Beginning

“‘Cries of fear^(E) are heard—
    terror, not peace.
⁶ Ask and see:
    Can a man bear children?
Then why do I see every strong man
    with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor,^(F)
    every face turned deathly pale?^(G)
7 How awful that day^(H) will be!
    No other will be like it.
It will be a time of trouble^(I) for Jacob,
    but he will be saved^(J) out of it.

⁸ “‘In that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty,
    ‘I will break the yoke^(K) off their necks
and will tear off their bonds;^(L)
    no longer will foreigners enslave them.^(M)
9 Instead, they will serve the Lord their God
    and David^(N) their king,^(O)
    whom I will raise up for them.

¹⁰ “‘So do not be afraid,^(P) Jacob my servant;^(Q)
    do not be dismayed, Israel,’
declares the Lord.
‘I will surely save^(R) you out of a distant place,
    your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,^(S)
    and no one will make him afraid.^(T)
11 I am with you^(U) and will save you,’
    declares the Lord.
‘Though I completely destroy all the nations
    among which I scatter you,
    I will not completely destroy^(V) you.
I will discipline^(W) you but only in due measure;
    I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’^(X)

“‘Your wound^(Y) is incurable,
    your injury beyond healing.^(Z)
13 There is no one to plead your cause,^(AA)
    no remedy for your sore,
    no healing^(AB) for you.
¹⁴ All your allies^(AC) have forgotten you;
    they care nothing for you.
I have struck you as an enemy^(AD) would
    and punished you as would the cruel,^(AE)
because your guilt is so great
    and your sins^(AF) so many.
¹⁵ Why do you cry out over your wound,
    your pain that has no cure?^(AG)
Because of your great guilt and many sins
    I have done these things to you.^(AH)

¹⁶ “‘But all who devour^(AI) you will be devoured;
    all your enemies will go into exile.^(AJ)
Those who plunder^(AK) you will be plundered;
    all who make spoil of you I will despoil.
¹⁷ But I will restore you to health
    and heal^(AL) your wounds,’
declares the Lord,
‘because you are called an outcast,^(AM)
    Zion for whom no one cares.’^(AN)

“‘I will restore the fortunes^(AO) of Jacob’s tents^(AP)
    and have compassion^(AQ) on his dwellings;
the city will be rebuilt^(AR) on her ruins,
    and the palace will stand in its proper place.
¹⁹ From them will come songs^(AS) of thanksgiving^(AT)
    and the sound of rejoicing.^(AU)
I will add to their numbers,^(AV)
    and they will not be decreased;
I will bring them honor,^(AW)
    and they will not be disdained.
²⁰ Their children^(AX) will be as in days of old,
    and their community will be established^(AY) before me;
    I will punish^(AZ) all who oppress them.
²¹ Their leader^(BA) will be one of their own;
    their ruler will arise from among them.^(BB)
I will bring him near^(BC) and he will come close to me—
    for who is he who will devote himself
    to be close to me?’
declares the Lord.
²² “‘So you will be my people,^(BD)
    and I will be your God.^(BE)’”

²³ See, the storm^(BF) of the Lord
    will burst out in wrath,
a driving wind swirling down
    on the heads of the wicked.
²⁴ The fierce anger^(BG) of the Lord will not turn back^(BH)
    until he fully accomplishes
    the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
    you will understand^(BI) this.

“The people who survive the sword
    will find favor^(BK) in the wilderness;
    I will come to give rest^(BL) to Israel.”

“I have loved^(BM) you with an everlasting love;
    I have drawn^(BN) you with unfailing kindness.
⁴ I will build you up again,
    and you, Virgin^(BO) Israel, will be rebuilt.^(BP)
Again you will take up your timbrels^(BQ)
    and go out to dance^(BR) with the joyful.^(BS)
5 Again you will plant^(BT) vineyards
    on the hills of Samaria;^(BU)
the farmers will plant them
    and enjoy their fruit.^(BV)
6 There will be a day when watchmen^(BW) cry out
    on the hills of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Zion,
    to the Lord our God.’”^(BX)

“Sing^(BY) with joy for Jacob;
    shout for the foremost^(BZ) of the nations.
Make your praises heard, and say,
    ‘Lord, save^(CA) your people,
    the remnant^(CB) of Israel.’
⁸ See, I will bring them from the land of the north^(CC)
    and gather^(CD) them from the ends of the earth.
Among them will be the blind^(CE) and the lame,^(CF)
    expectant mothers and women in labor;
    a great throng will return.
⁹ They will come with weeping;^(CG)
    they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead^(CH) them beside streams of water^(CI)
    on a level^(CJ) path where they will not stumble,
because I am Israel’s father,^(CK)
    and Ephraim is my firstborn son.

