For thus said the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and concerning the houses of the king of Judah that have been torn down for ramparts and bulwarks,
so as to fight against the Chaldeans, and to fill it with the corpses of the men whom I struck in my anger and in my wrath; and I turned away my face from them because of all their wickednesses.
Behold, I am bringing up to her a closing of the wound and healing, and I will make manifest to them to hearken, and I will heal her and will make for them peace and faithfulness.
And I will cleanse them from all their iniquities by which they sinned against me, and I will not remember their sins by which they sinned against me and departed from me.
And it shall be for gladness and for praise and for magnificence to all the people of the earth, who shall hear all the good things that I will do; and they shall fear and shall be made bitter because of all the good things and because of all the peace which I will make for them.
Thus said the Lord: There shall again be heard in this place, of which you say: It is desolate, without human beings and cattle—in the cities of Judah and outside Jerusalem, in those that have been made desolate for lack of human being and cattle—
a voice of gladness and a voice of joy, a voice of bridegroom and a voice of bride, a voice of those saying: Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good, for his mercy is forever—and they shall bring gifts into the house of the Lord; for I will bring back all the exiles of that land as before, said the Lord.
Thus said the Lord of hosts: There shall yet be in this place, the desolate one, for lack of human being and beast, and in all its cities, lodgings of shepherds making sheep lie down.
In the cities of the hill country and in the cities of Sephela and in the cities of Nageb and in the land of Benjamin and in those around Jerusalem and in the cities of Judah, sheep shall yet pass under the hand of one who counts, said the Lord.