Israel's Return Home
1 The Lord says, “The time is coming when I will be the God of all the tribes of Israel, and they will be my people. 2 In the desert I showed mercy to those people who had escaped death. When the people of Israel longed for rest, 3 I appeared to them from far away. People of Israel, I have always loved you, so I continue to show you my constant love. 4 Once again I will rebuild you. Once again you will take up your tambourines and dance joyfully. 5 Once again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria, and those who plant them will eat what the vineyards produce. 6 Yes, the time is coming when sentries will call out on the hills of Ephraim, ‘Let's go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.’”
7 The Lord says,
“Sing with joy for Israel,
the greatest of the nations.
Sing your song of praise,
‘The Lord has saved his people;
he has rescued all who are left.’
8 I will bring them from the north
and gather them from the ends of the earth.
The blind and the lame will come with them,
pregnant women and those about to give birth.
They will come back a great nation.
9 My people will return weeping,
praying as I lead them back.
I will guide them to streams of water,
on a smooth road where they will not stumble.
I am like a father to Israel,
and Ephraim is my oldest son.”
10 The Lord says,
“Nations, listen to me
and proclaim my words on the far-off shores.
I scattered my people, but I will gather them
and guard them as a shepherd guards his flock.
11 I have set Israel's people free
and have saved them from a mighty nation.
12 They will come and sing for joy on Mount Zion
and be delighted with my gifts—
gifts of grain and wine and olive oil,
gifts of sheep and cattle.
They will be like a well-watered garden;
they will have everything they need.
13 Then the young women will dance and be happy,
and men, young and old, will rejoice.
I will comfort them and turn their mourning into joy,
their sorrow into gladness.
14 I will fill the priests with the richest food
and satisfy all the needs of my people.
I, the Lord, have spoken.”
The Lord's Mercy on Israel
15 The Lord says,
“A sound is heard in Ramah,
the sound of bitter weeping.
Rachel is crying for her children;
they are gone,
and she refuses to be comforted.
16 Stop your crying
and wipe away your tears.
All that you have done for your children
will not go unrewarded;
they will return from the enemy's land.
17 There is hope for your future;
your children will come back home.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
18 “I hear the people of Israel say in grief,
‘Lord, we were like an untamed animal,
but you taught us to obey.
Bring us back;
we are ready to return to you,
the Lord our God.
19 We turned away from you,
but soon we wanted to return.
After you had punished us,
we hung our heads in grief.
We were ashamed and disgraced
because we sinned when we were young.’
20 “Israel, you are my dearest child,
the one I love best.
Whenever I mention your name,
I think of you with love.
My heart goes out to you;
I will be merciful.
21 Set up signs and mark the road;
find again the way by which you left.
Come back, people of Israel,
come home to the towns you left.
22 How long will you hesitate, faithless people?
I have created something new and different,
as different as a woman protecting a man.”
The Future Prosperity of God's People
23 The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says, “When I restore the people to their land, they will once again say in the land of Judah and in its towns,
‘May the Lord bless the sacred hill of Jerusalem,
the holy place where he lives.’
24 People will live in Judah and in all its towns, and there will be farmers, and shepherds with their flocks. 25 I will refresh those who are weary and will satisfy with food everyone who is weak from hunger. 26 So then, people will say, ‘I went to sleep and woke up refreshed.’
27 “I, the Lord, say that the time is coming when I will fill the land of Israel and Judah with people and animals. 28 And just as I took care to uproot, to pull down, to overthrow, to destroy, and to demolish them, so I will take care to plant them and to build them up. 29 When that time comes, people will no longer say,
‘The parents ate the sour grapes,
But the children got the sour taste.’
30 Instead, those who eat sour grapes will have their own teeth set on edge; and everyone will die because of their own sin.”
31 The Lord says, “The time is coming when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 32 It will not be like the old covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. Although I was like a husband to them, they did not keep that covenant. 33 The new covenant that I will make with the people of Israel will be this: I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 None of them will have to teach a neighbor to know the Lord, because all will know me, from the least to the greatest. I will forgive their sins and I will no longer remember their wrongs. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
35 The Lord provides the sun for light by day,
the moon and the stars to shine at night.
He stirs up the sea and makes it roar;
his name is the Lord Almighty.
