Israel’s Mourning Turned to Joy
“At that time,” declares Yahweh, “I will be the aGod of all the bfamilies of Israel, and they shall be My people.”
2 Thus says Yahweh,
“The people who survived the sword
aFound grace in the wilderness—
Israel, when it went to bfind its relief.”
3 Yahweh appeared to him 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 take up your btambourines
And go forth to the dances of those ccelebrating.
5 Again you will aplant vineyards
On the hills of Samaria;
The planters will plant
And will enjoy 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 Yahweh our God.’”
7 For thus says Yahweh,
“aSing aloud with gladness for Jacob,
And shout among the bhead of the nations;
Make it heard, give praise, and say,
‘O Yahweh, 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 assembly, 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 Yahweh, O nations,
And declare in the acoastlands far away,
And say, “He who dispersed Israel will bgather him
And keep him as a cshepherd keeps his flock.”
11 For Yahweh has aransomed Jacob
And redeemed him from the hand of him who was bstronger than he.
12 “They will acome and sing for joy on the bheight of Zion,
And they will be cradiant over the goodness of Yahweh—
Over the dgrain and the new wine and the oil,
And over the young of the eflock and the herd;
And their soul will be like a fwatered garden,
And they will gnever waste away again.
13 Then the virgin will be glad 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 cgladness for their sorrow.
14 I will fill the soul of the priests with richness,
And My people will be asatisfied with My goodness,” declares Yahweh.