People in those places will sing songs of praise. There will be the sound of laughter. I will give them many children so their number will not be small. I will bring honor to them so no one will look down on them.
I will increase the number of people who live on you, all the people of Israel. The cities will have people living in them, and the ruins will be rebuilt.
I will increase the number of people and animals living on you. They will grow and have many young. You will have people living on you as you did before, and I will make you better off than at the beginning. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
I will plant my people in the land, and I will show pity to the one I had called ‘not shown pity.’ I will say, ‘You are my people’ to those I had called ‘not my people.’ And they will say to me, ‘You are our God.’ ”
The Lord your God will make you successful in everything you do. You will have many children, your cattle will have many calves, and your fields will produce good crops, because the Lord will again be happy with you, just as he was with your ancestors.