36 He promises that as long as the natural order lasts,
so long will Israel be a nation.
37 If one day the sky could be measured
and the foundations of the earth explored,
only then would he reject the people of Israel
because of all they have done.
The Lord has spoken.
38 “The time is coming,” says the Lord, “when all of Jerusalem will be rebuilt as my city, from Hananel Tower west to the Corner Gate. 39 And the boundary line will continue from there on the west to the hill of Gareb and then around to Goah. 40 The entire valley, where the dead are buried and garbage is dumped, and all the fields above Kidron Brook as far as the Horse Gate to the east, will be sacred to me. The city will never again be torn down or destroyed.”
Skumjas tiks vērstas priekā
1 “Tajā laikā,” saka Kungs, “es būšu Dievs visām Israēla ciltīm, un tās būs mana tauta!
2 Tā saka Kungs:
tuksnesī atrada vēlību
tauta, kas izbēga zobena, –
Israēls dodas uz rimtu vietu.”
3 No tālienes parādījās Kungs:
“Ar mūžīgu mīlestību
es mīlēju tevi,
tādēļ bez mitas
es žēloju tevi.
4 Atkal pacelšu tevi,
un tu pacelsies,
jaunava Israēla!
Atkal tu zvārguļiem rotāsies
un līksmi aplī diesi!
5 Atkal tu stādīsi vīnadārzus
Samarijas kalnos,
tur stādīs un baudīs vīnu!
6 Jo nāks diena,
kad vergi sauks
Efraima kalnā:
celieties, iesim uz Ciānu,
pie Kunga, mūsu Dieva! –
7 Jo tā saka Kungs:
ar prieku apdziediet Jēkabu
un gavilējiet par pirmo starp tautām!
Skandiniet, slavējiet, sakiet:
Kungs, glāb savu tautu,
Israēla pārpalikumu! –
8 Redzi, es vedīšu viņus
no ziemeļu zemes,
no zemes nostūriem
viņus sapulcināšu –
aklu un tizlu,
gan grūto, gan dzemdētāju,
kā liels pulks
viņi nāks uz šejieni atpakaļ!
9 Ar raudām tie nāks,
un ar mierinājumu es viņus vedīšu,
es vadīšu viņus pie ūdens strautiem,
pa taisnu ceļu, kur tie neklups,
jo es būšu Israēlam tēvs,
un Efraims ir mans pirmdzimtais!
10 Tautas, klausieties Kunga vārdu,
stāstiet par to tālās salās,
sakiet: tas, kurš izklīdināja Israēlu,
atkal to sapulcēs kopā
un sargās to kā gans savu ganāmpulku!
11 Jo Kungs ir izpircis Jēkabu,
no stiprākas rokas atpircis viņu!
12 Viņi nāks un dziedās Ciānas kalnos,
viņi tecēs pie Kunga labuma,
pie labības, vīna un eļļas
un pie jēriem, un pie teļiem, –
viņu dvēseles būs kā padzirdīts dārzs,
tiem vairs nenāksies nīkt.
13 Tad jaunavas priecāsies dejā
kopā ar večiem un jaunekļiem,
viņu sēras es vērtīšu līksmē,
es mierināšu,
es priecēšu viņu no rūpēm!
14 Ar treknumu es dzirdīšu
priestera dvēseli,
un savu tautu
ar savu labumu sātināšu! –
saka Kungs.
15 Tā saka Kungs:
Rāmā dzird žēlabu dziesmu –
raudas un rūgtums!
Rāhēle raud par saviem dēliem,
liedzas mierināties
par saviem dēliem,
jo viņu vairs nav!”
16 Tā saka Kungs:
“Liedz savai balsij raudas
un asaras acīm,
jo tavam darbam būs alga,
saka Kungs,
viņi atgriezīsies no naidnieka zemes!
17 Tavai nākotnei ir cerība,
saka Kungs,
tavi dēli atgriezīsies savā zemē!
18 Dzirdēt es dzirdēju Efraimu īdam:
tu mani pārmācīji,
es tiku pārmācīts
kā dumja tele!
Ved mani atpakaļ,
un es atgriezīšos,
jo tu esi Kungs, mans Dievs!
19 Kad es novērsos,
tad es rimos!
