1“At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”
2This is what the Lord says:
“The people who survive the sword
will find favor in the wilderness;
I will come to give rest to Israel.”
3The Lord appeared to us in the past,31:3 Or Lord has appeared to us from afar saying:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
4I will build you up again,
and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt.
Again you will take up your timbrels
and go out to dance with the joyful.
5Again you will plant vineyards
on the hills of Samaria;
the farmers will plant them
and enjoy their fruit.
6There will be a day when watchmen cry out
on the hills of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Zion,
to the Lord our God.’ ”
7This is what the Lord says:
“Sing with joy for Jacob;
shout for the foremost of the nations.
Make your praises heard, and say,
‘Lord, save your people,
the remnant of Israel.’
8See, I will bring them from the land of the north
and gather them from the ends of the earth.
Among them will be the blind and the lame,
expectant mothers and women in labor;
a great throng will return.
9They will come with weeping;
they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead them beside streams of water
on a level path where they will not stumble,
because I am Israel’s father,
and Ephraim is my firstborn son.
10“Hear the word of the Lord, you nations;
proclaim it in distant coastlands:
‘He who scattered Israel will gather them
and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’
11For the Lord will deliver Jacob
and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they.
12They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;
they will rejoice in the bounty of the Lord—
the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,
the young of the flocks and herds.
They will be like a well-watered garden,
and they will sorrow no more.
13Then young women will dance and be glad,
young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into gladness;
I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.
14I will satisfy the priests with abundance,
and my people will be filled with my bounty,”
declares the Lord.
15This is what the Lord says:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
mourning and great weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”
16This is what the Lord says:
“Restrain your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears,
for your work will be rewarded,”
declares the Lord.
“They will return from the land of the enemy.
17So there is hope for your descendants,”
declares the Lord.
“Your children will return to their own land.
18“I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:
‘You disciplined me like an unruly calf,
and I have been disciplined.
Restore me, and I will return,
because you are the Lord my God.
19After I strayed,
I repented;
after I came to understand,
I beat my breast.
I was ashamed and humiliated
because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’
20Is not Ephraim my dear son,
the child in whom I delight?
Though I often speak against him,
I still remember him.
Therefore my heart yearns for him;
I have great compassion for him,”
declares the Lord.
21“Set up road signs;
put up guideposts.
Take note of the highway,
the road that you take.
Return, Virgin Israel,
return to your towns.
22How long will you wander,
unfaithful Daughter Israel?
The Lord will create a new thing on earth—
the woman will return to31:22 Or will protect the man.”
23This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity,31:23 Or I restore their fortunes the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: ‘The Lord bless you, you prosperous city, you sacred mountain.’ 24People will live together in Judah and all its towns—farmers and those who move about with their flocks. 25I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”
26At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.
27“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will plant the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals. 28Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the Lord. 29“In those days people will no longer say,
‘The parents have eaten sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’
30Instead, everyone will die for their own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.
31“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
32It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to31:32 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac / and I turned away from them,31:32 Or was their master”
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
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
34No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”
35This is what the Lord says,
he who appoints the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,
who stirs up the sea
so that its waves roar—
the Lord Almighty is his name:
36“Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,”
declares the Lord,
“will Israel ever cease
being a nation before me.”
37This is what the Lord says:
“Only if the heavens above can be measured
and the foundations of the earth below be searched out
will I reject all the descendants of Israel
because of all they have done,”
declares the Lord.
38“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this city will be rebuilt for me from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39The measuring line will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. 40The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate, will be holy to the Lord. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.”
