“Sing with joy for Israel,

the greatest of the nations.

Sing your song of praise,

‘The LORD has saved his people;

he has rescued all who are left.’

₈I will bring them from the north

and gather them from the ends of the earth.

The blind and the lame will come with them,

pregnant women and those about to give birth.

They will come back a great nation.

₉My people will return weeping,

praying as I lead them back.

I will guide them to streams of water,

on a smooth road where they will not stumble.

I am like a father to Israel,

and Ephraim is my eldest son.”

₁When the LORD brought us back to Jerusalem,

it was like a dream!

₂How we laughed, how we sang for joy!

Then the other nations said about us,

“The LORD did great things for them.”

₃Indeed he did great things for us;

how happy we were!

₄LORD, make us prosperous again,

just as the rain brings water back to dry riverbeds.

₅Let those who wept as they sowed their seed,

gather the harvest with joy!

₆Those who wept as they went out carrying the seed

will come back singing for joy,

as they bring in the harvest.