You will see, your heart will rejoice, and your bones will flourish like grass. So the hand of Adonai will be known to His servants, and His indignation to His enemies.
He began his aliyah from Babylon on the first day of the first month and entered Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, because the good hand of his God was upon him.
Now as the good hand of our God was upon us, they brought us Sherebiah, a man of insight from the sons of Mahli, son of Levi, son of Israel, along with his sons and his brothers, 18 men.
For I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and cavalry to protect us from the enemy along the way, because we had spoken to the king saying, “The gracious hand of our God is upon everyone who seeks Him, but His great anger is against everyone who forsakes Him.”
Then we set out from the Ahava River on the twelfth day of the first month to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was upon us and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the way.
Yet it will be: “Your dead will live! My corpses will rise! Awake and shout for joy, you who dwell in the dust! Your dew is like the dew of the dawn. The land of dead souls will come to life!
Look upon Zion, city of our Festivals. Your eyes will see Jerusalem as a quiet home, a tent that will never be folded, Its stakes never pulled up, its cords never broken.
It will blossom profusely, will rejoice with joy and singing, will be given the glory of Lebanon, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of Adonai, the splendor of our God.
Then Adonai will guide you continually, satisfy your soul in drought and strengthen your bones. You will be like a watered garden, like a spring of water whose waters never fail.
Hear the word of Adonai, you who tremble at His word: “Your brothers who hated you, excluding you for My Name’s sake, have said, ‘Let Adonai be glorified, that we may see your joy’— but they will be put to shame.”
The Ephraimites will be like a warrior. Their hearts will be glad as with wine. Their children will see and be glad. Their hearts will rejoice in Adonai.