1“At that time I will be the God of all the families of Israel,” announces the Lord. “And they will be my people.”
2The Lord says,
“Some of my people will live through
everything their enemies do to them.
They will find help in the desert.
I will come to give peace and rest to Israel.”
3The Lord appeared to us in the past. He said,
“I have loved you with a love that lasts forever.
I have kept on loving you with a kindness that never fails.
4I will build you up again.
Nation of Israel, you will be rebuilt.
Once again you will use your tambourines to celebrate.
You will go out and dance with joy.
5Once again you will plant vineyards
on the hills of Samaria.
Farmers will plant them.
They will enjoy their fruit.
6There will be a day when those on guard duty will cry out.
They will stand on the hills of Ephraim.
And they will shout,
‘Come! Let’s go up to Zion.
Let’s go up to where the Lord our God is.’ ”
7The Lord says,
“Sing for joy because the people of Jacob are blessed.
Shout because the Lord has made them the greatest nation.
Make your praises heard.
Say, ‘Lord, save your people.
Save the people who are left alive in Israel.’
8I will bring them from the land of the north.
I will gather them from one end of the earth to the other.
Even those who are blind and those who can’t walk
will be among them.
Pregnant women and women having their babies
will be among them also.
Many of them will return.
9Their eyes will be filled with tears as they come.
They will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead them beside streams of water.
I will lead them on a level path
where they will not trip or fall.
I am Israel’s father.
And Ephraim is my oldest son.
10“Listen to my message, you nations.
Announce it on shores far away.
Say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather them.
He will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’
11I will set the people of Jacob free.
I will save them from those who are stronger than they are.
12They will come and shout for joy on Mount Zion.
They will be joyful because of everything I give them.
I give them grain, olive oil and fresh wine.
I give them the young animals in their flocks and herds.
Israel will be like a garden that has plenty of water.
And they will not be sad anymore.
13Then young women will dance and be glad.
And so will the men, young and old alike.
I will turn their mourning into gladness.
I will comfort them.
And I will give them joy instead of sorrow.
14I will satisfy the priests. I will give them more than enough.
And my people will be filled with the good things I give them,”
announces the Lord.
15The Lord says,
“A voice is heard in Ramah.
It is the sound of weeping and deep sadness.
Rachel is weeping for her children.
She refuses to be comforted,
because they are gone.”
16The Lord says,
“Do not weep anymore.
Do not let tears fall from your eyes.
I will reward you for your work,”
announces the Lord.
“Your children will return from the land of the enemy.
17So there is hope for your children,”
announces the Lord.
“Your children will return to their own land.
18“I have heard the groans of Ephraim’s people. They say,
‘You corrected us like a calf you were training.
And we have been trained.
Bring us back to you, and we will come back.
You are the Lord our God.
19After we wandered away from you,
we turned away from our sins.
After we learned our lesson,
we beat our chests in sorrow.
We were full of shame.
What we did when we were young brought dishonor on us.’
20Aren’t the people of Ephraim my dear children?
Aren’t they the children I take delight in?
I often speak against them.
But I still remember them.
So my heart longs for them.
I love them with a tender love,”
announces the Lord.
21The Lord says, “Put up road signs.
Set up stones to show the way.
Look carefully for the highway.
Look for the road you will take.
Return, people of Israel.
Return to your towns.
22How long will you wander,
my people Israel, who are not faithful to me?
I will create a new thing on earth.
The woman will return to the man.”
23The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, “I will bring them back from the place where they were taken. Here is what the people in Judah and its towns will say once again. ‘May the Lord bless you, you successful city. Sacred mountain, may he bless you.’ 24People will live together in Judah and all its towns. Farmers and shepherds will live there. 25I will give rest to those who are tired. I will satisfy those who are weak.”
26When I heard this, I woke up and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.
27Here is what the Lord announces. “The days are coming when I will plant the kingdoms of Israel and Judah again. I will plant them with children and young animals. 28I watched over Israel and Judah to pull them up by the roots. I tore them down. I crushed them. I destroyed them. I brought horrible trouble on them. But now I will watch over them to build them up and plant them,” announces the Lord. 29“In those days people will no longer say,
“ ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes.
But the children have a bitter taste in their mouths.’
