Israel’s Mourning Turned to Joy

1 “At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the aGod of all the bfamilies of Israel, and they shall be My people.”

2 Thus says the Lord,

“The people who survived the sword

aFound grace in the wilderness—

Israel, when it went to bfind its rest.”

3 The Lord appeared to 1him from afar, saying,

“I have aloved you with an everlasting love;

Therefore I have drawn you with blovingkindness.

4 “aAgain I will build you and you will be rebuilt,

O virgin of Israel!

Again you will 1take up your btambourines,

And go forth to the dances of the cmerrymakers.

5 “Again you will aplant vineyards

On the 1hills of Samaria;

The planters will plant

And will 2enjoy them.

6 “For there will be a day when watchmen

On the hills of Ephraim call out,

‘Arise, and alet us go up to Zion,

To the Lord our God.’ ”

7 For thus says the Lord,

“aSing aloud with gladness for Jacob,

And shout among the 1bchief of the nations;

Proclaim, give praise and say,

‘O Lord, csave Your people,

The dremnant of Israel.’

8 “Behold, I am abringing them from the north country,

And I will bgather them from the remote parts of the earth,

Among them the cblind and the dlame,

The woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together;

A great 1company, they will return here.

9 “aWith weeping they will come,

And by supplication I will lead them;

I will make them walk by bstreams of waters,

On a straight path in which they will cnot stumble;

For I am a dfather to Israel,

And Ephraim is eMy firstborn.”

10 Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,

And declare in the acoastlands afar off,

And say, “He who scattered Israel will bgather him

And keep him as a cshepherd keeps his flock.”

11 For the Lord has aransomed Jacob

And redeemed him from the hand of him who was bstronger than he.

12 “They will acome and shout for joy on the bheight of Zion,

And they will be cradiant over the 1bounty of the Lord—

Over the dgrain and the new wine and the oil,

And over the young of the eflock and the herd;

And their life will be like a fwatered garden,

And they will gnever languish again.

13 “Then the virgin will rejoice in the adance,

And the young men and the old, together,

For I will bturn their mourning into joy

And will comfort them and give them cjoy for their sorrow.

14 “I will 1fill the soul of the priests with 2abundance,

And My people will be asatisfied with My goodness,” declares the Lord.

15 Thus says the Lord,

“aA voice is heard in bRamah,

Lamentation and bitter weeping.

Rachel is weeping for her children;

She crefuses to be comforted for her children,

Because dthey are no more.”

16 Thus says the Lord,

“aRestrain your voice from weeping

And your eyes from tears;

For your bwork will be rewarded,” declares the Lord,

“And they will creturn from the land of the enemy.

17 “There is ahope for your future,” declares the Lord,

“And your children will return to their own territory.

18 “I have surely heard Ephraim agrieving,

‘You have bchastised me, and I was chastised,

Like an untrained ccalf;

dBring me back that I may be restored,

For You are the Lord my God.

19 ‘For after I turned back, I arepented;

And after I was instructed, I bsmote on my thigh;

I was cashamed and also humiliated

Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’

20 “Is aEphraim My dear son?

Is he a delightful child?

Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him,

I certainly still remember him;

Therefore My 1bheart yearns for him;

I will surely chave mercy on him,” declares the Lord.

21 “Set up for yourself roadmarks,

Place for yourself guideposts;

aDirect your 1mind to the highway,

The way by which you went.

bReturn, O virgin of Israel,

Return to these your cities.

22 “How long will you go here and there,

O afaithless daughter?

For the Lord has created a new thing in the earth—

A woman will encompass a man.”