22. Will you ever decideto be faithful?I will make sure that some daythings will be different,as different as a womanprotecting a man.
23. The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, said:I promise to set the people of Judah free and to lead them back to their home towns. And when I do, they will once again say,“We pray that the Lordwill bless his home,the sacred hill in Jerusalemwhere his temple stands.”
24. The people will live in Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah. Some will be farmers, and others will be shepherds.
25. Those who feel tired and worn out will find new life and energy,
26. and when they sleep, they will wake up refreshed.
27. Some day, Israel and Judah will be my field where my people and their livestock will grow.
28. In the past, I took care to uproot them, to tear them down, and to destroy them. But when that day comes, I will take care to plant them and help them grow.
29. No longer will anyone go around saying,“Sour grapes eaten by parentsleave a sour taste in the mouthsof their children.”
30. When that day comes, only those who eat sour grapes will get the sour taste, and only those who sin will be put to death.
31. The Lord said:The time will surely come when I will make a new agreement with the people of Israel and Judah.
32. It will be different from the agreement I made with their ancestors when I led them out of Egypt. Although I was their God, they broke that agreement.