1. The Lord, the God of Israel,
2. said to me: “Write down in a book everything that I have told you,
3. because the time is coming when I will restore my people, Israel and Judah. I will bring them back to the land that I gave their ancestors, and they will take possession of it again. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
4. The Lord says to the people of Israel and Judah:
5. “I heard a cry of terror,a cry of fear and not of peace.
6. Now stop and think!Can a man give birth to a child?Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomachlike a woman in labour?Why is everyone so pale?
7. A terrible day is coming;no other day can compare with it —a time of distress for my people,but they will survive.”
8. The Lord Almighty says: “When that day comes, I will break the yoke that is round their necks and remove their chains, and they will no longer be the slaves of foreigners.
9. Instead, they will serve me, the Lord their God, and a descendant of David, whom I will enthrone as king.
10. “My people, do not be afraid;people of Israel, do not be terrified.I will rescue you from that distant land,from the land where you are prisoners.You will come back home and live in peace;you will be secure, and no one will make you afraid.
11. I will come to you and save you.I will destroy all the nationswhere I have scattered you,but I will not destroy you.I will not let you go unpunished;but when I punish you, I will be fair.I, the Lord, have spoken.”
12. The Lord says to his people,“Your wounds are incurable,your injuries cannot be healed.
13. There is no one to take care of you,no remedy for your sores,no hope of healing for you.