My love for you will always go on
1The Lord says:
‘Jerusalem, you are like a woman
who could not have any children,
but you must be happy and rejoice
because you, who were alone,
will have more children than a married woman.
2You must make your tent bigger,
and open your doors wide.
Make your tent ropes longer
and your tent-pegs stronger.
3Because you will grow bigger on all sides.
Your descendants will defeat
other nations and they will again live
in the cities that are empty now.
4Do not be afraid,
and don't think that you are worthless.
Don't be ashamed. No one will humiliate you again.
You will forget the time
when you were a young girl
and the time when you were a widow,
when other people laughed at you.
5Because the One who made you
is your Husband. His name is the Lord
who rules over all, your Saviour,
the holy God of Israel.
His name is God of all the world.’
6Jerusalem, your God says:
‘You were like a woman whose husband
did not want her any longer.
When I called you, you were like a woman
who married a man when he was young,
but after some time he chased her away
and you were very sad.
7I have left you for a short while,
but now I take you back again
and I love you very much.
8I became angry and I did not want
to see you for a short while,
but I will feel sorry for you again
and I will love you forever.’
This is what the Lord, who saves you, says.
9‘For Me, this is like the flood of Noah.
I promised that the water of Noah
would never again flow over the earth,
and now I promise that I
will not continue to be angry with you.
I promise that I will not continue
to rebuke or punish you.
10Yes, the mountains and hills will disappear
but my love for you will never disappear.
I will not break my covenant with you.
I made the covenant with you
when I promised that I would give you peace.’
This is what the Lord says. He feels sorry for you and He is taking you back.
11‘Jerusalem, you were a city
that could not help yourself.
The storm winds blew over you
and no one came to help you.
But I will build you with turquoise stones.
I will build your foundations with sapphire stones.
12I will make your towers from rubies
and your gates from bright red gemstones.
I will build your walls from precious gemstones.
13All the people who live in you
will learn what the Lord teaches them
and they will have peace.
14Your people will do what is right.
Do not be afraid. No one will oppress you
and you will not become afraid again.
15If soldiers attack you,
it will not be I who have sent them.
People who want to attack you
will fall and you will defeat them.
16It is I who made blacksmiths,
the men who blow hot coal fires
and make weapons.
It is I who made armies that destroy cities.
17But the weapons that they make
to attack you will not be able
to do anything to you and you will prove
that anyone who accuses you falsely is wrong.
This is what I will do for the people
who serve Me. I will help them win.’
This is what the Lord says.
