In those days the nation of Judah will live with the nation of Israel. They will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave their ancestors as their own property.
Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I’m going to give this land to your descendants.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not keep them.” Bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the ends of the earth.
But they will say, ‘The Lord brought the people of Israel out of the land of the north and all the lands where he had scattered them. As the Lord lives….’ They will say this because I will bring them back to the land that I gave their ancestors.
Instead, their oaths will be, ‘The Lord brought the descendants of the nation of Israel out of the land of the north and all the lands where he had scattered them. As the Lord lives….’ At that time they will live in their own land.
Go and proclaim these things to the north: “ ‘Come back, unfaithful Israel. It is the Lord speaking. I will no longer frown on you because I’m merciful,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will no longer be angry with you.
The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity. I will bring them back to the land that I gave their ancestors, and they will take possession of it.”
“I will bring them from the land of the north. I will gather them from the farthest parts of the earth. Blind people and lame people will return together with pregnant women and those in labor. A large crowd will return here.
In those days and at that time,” declares the Lord, “people will look for Israel’s crimes, but they will find none. They will look for Judah’s sins, but none will be found. I will forgive the faithful few whom I have spared.
They will ask which road goes to Zion and turn in that direction. They will go there to make a permanent agreement with the Lord. It will not be forgotten.
“So tell them, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: I will bring them together from the nations and gather them from the countries where I’ve scattered them. I will give them the land of Israel.
The people of Judah and Israel will be gathered together. They will appoint one leader for themselves, and they will grow in the land. The day of Jezreel will be a great day.
“Plead with your mother; plead with her. She no longer acts like my wife. She no longer treats me like her husband. Tell her to stop acting like a prostitute. Tell her to remove the lovers from between her breasts.
“I will strengthen the people of Judah. I will rescue Joseph’s people. I will bring them back, because I have compassion for them. It will be as though I had never rejected them, because I am the Lord their God, and I will answer them.