"Again,proclaim,saying,'Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,"My citieswill againoverflowwith prosperity,and the LORDwill againcomfortZionand againchooseJerusalem."'"
but I have chosenJerusalemthat My namemight be there,and I have chosenDavidto be overMy peopleIsrael.'
The restof Israel,of the priests[and] of the Levites,[were] in allthe citiesof Judah,eachon his own inheritance.
Now theseare the headsof the provinceswholivedin Jerusalem,but in the citiesof Judaheachlivedon his own propertyin their cities--the Israelites,the priests,the Levites,the templeservantsand the descendantsof Solomon'sservants.
For Godwill saveZionand buildthe citiesof Judah,That they may dwellthereand possessit.
Whenthe LORDwill havecompassionon Jacoband againchooseIsrael,and settlethem in their own land,then strangerswill jointhem and attachthemselves to the houseof Jacob.
Confirmingthe wordof His servantAnd performingthe purposeof His messengers.[It is I] who saysof Jerusalem,'She shall be inhabited!'And of the citiesof Judah,They shall be built.'And I will raiseup her ruins[again].
Shoutfor joy,O heavens!And rejoice,O earth!Breakforthinto joyfulshouting,O mountains!For the LORDhas comfortedHis peopleAnd will havecompassionon His afflicted.
"I, even I, am He who comfortsyou. Whoare you that you are afraidof manwho diesAnd of the sonof manwho is madelike grass,
Indeed,the LORDwill comfortZion;He will comfortallher wasteplaces.And her wildernessHe will makelike Eden,And her desertlike the gardenof the LORD;Joyand gladnesswill be foundin her, Thanksgivingand soundof a melody.
Breakforth,shoutjoyfullytogether,You wasteplacesof Jerusalem;For the LORDhas comfortedHis people,He has redeemedJerusalem.
"In an outburstof angerI hidMy facefrom you for a moment,But with everlastinglovingkindnessI will havecompassionon you," Saysthe LORDyour Redeemer.
"As onewhomhis mothercomforts,soI will comfortyou; And you will be comfortedin Jerusalem."
"Thenthe virginwill rejoicein the dance,And the youngmenand the old,together,For I will turntheir mourninginto joyAnd will comfortthem and givethem joyfor their sorrow.
In the citiesof the hillcountry,in the citiesof the lowland,in the citiesof the Negev,in the landof Benjamin,in the environsof Jerusalemand in the citiesof Judah,the flockswill againpassunderthe handsof the one who numbersthem,' saysthe LORD.
It will be to Me a nameof joy,praiseand glorybefore allthe nationsof the earthwhichwill hearof allthe goodthat I dofor them, and they will fearand tremblebecauseof allthe goodand allthe peacethat I makefor it.'
Thussaysthe LordGOD,"On the daythat I cleanseyou from allyour iniquities,I will cause the citiesto be inhabited,and the wasteplaceswill be rebuilt.
"Also I will restorethe captivityof My peopleIsrael,And they will rebuildthe ruinedcitiesand live[in them]; They will also plantvineyardsand drinktheir wine,And makegardensand eattheir fruit.
And the exilesof thishostof the sonsof Israel,Whoare [among] the Canaanitesas faras Zarephath,And the exilesof Jerusalemwhoare in SepharadWill possessthe citiesof the Negev.
So the angelwho was speakingwith me saidto me, "Proclaim,saying,'Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,"I am exceedinglyjealousfor Jerusalemand Zion.
Then I liftedup my eyesand looked,and behold,[there were] fourhorns.
"The LORDwill possessJudahas His portionin the holyland,and will againchooseJerusalem.
and saidto him, "Run,speakto that youngman,saying,Jerusalemwill be inhabitedwithoutwallsbecauseof the multitudeof menand cattlewithinit.
The LORDsaidto Satan,"The LORDrebukeyou, Satan!Indeed, the LORDwho has chosenJerusalemrebukeyou! Is thisnot a brandpluckedfrom the fire?"
justas He choseus in Him beforethe foundationof the world,that we would be holyand blamelessbeforeHim. In love
