The Lord Promises a Second Time to Restore Israel and Judah
1The
2“I, the
3‘Call on me in prayer and I will answer you. I will show you great and mysterious things which you still do not know about.’
4For I, the
5‘The defenders of the city will go out and fight with the Babylonians. But they will only fill those houses and buildings with the dead bodies of the people that I will kill in my anger and my wrath. That will happen because I have decided to turn my back on this city on account of the wicked things they have done.
6But I will most surely heal the wounds of this city and restore it and its people to health. I will show them abundant peace and security.
7I will restore Judah and Israel and will rebuild them as they were in days of old.
8I will purify them from all the sin that they committed against me. I will forgive all their sins which they committed in rebelling against me.
9All the nations will hear about all the good things which I will do to them. This city will bring me fame, honor, and praise before them for the joy that I bring it. The nations will tremble in awe at all the peace and prosperity that I will provide for it.’
10“I, the
11Once again there will be sounds of joy and gladness and the glad celebrations of brides and grooms. Once again people will bring their thank offerings to the temple of the
12“I, the
13I, the
The Lord Reaffirms His Covenant with David, Israel, and Levi
14“I, the
15In those days and at that time I will raise up for them a righteous descendant of David.
“‘He will do what is just and right in the land.
16Under his rule Judah will enjoy safety and Jerusalem will live in security. At that time Jerusalem will be called “The
17For I, the
18Nor will the Levitical priests ever lack someone to stand before me and continually offer up burnt offerings, sacrifice cereal offerings, and offer the other sacrifices.”’”
19The
20“I,
21could my covenant with my servant David and my covenant with the Levites ever be broken. So David will by all means always have a descendant to occupy his throne as king and the Levites will by all means always have priests who will minister before me.
22I will make the children who follow one another in the line of my servant David very numerous. I will also make the Levites who minister before me very numerous. I will make them all as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sands which are on the seashore.’”
23The
24“You have surely noticed what these people are saying, haven’t you? They are saying, ‘The
25But I, the
26Just as surely as I have done this, so surely will I never reject the descendants of Jacob. Nor will I ever refuse to choose one of my servant David’s descendants to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Indeed, I will restore them and show mercy to them.”