“‘Cries of fear^(E) are heard—
    terror, not peace.
⁶ Ask and see:
    Can a man bear children?
Then why do I see every strong man
    with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor,^(F)
    every face turned deathly pale?^(G)
7 How awful that day^(H) will be!
    No other will be like it.
It will be a time of trouble^(I) for Jacob,
    but he will be saved^(J) out of it.

⁸ “‘In that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty,
    ‘I will break the yoke^(K) off their necks
and will tear off their bonds;^(L)
    no longer will foreigners enslave them.^(M)
9 Instead, they will serve the Lord their God
    and David^(N) their king,^(O)
    whom I will raise up for them.

¹⁰ “‘So do not be afraid,^(P) Jacob my servant;^(Q)
    do not be dismayed, Israel,’
declares the Lord.
‘I will surely save^(R) you out of a distant place,
    your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,^(S)
    and no one will make him afraid.^(T)
11 I am with you^(U) and will save you,’
    declares the Lord.
‘Though I completely destroy all the nations
    among which I scatter you,
    I will not completely destroy^(V) you.
I will discipline^(W) you but only in due measure;
    I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’^(X)

“‘Your wound^(Y) is incurable,
    your injury beyond healing.^(Z)
13 There is no one to plead your cause,^(AA)
    no remedy for your sore,
    no healing^(AB) for you.
¹⁴ All your allies^(AC) have forgotten you;
    they care nothing for you.
I have struck you as an enemy^(AD) would
    and punished you as would the cruel,^(AE)
because your guilt is so great
    and your sins^(AF) so many.
¹⁵ Why do you cry out over your wound,
    your pain that has no cure?^(AG)
Because of your great guilt and many sins
    I have done these things to you.^(AH)

¹⁶ “‘But all who devour^(AI) you will be devoured;
    all your enemies will go into exile.^(AJ)
Those who plunder^(AK) you will be plundered;
    all who make spoil of you I will despoil.
¹⁷ But I will restore you to health
    and heal^(AL) your wounds,’
declares the Lord,
‘because you are called an outcast,^(AM)
    Zion for whom no one cares.’^(AN)

“‘I will restore the fortunes^(AO) of Jacob’s tents^(AP)
    and have compassion^(AQ) on his dwellings;
the city will be rebuilt^(AR) on her ruins,
    and the palace will stand in its proper place.
¹⁹ From them will come songs^(AS) of thanksgiving^(AT)
    and the sound of rejoicing.^(AU)
I will add to their numbers,^(AV)
    and they will not be decreased;
I will bring them honor,^(AW)
    and they will not be disdained.
²⁰ Their children^(AX) will be as in days of old,
    and their community will be established^(AY) before me;
    I will punish^(AZ) all who oppress them.
²¹ Their leader^(BA) will be one of their own;
    their ruler will arise from among them.^(BB)
I will bring him near^(BC) and he will come close to me—
    for who is he who will devote himself
    to be close to me?’
declares the Lord.
²² “‘So you will be my people,^(BD)
    and I will be your God.^(BE)’”

²³ See, the storm^(BF) of the Lord
    will burst out in wrath,
a driving wind swirling down
    on the heads of the wicked.
²⁴ The fierce anger^(BG) of the Lord will not turn back^(BH)
    until he fully accomplishes
    the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
    you will understand^(BI) this.

“The people who survive the sword
    will find favor^(B) in the wilderness;
    I will come to give rest^(C) to Israel.”

“I have loved^(D) you with an everlasting love;
    I have drawn^(E) you with unfailing kindness.
⁴ I will build you up again,
    and you, Virgin^(F) Israel, will be rebuilt.^(G)
Again you will take up your timbrels^(H)
    and go out to dance^(I) with the joyful.^(J)
5 Again you will plant^(K) vineyards
    on the hills of Samaria;^(L)
the farmers will plant them
    and enjoy their fruit.^(M)
6 There will be a day when watchmen^(N) cry out
    on the hills of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Zion,
    to the Lord our God.’”^(O)

“Sing^(P) with joy for Jacob;
    shout for the foremost^(Q) of the nations.
Make your praises heard, and say,
    ‘Lord, save^(R) your people,
    the remnant^(S) of Israel.’
⁸ See, I will bring them from the land of the north^(T)
    and gather^(U) them from the ends of the earth.
Among them will be the blind^(V) and the lame,^(W)
    expectant mothers and women in labor;
    a great throng will return.
⁹ They will come with weeping;^(X)
    they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead^(Y) them beside streams of water^(Z)
    on a level^(AA) path where they will not stumble,
because I am Israel’s father,^(AB)
    and Ephraim is my firstborn son.

¹⁰ “Hear the word of the Lord, you nations;
    proclaim it in distant coastlands:^(AC)
‘He who scattered^(AD) Israel will gather^(AE) them
    and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’^(AF)
11 For the Lord will deliver Jacob
    and redeem^(AG) them from the hand of those stronger^(AH) than they.
¹² They will come and shout for joy^(AI) on the heights^(AJ) of Zion;
    they will rejoice in the bounty^(AK) of the Lord—
the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,^(AL)
    the young of the flocks^(AM) and herds.
They will be like a well-watered garden,^(AN)
    and they will sorrow^(AO) no more.
¹³ Then young women will dance and be glad,
    young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning^(AP) into gladness;
    I will give them comfort^(AQ) and joy^(AR) instead of sorrow.
¹⁴ I will satisfy^(AS) the priests^(AT) with abundance,
    and my people will be filled with my bounty,^(AU)”
declares the Lord.

