The promise that God will enable the Israeli people to prosper again

1While I was still being guarded in the courtyard of the palace, Yahweh gave me this second message:

2“This is what I, the one who made the earth, who formed/shaped it and put it in its place, say to the people of Jerusalem: ‘My name is Yahweh.

3Call out to me, and then I will tell you great and wonderful things that you have not known before.’

4This is what I, Yahweh, the God whom you Israeli people say you belong to, say: ‘The men in this city have torn down some of their houses, and even parts of the king’s palace, to get materials to strengthen the walls around the city, in order that the soldiers of Babylonia will not be able to break through the walls after they climb up the ramps that they have built against the walls, and kill the inhabitants with their swords.

5You are expecting to fight against the army from Babylonia, but what will happen is that the houses of this city will be filled with the corpses of the men of this city whom I will allow to be killed because I am extremely angry [DOU] with them. I have abandoned them because of all the wicked things that they have done.

6However, there will be a time when I will cause the people in this city to be healthy and strong again. I will enable them to be prosperous and have peace.

7I will bring the people of Judah and Israel back from the lands to which they were exiled. I will enable them to rebuild their towns.

8I will get rid of their guilt for all the sins that they have committed against me, and I will forgive them for their sin of rebelling against me.

9When that happens, all the nations of the world will rejoice, and they will praise me and honor me. They will hear about all the good things that I have done for this city and, because of that, they will revere me, and they will tremble because I have caused the people in this city to have peace and to prosper.’

10And this is also what I, Yahweh, say: ‘You people have said that this is a land where there are no longer any people or animals. But in the streets of Jerusalem that are now completely empty [DOU], and in the other towns in Judah,

11some day people will again be happy and laugh. Brides and bridegrooms will again sing joyfully. And many other people will also sing joyfully as they bring their offerings to me to thank me for what I have done for them. They will sing this song: “We thank you, the Commander of the armies of angels, because you are good to us.
You faithfully love us forever.” They will sing that because I will cause the people of this land to be as prosperous as they were before.’

12This land is now desolate. There are no people or animals living here. But I, the Commander of the armies of angels, say this: ‘In this land there will again be pastures/fields where shepherds will lead their sheep.

13Shepherds will again count their sheep as the sheep walk by, outside the towns in the hilly area, in the western foothills, in the southern desert area, in the land where the descendants of Benjamin live, around Jerusalem, and outside all the other towns in Judah.’ That will surely happen because I, Yahweh, have said it.

14Listen to this! I, Yahweh, say that there will be a time when I will do for the people of Israel and Judah all the good things that I promised to do for them.

15At that time [DOU] I will appoint a righteous man who will be a descendant [MET] of King David. Throughout the land, he will do what is just and right.

16At that time, the people of Judah will be rescued from their enemies, and the people of Jerusalem will be safe. And people will say that the name of the city is ‘Yahweh is the one who vindicates/defends us’.

17And this is also what I, Yahweh, say: ‘There will be descendants of King David ruling [MTY] Israel forever.

18And there will always be priests who are descendants of Levi who stand in front of me and offer sacrifices that will be completely burned on the altar and who will burn grain offerings and other sacrifices.’ ”

19Then Yahweh gave me this message:

20“This is what I, Yahweh, say: ‘You certainly cannot annul my promise/agreement to cause nighttime to follow daytime each day.

21Similarly, you cannot annul the promise/agreement that I made with King David, who served me well, that there will always be descendants of his who will rule Judah. The same is true for my agreement with the descendants of Levi who are priests who do work for me.

22No one can count the stars in the sky, and no one can count the grains of sand at the seashore. Similarly, I will cause there to be a huge number of priests who are descendants of David and descendants of Levi who will work for me.’ ”

23Yahweh gave another message to me. He said,

24“Have you noticed/heard that some people are saying, ‘Yahweh chose two groups, the people of Judah and the people of Israel, and later abandoned them.’ They are despising my people and saying that Israel no longer deserves to be considered a nation.

25But this is what I say: ‘I will not change my laws that control the day and the night, the sky and the earth.

26Similarly, I will never abandon the descendants of David or the other descendants of Jacob, and I will always allow descendants of David to rule the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will bring my people back to their land, and I will act mercifully toward them.’”