以色列人必回归
1耶和华说：“那时，我要做以色列各宗族的上帝，他们必做我的子民。
2“逃脱刀兵之灾的以色列人必在旷野蒙恩，
找到安息之所。
这是耶和华说的。”
3从前，耶和华向以色列31:3 “以色列”参照《七十士译本》，希伯来文作“我”。显现，说：
“我以永远的爱爱你，
我以不变的慈爱吸引你。
4少女以色列啊，
我要重建你，你必得到重建，
你要再次拿起铃鼓与欢乐的人一同跳舞。
5你将在撒玛利亚的山上重新栽种葡萄园，
栽种的人必享受园中的果实。
6有一天，守望者要在以法莲的山上呼喊，
‘来，我们上锡安朝见我们的上帝耶和华吧！’”
7耶和华说：
“你们要为雅各欢呼歌唱，
向列国之首喝采。
你们要传扬颂赞，说，
‘耶和华啊，
求你拯救你以色列剩余的子民！’
8看啊，我要从北方把他们带回来，
从地极招聚他们，
其中有瞎眼的、瘸腿的、孕妇和产妇，
他们要成群结队地回到这里。
9我必引领他们回来，
他们必一路含泪祷告。
我要使他们走在溪水边，
行在平坦的路上，
他们必不会跌倒，
因为我是以色列的父亲，
以法莲是我的长子。
10“列国啊，你们要听耶和华的话，
要在远方的海岛宣告，
‘驱散以色列的那位必聚集他们，
像牧人守护羊群一样守护他们。’
11因为耶和华必拯救雅各，
必从强敌手中救赎他们。
12他们必来到锡安山上欢呼，
为耶和华所赐的美物——五谷、新酒、
油、羔羊和牛犊而欢欣。
他们就像水源充足的田园，
不再愁苦。
13那时，少女要欢然起舞，
老人和青年要一起快乐。
我要使他们转忧为喜，
我要安慰他们，使他们欢喜，
不再愁苦。
14我要使祭司有充足的供应，
使我的子民饱享美物。
这是耶和华说的。”
15耶和华说：
“在拉玛有痛哭哀号的声音，
是拉结在为儿女哀恸，
不肯接受安慰，
因为他们都死了。”
16耶和华说：
“不要哭泣，不要流泪，
因为你的劳苦必有回报，
你的儿女必从敌国回来。
这是耶和华说的。
17你将来必有盼望，
你的儿女必重返家园。
这是耶和华说的。
18我听见以法莲31:18 “以法莲”是北国以色列的主要支派，常用来代指北国以色列。在为自己悲叹，
‘我们就像未经驯服的牛犊，
你管教我们，使我们顺服，
求你使我们回到你身边，
好恢复我们，
因为你是我们的上帝耶和华。
19我们离开你后就后悔了，
我们醒悟之后捶胸顿足，
因早年的所作所为而羞愧难当。’”
20耶和华说：“以法莲不是我的爱子吗？
他不是我喜悦的孩子吗？
我虽然常常责备他，
但仍然惦记着他。
我深深地想念他，
我必怜悯他。
21“以色列人啊，
你们要为自己设置路标，
竖起路牌，
牢记你们走过的大道。
以色列人啊，
回来吧！回到你们的城邑吧！
22背信的子民啊！
你们四处流浪要到何时呢？
耶和华在地上开辟了一件新事——女子将要护卫男子。”
23以色列的上帝——万军之耶和华说：“我使被掳的犹大人回到故乡后，他们要在犹大各城邑再次呼喊，
“‘公义的居所啊，
圣山啊，愿耶和华赐福给你！’
24“农夫和牧人必住在犹大的各城邑。 25我要使疲乏的人振作起来，使愁苦的人快乐起来。”
26这时，我醒过来，觉得这一觉实在香甜。
27耶和华说：“看啊，时候将到，我要使以色列和犹大人丁兴旺，牲畜繁多。 28我曾决意铲除、拆毁、推翻、剿灭他们，降灾给他们，将来我必塑造、栽培他们。这是耶和华说的。 29那时，人再不会说，
“‘父亲吃酸葡萄，
儿子的牙酸倒了。’
30因为各人都要因自己的罪而死，谁吃酸葡萄，谁的牙酸倒。” 31耶和华说：“看啊，时候将到，我要与以色列家和犹大家另立新约， 32这约不同于我与他们祖先所立的约，那是我牵着他们祖先的手领他们离开埃及时立的。虽然我是他们的丈夫，他们却违背了我的约。这是耶和华说的。”
33耶和华说：“那些日子以后，我将与以色列家立这样的约，我要把我的律法放在他们脑中，写在他们心上。我要做他们的上帝，他们要做我的子民。 34谁都无需再教导自己的邻居和弟兄，说，‘你要认识耶和华’，因为他们无论尊卑都必认识我。我要赦免他们的过犯，忘掉他们的罪恶。这是耶和华说的。”
35指定太阳白天照耀、
命令星月晚上发光、
搅动大海，使之波涛汹涌的万军之耶和华说：
36“只要天地之律还在，
以色列邦国必永续不断。
这是耶和华说的。”
37耶和华说：
“正如无人能量度高天，
探测大地的根基，
同样我也决不会因以色列人的所作所为而弃绝他们。
这是耶和华说的。”
38耶和华说：“看啊，时候将到，从哈楠业楼直到角门，整个耶路撒冷城要重建起来归给耶和华。 39城界要向外延伸到迦立山，再转到歌亚。 40抛尸、倒灰的整个山谷，以及从汲沦溪到东边马门拐角的所有田地都要归给耶和华作圣地，永不再被倾覆、毁灭。”
