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.”
以色列人必回歸
1耶和華說：「那時，我要做以色列各宗族的上帝，他們必做我的子民。
2「逃脫刀兵之災的以色列人必在曠野蒙恩，
找到安息之所。
這是耶和華說的。」
3從前，耶和華向以色列31·3 「以色列」參照《七十士譯本》，希伯來文作「我」。顯現，說：
「我以永遠的愛愛你，
我以不變的慈愛吸引你。
4少女以色列啊，
我要重建你，你必得到重建，
你要再次拿起鈴鼓與歡樂的人一同跳舞。
5你將在撒瑪利亞的山上重新栽種葡萄園，
栽種的人必享受園中的果實。
6有一天，守望者要在以法蓮的山上呼喊，
『來，我們上錫安朝見我們的上帝耶和華吧！』」
7耶和華說：
「你們要為雅各歡呼歌唱，
向列國之首喝采。
你們要傳揚頌讚，說，
『耶和華啊，
求你拯救你以色列剩餘的子民！』
8看啊，我要從北方把他們帶回來，
從地極招聚他們，
其中有瞎眼的、瘸腿的、孕婦和產婦，
他們要成群結隊地回到這裡。
9我必引領他們回來，
他們必一路含淚禱告。
我要使他們走在溪水邊，
行在平坦的路上，
他們必不會跌倒，
因為我是以色列的父親，
以法蓮是我的長子。
10「列國啊，你們要聽耶和華的話，
要在遠方的海島宣告，
『驅散以色列的那位必聚集他們，
像牧人守護羊群一樣守護他們。』
11因為耶和華必拯救雅各，
必從強敵手中救贖他們。
12他們必來到錫安山上歡呼，
為耶和華所賜的美物——五穀、新酒、
油、羔羊和牛犢而歡欣。
他們就像水源充足的田園，
不再愁苦。
13那時，少女要歡然起舞，
老人和青年要一起快樂。
我要使他們轉憂為喜，
我要安慰他們，使他們歡喜，
不再愁苦。
14我要使祭司有充足的供應，
使我的子民飽享美物。
這是耶和華說的。」
15耶和華說：
「在拉瑪有痛哭哀號的聲音，
是拉結在為兒女哀慟，
不肯接受安慰，
因為他們都死了。」
16耶和華說：
「不要哭泣，不要流淚，
因為你的勞苦必有回報，
你的兒女必從敵國回來。
這是耶和華說的。
17你將來必有盼望，
你的兒女必重返家園。
這是耶和華說的。
18我聽見以法蓮31·18 「以法蓮」是北國以色列的主要支派，常用來代指北國以色列。在為自己悲歎，
『我們就像未經馴服的牛犢，
你管教我們，使我們順服，
求你使我們回到你身邊，
好恢復我們，
因為你是我們的上帝耶和華。
19我們離開你後就後悔了，
我們醒悟之後捶胸頓足，
因早年的所作所為而羞愧難當。』」
20耶和華說：「以法蓮不是我的愛子嗎？
他不是我喜悅的孩子嗎？
我雖然常常責備他，
但仍然惦記著他。
我深深地想念他，
我必憐憫他。
21「以色列人啊，
你們要為自己設置路標，
豎起路牌，
牢記你們走過的大道。
以色列人啊，
回來吧！回到你們的城邑吧！
22背信的子民啊！
你們四處流浪要到何時呢？
耶和華在地上開闢了一件新事——女子將要護衛男子。」
23以色列的上帝——萬軍之耶和華說：「我使被擄的猶大人回到故鄉後，他們要在猶大各城邑再次呼喊，
「『公義的居所啊，
聖山啊，願耶和華賜福給你！』
24「農夫和牧人必住在猶大的各城邑。 25我要使疲乏的人振作起來，使愁苦的人快樂起來。」
26這時，我醒過來，覺得這一覺實在香甜。
27耶和華說：「看啊，時候將到，我要使以色列和猶大人丁興旺，牲畜繁多。 28我曾決意剷除、拆毀、推翻、剿滅他們，降災給他們，將來我必塑造、栽培他們。這是耶和華說的。 29那時，人再不會說，
「『父親吃酸葡萄，
兒子的牙酸倒了。』
30因為各人都要因自己的罪而死，誰吃酸葡萄，誰的牙酸倒。」 31耶和華說：「看啊，時候將到，我要與以色列家和猶大家另立新約， 32這約不同於我與他們祖先所立的約，那是我牽著他們祖先的手領他們離開埃及時立的。雖然我是他們的丈夫，他們卻違背了我的約。這是耶和華說的。」
33耶和華說：「那些日子以後，我將與以色列家立這樣的約，我要把我的律法放在他們腦中，寫在他們心上。我要作他們的上帝，他們要作我的子民。 34誰都無需再教導自己的鄰居和弟兄，說，『你要認識耶和華』，因為他們無論尊卑都必認識我。我要赦免他們的過犯，忘掉他們的罪惡。這是耶和華說的。」
35指定太陽白天照耀、
命令星月晚上發光、
攪動大海，使之波濤洶湧的萬軍之耶和華說：
36「只要天地之律還在，
以色列邦國必永續不斷。
這是耶和華說的。」
37耶和華說：
「正如無人能量度高天，
探測大地的根基，
同樣我也決不會因以色列人的所作所為而棄絕他們。
這是耶和華說的。」
38耶和華說：「看啊，時候將到，從哈楠業樓直到角門，整個耶路撒冷城要重建起來歸給耶和華。 39城界要向外延伸到迦立山，再轉到歌亞。 40拋屍、倒灰的整個山谷，以及從汲淪溪到東邊馬門拐角的所有田地都要歸給耶和華作聖地，永不再被傾覆、毀滅。」