30Instead, everyone will die for their own sin. The one who eats sour grapes will taste how bitter they are.
31“The days are coming,” announces the Lord.
“I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel.
I will also make it with the people of Judah.
32It will not be like the covenant
I made with their people of long ago.
That was when I took them by the hand.
I led them out of Egypt.
But they broke my covenant.
They did it even though I was like a husband to them,”
announces the Lord.
33“This is the covenant I will make with Israel
after that time,” announces the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds.
I will write it on their hearts.
I will be their God.
And they will be my people.
34They will not need to teach their neighbor anymore.
And they will not need to teach one another anymore.
They will not need to say, ‘Know the Lord.’
That’s because everyone will know me.
From the least important of them to the most important,
all of them will know me,”
announces the Lord.
“I will forgive their evil ways.
I will not remember their sins anymore.”
35The Lord speaks.
He makes the sun
shine by day.
He orders the moon and stars
to shine at night.
He stirs up the ocean.
He makes its waves roar.
His name is the Lord Who Rules Over All.
36“Suppose my orders for creation disappear from my sight,”
announces the Lord.
“Only then will the people of Israel stop being
a nation in my sight.”
37The Lord says,
“Suppose the sky above could be measured.
Suppose the foundations of the earth below could be completely discovered.
Only then would I turn away the people of Israel.
Even though they have committed many sins,
I will still accept them,”
announces the Lord.
38“The days are coming,” announces the Lord. “At that time Jerusalem will be rebuilt for me. It will be rebuilt from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39The measuring line will reach out from there. It will go straight to the hill of Gareb. Then it will turn and reach as far as Goah. 40There is a valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown. That whole valley will be holy to me. The side of the Kidron Valley east of the city will be holy to me. It will be holy all the way to the corner of the Horse Gate. The city will never again be pulled up by the roots. It will never be destroyed.”
1Til den tid vil alle Israels slægter anerkende mig som deres Gud, og de skal være mit folk. 2De, som ikke blev dræbt af fjendens sværd, vil opleve min nåde i det fremmede. Når de søger min fred, 3vil jeg komme til dem fra et fjernt land. Israel, jeg elsker dig med en evig og uforanderlig kærlighed. Derfor er jeg trofast over for dig. 4Du faldne Israels jomfru, jeg rejser dig op, så du kan danse af glæde til tamburinens rytmer. 5Du skal atter plante vingårde på Samarias bjerge og nyde frugten af dit arbejde.
6Engang i fremtiden vil vagterne på Efraims bjerge råbe: ‚Kom, lad os tage op til Zion og tilbede Herren, vores Gud.’ ”
7Hør, hvad Herren siger: „Syng af glæde over Israels folk, bryd ud i jubel over den ypperligste blandt nationerne. Lovpris mig og bed mig om at redde Israels rest. 8Fra landet mod nord og fra jordens fjerneste afkroge samler jeg mit folk og fører dem hjem. Iblandt dem er der blinde og lamme, gravide og fødende kvinder. Det er en stor forsamling, der vender hjem. 9De beder og græder af glæde, mens jeg fører dem hjem. Jeg bereder vejen for dem, så de ikke snubler, jeg sørger for frisk vand til dem på rejsen. Jeg er som en far for Israel, Efraim er min førstefødte søn.”
10Hør Herrens ord, I fremmede nationer, råb det ud i fjerne lande. Herren, som engang adspredte Israel, vil samle sit folk og våge over dem, som en hyrde vogter sin hjord. 11Han løskøber Israel og redder dem fra nationer, som er stærkere end dem. 12De skal vende hjem til Zions bjerg, syngende og jublende over Herrens gode gaver: masser af korn, vin, oliven, får og kvæg. Deres land bliver som en frodig have, og deres ulykke er overstået.
13Herren siger: „De unge piger vil danse af glæde og mændene slutte sig til dem, både gamle og unge. Jeg vender deres sorg til jubel, jeg trøster dem og giver dem ny livsglæde. 14Jeg giver præsterne en overflod af ofre, ja, hele mit folk skal mættes med velsignelse.”
