with them,
along with those who are pregnant and those about to give birth.
They will return here as a great assembly!(C)
They will come weeping,
but I will bring them back with consolation.[a](D)
I will lead them to wadis filled with water
by a smooth way where they will not stumble,(E)
for I am Israel’s Father,
and Ephraim is My firstborn.
10 Nations, hear the word of the Lord,
and tell it among the far off coastlands!(F)
Say: The One who scattered Israel will gather him.
He will watch over him as a shepherd guards his flock,
11 for the Lord has ransomed Jacob
and redeemed him from the power of one stronger than he.(G)
12 They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;
they will be radiant with joy(H)
because of(I) the Lord’s goodness,
because of the grain, the new wine, the fresh oil,(J)
and because of the young of the flocks and herds.
Their life will be like an irrigated garden,
and they will no longer grow weak from hunger.
13 Then the young woman will rejoice with dancing,
while young and old men rejoice together.
I will turn their mourning into joy,(K)
give them consolation,
and bring happiness out of grief.
14 I will refresh the priests with an abundance,[b](L)
and My people will be satisfied with My goodness.
This is the Lord’s declaration.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 31:9 LXX; MT reads supplications
  2. Jeremiah 31:14 Lit fatness