“A voice is heard in Ramah,^(AV)
    mourning and great weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children
    and refusing to be comforted,^(AW)
    because they are no more.”^(AX)

“Restrain your voice from weeping
    and your eyes from tears,^(AY)
for your work will be rewarded,^(AZ)”
declares the Lord.
    “They will return^(BA) from the land of the enemy.
¹⁷ So there is hope^(BB) for your descendants,”
declares the Lord.
    “Your children^(BC) will return to their own land.

¹⁸ “I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:
    ‘You disciplined^(BD) me like an unruly calf,^(BE)
    and I have been disciplined.
Restore^(BF) me, and I will return,
    because you are the Lord my God.
¹⁹ After I strayed,^(BG)
    I repented;
after I came to understand,
    I beat^(BH) my breast.
I was ashamed^(BI) and humiliated
    because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’^(BJ)
20 Is not Ephraim my dear son,
    the child^(BK) in whom I delight?
Though I often speak against him,
    I still remember^(BL) him.
Therefore my heart yearns for him;
    I have great compassion^(BM) for him,”
declares the Lord.

²¹ “Set up road signs;
    put up guideposts.^(BN)
Take note of the highway,^(BO)
    the road that you take.
Return,^(BP) Virgin^(BQ) Israel,
    return to your towns.
²² How long will you wander,^(BR)
    unfaithful^(BS) Daughter Israel?
The Lord will create a new thing^(BT) on earth—
    the woman will return to^[b](BU) the man.”

‘The parents^(CK) have eaten sour grapes,
    and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’^(CL)

³¹ “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
    “when I will make a new covenant^(CN)
with the people of Israel
    and with the people of Judah.
³² It will not be like the covenant^(CO)
    I made with their ancestors^(CP)
when I took them by the hand
    to lead them out of Egypt,^(CQ)
because they broke my covenant,
    though I was a husband^(CR) to^[d] them,^[e]”
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^(CS)
    and write it on their hearts.^(CT)
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.^(CU)
34 No longer will they teach^(CV) their neighbor,
    or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know^(CW) me,
    from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive^(CX) their wickedness
    and will remember their sins^(CY) no more.”

he who appoints^(CZ) the sun
    to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
    to shine by night,^(DA)
who stirs up the sea^(DB)
    so that its waves roar^(DC)—
    the Lord Almighty is his name:^(DD)
36 “Only if these decrees^(DE) vanish from my sight,”
    declares the Lord,
“will Israel^(DF) ever cease
    being a nation before me.”

“Only if the heavens above can be measured^(DG)
    and the foundations of the earth below be searched out
will I reject^(DH) all the descendants of Israel
    because of all they have done,”
declares the Lord.

⁵ How long,^(J) Lord? Will you be angry^(K) forever?
    How long will your jealousy burn like fire?^(L)
6 Pour out your wrath^(M) on the nations
    that do not acknowledge^(N) you,
on the kingdoms
    that do not call on your name;^(O)
7 for they have devoured^(P) Jacob
    and devastated his homeland.

⁸ Do not hold against us the sins of past generations;^(Q)
    may your mercy come quickly to meet us,
    for we are in desperate need.^(R)
9 Help us,^(S) God our Savior,
    for the glory of your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins
    for your name’s sake.^(T)
10 Why should the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”^(U)

Before our eyes, make known among the nations
    that you avenge^(V) the outpoured blood^(W) of your servants.
¹¹ May the groans of the prisoners come before you;
    with your strong arm preserve those condemned to die.
¹² Pay back into the laps^(X) of our neighbors seven times^(Y)
    the contempt they have hurled at you, Lord.
¹³ Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,^(Z)
    will praise you forever;^(AA)
from generation to generation
    we will proclaim your praise.

² for gaining wisdom and instruction;
    for understanding words of insight;
³ for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
    doing what is right and just and fair;
⁴ for giving prudence to those who are simple,^[a](D)
    knowledge and discretion^(E) to the young—
⁵ let the wise listen and add to their learning,^(F)
    and let the discerning get guidance—
⁶ for understanding proverbs and parables,^(G)
    the sayings and riddles^(H) of the wise.^[b](I)

⁷ The fear of the Lord^(J) is the beginning of knowledge,
    but fools^[c] despise wisdom^(K) and instruction.^(L)

¹⁰ My son, if sinful men entice^(Q) you,
    do not give in^(R) to them.^(S)
11 If they say, “Come along with us;
    let’s lie in wait^(T) for innocent blood,
    let’s ambush some harmless soul;
¹² let’s swallow^(U) them alive, like the grave,
    and whole, like those who go down to the pit;^(V)
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things
    and fill our houses with plunder;
¹⁴ cast lots with us;
    we will all share the loot^(W)”—
¹⁵ my son, do not go along with them,
    do not set foot^(X) on their paths;^(Y)
16 for their feet rush into evil,^(Z)
    they are swift to shed blood.^(AA)
17 How useless to spread a net
    where every bird can see it!
¹⁸ These men lie in wait^(AB) for their own blood;
    they ambush only themselves!^(AC)
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
    it takes away the life of those who get it.^(AD)

²² “How long will you who are simple^(AF) love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate^(AG) knowledge?
²³ Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.
²⁴ But since you refuse^(AH) to listen when I call^(AI)
    and no one pays attention^(AJ) when I stretch out my hand,
²⁵ since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
²⁶ I in turn will laugh^(AK) when disaster^(AL) strikes you;
    I will mock^(AM) when calamity overtakes you^(AN)—
²⁷ when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster^(AO) sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

²⁸ “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;^(AP)
    they will look for me but will not find me,^(AQ)
29 since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.^(AR)
30 Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,^(AS)
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.^(AT)
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;^(AU)
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety^(AV)
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.”^(AW)