15Herren talte igen til mig og sagde: „I Rama høres der skrig, jamren og højlydt gråd. Det er Rakel, der græder over sine børn. Hun vil ikke lade sig trøste, for børnene er borte. 16Men Herren siger: Græd ikke mere, for jeg har hørt dine bønner. De landflygtige vil vende tilbage fra fjendens land. 17Der er håb for din fremtid, siger Herren, for dine børn skal vende hjem til deres land.
18Jeg har hørt, hvordan Efraim stønner: ‚Herre, du straffede mig hårdt, men det var nødvendigt, for jeg var som en ustyrlig kalv. Hvis du vil tage imod mig, vil jeg vende tilbage til dig, for du er Herren, min Gud. 19Jeg vendte mig bort fra dig, men jeg angrede det bittert og græmmede mig over min dumhed. Jeg blev ydmyget, og nu skammer jeg mig over min ungdoms uforstand.’
20Efraim er stadig min kære søn, siger Herren. Jeg var nødt til at straffe ham, men jeg elsker ham stadig og længes efter at vise min barmhjertighed imod ham.
21Når du føres bort fra dit land, skal du markere den vej, du følger, så du kan finde hjem igen, du Israels jomfru. 22Hvor længe vil min egenrådige datter strejfe omkring? Jeg vil skabe noget helt nyt, så Israel vil række ud efter sin Gud.”31,22 Teksten er uklar. Mere ordret: „det kvindelige skal omslutte det mandlige/den stærke”.
23Herren, den Almægtige, Israels Gud, siger: „Når jeg fører Judas folk hjem, vil man over hele landet og i byerne igen sige: ‚Herren velsigne dig, du hellige bjerg, hvor retfærdigheden råder.’ 24Da vil byerne igen blive befolket. Landmændene vil opdyrke jorden og hyrderne passe deres flokke af får, geder og køer. 25Jeg giver den trætte hvile og den udkørte ny styrke. 26Da vil man sige: ‚Nu kan jeg sove i fred og vågne udhvilet op.’ ”
27Herren siger: „Der kommer en tid, hvor jeg forøger antallet af indbyggere og kvæg i Israel og Juda. 28Jeg rykkede mit folk op med rode, nedrev deres huse og ødelagde deres land, men til den tid vil jeg plante dem på ny og genopbygge deres land. 29Man vil ikke længere bruge det gamle ordsprog: ‚Fædrene spiste sure druer, og børnene kom til at lide under det.’ 30Nej, den som spiser sure druer, må nu selv lide under det. Enhver skal dø for sin egen synd.”
31„Engang i fremtiden vil jeg gennemføre en ny pagt med Israels og Judas folk,” siger Herren. 32„Den nye pagt vil ikke komme til at ligne den, jeg oprettede med deres forfædre, da jeg tog dem ved hånden og førte dem ud af slaveriet i Egypten. De brød jo min pagt, selv om jeg var som en trofast ægtemand. 33Den ny pagt, som jeg vil oprette med Israels folk engang i fremtiden, bygger på følgende løfte: Jeg vil lægge mine love i deres indre og skrive dem på deres hjerter. Jeg vil være deres Gud, og de skal være mit folk. 34Da skal man ikke længere sige til sine venner eller familie, at de bør kende mig som deres herre, for alle, både små og store, vil forstå, at jeg er Herren. For jeg vil tilgive dem deres skyld og udslette deres synder af min hukommelse.”
35Herren, den Almægtige, som satte solen til at skinne om dagen og månen og stjernerne til at lyse om natten, og som sætter havet i oprør, så bølgerne bruser, aflægger følgende løfte:
36„Så længe verden består, skal også Israels folk bestå. 37Det er lige så utænkeligt, at jeg skulle forkaste Israels folk på grund af deres synder, som det er, at nogen kan måle universets størrelse eller udforske jordens fundament.”
38-39„Der kommer en dag,” siger Herren, „hvor hele Jerusalem skal genopbygges og give mig ære, fra Hananels tårn i det nordøstlige hjørne til Hjørneporten i nordvest, fra Gareb-højen i sydvest til Goa i sydøst. 40Da skal hele byen være indviet til mig, endog gravpladsen og askedyngen i dalen udenfor samt markerne ude i Kedrondalen helt til Hesteporten mod øst, og da skal byen aldrig mere ødelægges.”
