2. The Lord proclaims, the Lord who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name is the Lord:
3. Call to me and I will answer and reveal to you wondrous secrets that you haven’t known.
4. This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, proclaims about the houses of this city and the palaces of the kings of Judah that were torn down to defend against the siege ramps and weapons
5. of the invading Babylonians. They will be filled with the corpses of those slain in my fierce anger. I hid my face from the people of this city because of all their evil deeds,
6. but now I will heal and mend them. I will make them whole and bless them with an abundance of peace and security.
7. I will bring back the captives of Judah and Israel, and I will rebuild them as they were at first.
8. I will cleanse them of all the wrongdoing they committed against me, and I will forgive them for all of their guilt and rebellion.
9. Then this city will bring me great joy, praise, and renown before all nations on earth, when they hear of all the good I provide for them. They will be in total awe at all the good and prosperity I provide for them.
10. The Lord proclaims: You have said about this place, "It is a wasteland, without humans or animals." Yet in the ravaged and uninhabited towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem,
11. the sounds of joy and laughter and the voices of the bride and the bridegroom will again be heard. So will the voices of those who say, as thank offerings are brought to the Lord’s temple, "Give thanks to the Lord of heavenly forces, for the Lord is good and his kindness lasts forever." I will bring back the captives of this land as they were before, says the Lord.
12. The Lord of heavenly forces proclaims: This wasteland, without humans or animals—and all its towns—will again become pastures for shepherds to care for their flocks.