“ ‘Cries of fear are heard—

terror, not peace.

6Ask and see:

Can a man bear children?

Then why do I see every strong man

with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor,

every face turned deathly pale?

7How awful that day will be!

No other will be like it.

It will be a time of trouble for Jacob,

but he will be saved out of it.

8“ ‘In that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty,

‘I will break the yoke off their necks

and will tear off their bonds;

no longer will foreigners enslave them.

9Instead, they will serve the Lord their God

and David their king,

whom I will raise up for them.

10“ ‘So do not be afraid, Jacob my servant;

do not be dismayed, Israel,’

declares the Lord.

‘I will surely save you out of a distant place,

your descendants from the land of their exile.

Jacob will again have peace and security,

and no one will make him afraid.

11I am with you and will save you,’

declares the Lord.

‘Though I completely destroy all the nations

among which I scatter you,

I will not completely destroy you.

I will discipline you but only in due measure;

I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’

“ ‘Your wound is incurable,

your injury beyond healing.

13There is no one to plead your cause,

no remedy for your sore,

no healing for you.

14All your allies have forgotten you;

they care nothing for you.

I have struck you as an enemy would

and punished you as would the cruel,

because your guilt is so great

and your sins so many.

15Why do you cry out over your wound,

your pain that has no cure?

Because of your great guilt and many sins

I have done these things to you.

16“ ‘But all who devour you will be devoured;

all your enemies will go into exile.

Those who plunder you will be plundered;

all who make spoil of you I will despoil.

17But I will restore you to health

and heal your wounds,’

declares the Lord,

‘because you are called an outcast,

Zion for whom no one cares.’

“ ‘I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents

and have compassion on his dwellings;

the city will be rebuilt on her ruins,

and the palace will stand in its proper place.

19From them will come songs of thanksgiving

and the sound of rejoicing.

I will add to their numbers,

and they will not be decreased;

I will bring them honor,

and they will not be disdained.

20Their children will be as in days of old,

and their community will be established before me;

I will punish all who oppress them.

21Their leader will be one of their own;

their ruler will arise from among them.

I will bring him near and he will come close to me—

for who is he who will devote himself

to be close to me?’

declares the Lord.

22“‘So you will be my people,

and I will be your God.’ ”

23See, the storm of the Lord

will burst out in wrath,

a driving wind swirling down

on the heads of the wicked.

24The fierce anger of the Lord will not turn back

until he fully accomplishes

the purposes of his heart.

In days to come

you will understand this.