11. happy voices and the sounds of parties and wedding celebrations. And when people come to my temple to offer sacrifices to thank me, you will hear them say:“We praise you, Lord All-Powerful!You are good to us,and your love never fails.”The land will once again be productive.
12-13. Now it is empty, without people or animals. But when that time comes, shepherds will take care of their flocks in pastures near every town in the hill country, in the foothills to the west, in the Southern Desert, in the land of the Benjamin tribe, and around Jerusalem and the towns of Judah.I, the Lord, have spoken.
14. The Lord said:I made a wonderful promise to Israel and Judah, and the days are coming when I will keep it.
15. I promise that the time will comewhen I will appoint a kingfrom the family of David,a king who will be honestand rule with justice.
16. In those days,Judah will be safe;Jerusalem will have peaceand will be named,“The Lord Gives Justice”.
17. The king of Israel will be one of David's descendants,
18. and there will always be priests from the Levi tribe serving at my altar and offering sacrifices to please me and to give thanks.
19. Then the Lord told me:
20. I, the Lord, have an agreement with day and night, so they always come at the right time. You can't break the agreement I made with them,
21. and you can't break the agreements I have made with David's family and with the priests from the Levi tribe who serve at my altar. A descendant of David will always rule as king of Israel,
22. and there will be more descendants of David and of the priests from the Levi tribe than stars in the sky or grains of sand on the beach.