Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 Jerusalem, you have been like a childless woman, but now you can sing and shout for joy. Now you will have more children than a woman whose husband never left her.
1
“Sing, barren, you who didn’t give birth! Break out into singing, and cry aloud, you who didn’t travail with child! For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife,” says the LORD.
2 Make the tent you live in larger; lengthen its ropes and strengthen the pegs!
2
“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your habitations; don’t spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.
3 You will extend your boundaries on all sides; your people will get back the land that the other nations now occupy. Cities now deserted will be filled with people.
3
For you will spread out on the right hand and on the left; and your offspring will possess the nations and settle in desolate cities.
4 Do not be afraid - you will not be disgraced again; you will not be humiliated. You will forget your unfaithfulness as a young wife, and your desperate loneliness as a widow.
4
“Don’t be afraid, for you will not be ashamed. Don’t be confounded, for you will not be disappointed. For you will forget the shame of your youth. You will remember the reproach of your widowhood no more.
5 Your Creator will be like a husband to you - the Lord Almighty is his name. The holy God of Israel will save you - he is the ruler of all the world.
5
For your Maker is your husband; the LORD of Armies is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer. He will be called the God of the whole earth.
6 Israel, you are like a young wife, deserted by her husband and deeply distressed. But the Lord calls you back to him and says:
6
For the LORD has called you as a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even a wife of youth, when she is cast off,” says your God.
7 "For one brief moment I left you; with deep love I will take you back.
7
“For a small moment I have forsaken you, but I will gather you with great mercies.
8 I turned away angry for only a moment, but I will show you my love forever." So says the Lord who saves you.
8
In overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting loving kindness I will have mercy on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer.
9 "In the time of Noah I promised never again to flood the earth. Now I promise not to be angry with you again; I will not reprimand or punish you.
9
“For this is like the waters of Noah to me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah will no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.
10 The mountains and hills may crumble, but my love for you will never end; I will keep forever my promise of peace." So says the Lord who loves you.
10
For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed, but my loving kindness will not depart from you, and my covenant of peace will not be removed,” says the LORD who has mercy on you.
11 The Lord says, "O Jerusalem, you suffering, helpless city, with no one to comfort you, I will rebuild your foundations with precious stones.
11
“You afflicted, tossed with storms, and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in beautiful colors, and lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will build your towers with rubies, your gates with stones that glow like fire, and the wall around you with jewels.
12
I will make your pinnacles of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.
13 "I myself will teach your people and give them prosperity and peace.
13
All your children will be taught by the LORD, and your children’s peace will be great.
14 Justice and right will make you strong. You will be safe from oppression and terror.
14
You will be established in righteousness. You will be far from oppression, for you will not be afraid, and far from terror, for it shall not come near you.
15 Whoever attacks you, does it without my consent; whoever fights against you will fall.
15
Behold, they may gather together, but not by me. Whoever gathers together against you will fall because of you.
16 "I create the blacksmith, who builds a fire and forges weapons. I also create the soldier, who uses the weapons to kill.
16
“Behold, I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame, and forges a weapon for his work; and I have created the destroyer to destroy.
17 But no weapon will be able to hurt you; you will have an answer for all who accuse you. I will defend my servants and give them victory." The Lord has spoken.
17
No weapon that is formed against you will prevail; and you will condemn every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the LORD’s servants, and their righteousness is of me,” says the LORD.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.