⁴ and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls^(A) because of the great number^(B) of people and animals in it.^(C)

¹⁷ “Proclaim further: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort^(A) Zion and choose^(B) Jerusalem.’”^(C)

¹¹ You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people^(A)—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars.^(B)

¹⁰ The whole land, from Geba^(A) to Rimmon,^(B) south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up^(C) high from the Benjamin Gate^(D) to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate,^(E) and from the Tower of Hananel^(F) to the royal winepresses, and will remain in its place.^{(G) 11} It will be inhabited;^(H) never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.^(I)

⁶ “On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot^(A) in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume^(B) all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact^(C) in her place.

⁴ This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem,^(A) each of them with cane in hand because of their age. ⁵ The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.^(B)”

¹⁰ and I will cause many people to live on you—yes, all of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins^(A) rebuilt.^{(B) 11} I will increase the number of people and animals living on you, and they will be fruitful^(C) and become numerous. I will settle people^(D) on you as in the past^(E) and will make you prosper more than before.^(F) Then you will know that I am the Lord.

²² I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless^(A) as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’”