¹⁰ “Hear the word of the Lord, you nations;
    proclaim it in distant coastlands:^(CL)
‘He who scattered^(CM) Israel will gather^(CN) them
    and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’^(CO)
11 For the Lord will deliver Jacob
    and redeem^(CP) them from the hand of those stronger^(CQ) than they.
¹² They will come and shout for joy^(CR) on the heights^(CS) of Zion;
    they will rejoice in the bounty^(CT) of the Lord—
the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,^(CU)
    the young of the flocks^(CV) and herds.
They will be like a well-watered garden,^(CW)
    and they will sorrow^(CX) no more.
¹³ Then young women will dance and be glad,
    young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning^(CY) into gladness;
    I will give them comfort^(CZ) and joy^(DA) instead of sorrow.
¹⁴ I will satisfy^(DB) the priests^(DC) with abundance,
    and my people will be filled with my bounty,^(DD)”
declares the Lord.

“A voice is heard in Ramah,^(DE)
    mourning and great weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children
    and refusing to be comforted,^(DF)
    because they are no more.”^(DG)

“Restrain your voice from weeping
    and your eyes from tears,^(DH)
for your work will be rewarded,^(DI)”
declares the Lord.
    “They will return^(DJ) from the land of the enemy.
¹⁷ So there is hope^(DK) for your descendants,”
declares the Lord.
    “Your children^(DL) will return to their own land.

¹⁸ “I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:
    ‘You disciplined^(DM) me like an unruly calf,^(DN)
    and I have been disciplined.
Restore^(DO) me, and I will return,
    because you are the Lord my God.
¹⁹ After I strayed,^(DP)
    I repented;
after I came to understand,
    I beat^(DQ) my breast.
I was ashamed^(DR) and humiliated
    because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’^(DS)
20 Is not Ephraim my dear son,
    the child^(DT) in whom I delight?
Though I often speak against him,
    I still remember^(DU) him.
Therefore my heart yearns for him;
    I have great compassion^(DV) for him,”
declares the Lord.

²¹ “Set up road signs;
    put up guideposts.^(DW)
Take note of the highway,^(DX)
    the road that you take.
Return,^(DY) Virgin^(DZ) Israel,
    return to your towns.
²² How long will you wander,^(EA)
    unfaithful^(EB) Daughter Israel?
The Lord will create a new thing^(EC) on earth—
    the woman will return to^[c](ED) the man.”

‘The parents^(ET) have eaten sour grapes,
    and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’^(EU)

³¹ “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
    “when I will make a new covenant^(EW)
with the people of Israel
    and with the people of Judah.
³² It will not be like the covenant^(EX)
    I made with their ancestors^(EY)
when I took them by the hand
    to lead them out of Egypt,^(EZ)
because they broke my covenant,
    though I was a husband^(FA) to^[e] them,^[f]”
declares the Lord.
³³ “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
    after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds^(FB)
    and write it on their hearts.^(FC)
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.^(FD)
34 No longer will they teach^(FE) their neighbor,
    or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know^(FF) me,
    from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive^(FG) their wickedness
    and will remember their sins^(FH) no more.”

he who appoints^(FI) the sun
    to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
    to shine by night,^(FJ)
who stirs up the sea^(FK)
    so that its waves roar^(FL)—
    the Lord Almighty is his name:^(FM)
36 “Only if these decrees^(FN) vanish from my sight,”
    declares the Lord,
“will Israel^(FO) ever cease
    being a nation before me.”

“Only if the heavens above can be measured^(FP)
    and the foundations of the earth below be searched out
will I reject^(FQ) all the descendants of Israel
    because of all they have done,”
declares the Lord.