Kad man lika zināt,
tad sērodams situ uz gurniem:
es apkaunots, es bez goda,
jo savas jaunības izsmieklu nesu!
20 Vai Efraims nav man mīļš dēls,
vai nav tīkams bērns?
Lai cik viņu lamāju,
taču vienmēr viņu atceros!
Viņa dēļ man trīs iekšas,
žēlot es žēlošu viņu!”
saka Kungs.
21 “Uzliec rādītāja akmeni,
uzslej sev ceļrāža stabu!
Ved savu sirdi pa stingru ceļu,
pa ceļu, kuru tu iesi,
atgriezies, jaunava Israēla,
atgriezies savās pilsētās!
22 Cik ilgi vēl mīņāsies,
atkritusī meita?!
Šai zemei Kungs jau devis citu sievu,
kas protas aptecēt vīru!”
23 Tā saka Pulku Kungs, Israēla Dievs: “Kad es atvedīšu atpakaļ gūstekņus, tad Jūdas zemē un pilsētās tie atkal teiks šos vārdus:
esi svētīts, tu, Kungs!
Tu taisnības pļava!
Tu svētuma kalns! –
24 Tur mitīs Jūda kopā ar visām pilsētām un zemnieki, un tie, kas ar ganāmpulkiem klejo. 25 Es padzirdīšu gurušu dvēseli, ik tvīkstošu dvēseli es piepildīšu!” 26 Tad es pamodos un palūkojos, mans miegs bija salds.
Ikviens ir atbildīgs par paša darbiem
27 “Redzi, nāk dienas,” saka Kungs, “un es sēšu Israēla namā un Jūdas namā cilvēka sēklu un lopa sēklu! 28 Un, kā es tos uzlūkoju, lai rautu un plēstu, lai plosītu un izdeldētu un lai darītu ļaunu, tā es tos uzlūkošu, lai celtu un lai stādītu,” saka Kungs.
29 Tajās dienās viņi vairs neteiks:
tēvi ēda skābas vīnogas,
bet dēliem notrula zobi! –
30 Bet ikviens mirs savas vainas dēļ, un zobi notruls tam cilvēkam, kas pats skābas vīnogas ēdis!
Jauna derība
31 “Redzi, nāk dienas,” saka Kungs, “kad es slēgšu jaunu derību ar Israēla namu un Jūdas namu. 32 Ne tādu derību, ko es slēdzu ar viņu tēviem todien, kad ņēmu tos pie rokas, lai izvestu no Ēģiptes zemes, – viņi lauza manu derību, lai gan pār tiem valdīju, saka Kungs. 33 Pēc šīm dienām ar Israēla namu es slēgšu šādu derību, saka Kungs, es došu viņiem savu bauslību, es rakstīšu to viņu sirdīs, un es būšu viņiem Dievs, un viņi būs mana tauta. 34 Neviens vairs nepamācīs nedz savu tuvāko, nedz savu brāli, sacīdams: pazīstiet Kungu! – jo viņi visi mani pazīs, no maza līdz lielam, saka Kungs, es piedošu viņu vainas un viņu grēkus vairs nepieminēšu!”
35 Tā saka Kungs,
kas dienā dod gaismai sauli
un mēness un zvaigžņu kārtību
gaismai naktī,
kas viļņo jūru,
ka tā krāc viļņus, –
Pulku Kungs ir viņa vārds!
36 “Ja šie mani likumi beigtos,”
saka Kungs,
“tik tad beigtos Israēla dzimums,
tik tad tie nemūžam vairs nebūtu mana tauta!”
37 Tā saka Kungs:
“Ja var izmērīt debesis augšā,
ja var izmērīt zemes pamatus apakšā,
tik tad es atmetīšu visu Israēla dzimumu
dēļ visa, ko viņi darījuši,
saka Kungs.
38 Redzi, nāk dienas, saka Kungs, kad Kungam tiks uzcelta pilsēta – no Hananēla torņa līdz Stūra vārtiem, 39 un mēraukla ies līdz Gārēba pakalnam un tad tiks pagriezta uz Gou, 40 un visa līķu un pelnu paleja un visas āres līdz Kidronas strautam un līdz Zirgu vārtiem uz austrumiem būs svētas Kungam! Te nemūžam vairs negraus un neplēsīs!”
