<p class="poetry">When he struck them down,<n id="1" /> they sought his favor;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">they turned back and longed for God.p>

&#8216;Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they produce.

<p class="poetry">Indeed, there is hope for your posterity.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Your children will return to their own territory.p> <p class="poetry">I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!<n id="2" />p>

Though I scatter<n id="1" /> them among the nations, they will remember in far-off places &#8211; they and their children will sprout forth and return.

<p class="poetry">before the sun and the light<n id="1" /> of the moon and the stars grow dark,p> <p class="poetry">and the clouds disappear<n id="2" /> after the rain;p>

The <sc>Lordsc> will strike Egypt, striking and then healing them. They will turn to the <sc>Lordsc> and he will listen to their prayers<n id="1" /> and heal them.p>

Then the Babylonian forces<n id="1" /> will return. They will attack the city and will capture it and burn it down.

May Joab and his descendants be perpetually guilty of their shed blood, but may the <sc>Lordsc> give perpetual peace to David, his descendants, his family,<n id="1" /> and his dynasty.&#8221;<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;The time will come when<n id="1" /> your people Israel are defeated by an enemy<n id="2" /> because they sinned against you. If they come back to you, renew their allegiance to you,<n id="3" /> and pray for your help<n id="4" /> in this temple,

When your people<n id="1" /> come to their senses<n id="2" /> in the land where they are held prisoner, they will repent and beg for your mercy in the land of their imprisonment, admitting, &#8216;We have sinned and gone astray;<n id="3" /> we have done evil.&#8217;

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;If your people Israel are defeated by an enemy<n id="1" /> because they sinned against you, then if they come back to you, renew their allegiance to you,<n id="2" /> and pray for your help<n id="3" /> before you in this temple,

When your people<n id="1" /> come to their senses<n id="2" /> in the land where they are held prisoner, they will repent and beg for your mercy in the land of their imprisonment, admitting, &#8216;We have sinned and gone astray<n id="3" />, we have done evil!&#8217;

For he has even sent a message to us here in Babylon. He wrote and told us,<n id="1" /> &#8220;You will be there a long time. Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they produce.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> says to her,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Stop crying! Do not shed any more tears!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For your heartfelt repentance<n id="3" /> will be rewarded.p> <p class="poetry">Your children will return from the land of the enemy.p> <p class="poetry">I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!<n id="4" />p>

<t /><n id="1" /><p class="bodytext">When Pharaoh released<n id="2" /> the people, God did not lead them<n id="3" /> by the way to the land<n id="4" /> of the Philistines,<n id="5" /> although<n id="6" /> that was nearby, for God said,<n id="7" /> &#8220;Lest<n id="8" /> the people change their minds<n id="9" /> and return to Egypt when they experience<n id="10" /> war.&#8221;

When they return to you with all their heart and being<n id="1" /> in the land where they are held prisoner,<n id="2" /> and direct their prayers to you toward the land you gave to their ancestors, your chosen city, and the temple I built for your honor,<n id="3" />

If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple in Jerusalem,<n id="1" /> their loyalty could shift to their former master,<n id="2" /> King Rehoboam of Judah. They might kill me and return to King Rehoboam of Judah.&#8221;

When they return to you with all their heart and being<n id="1" /> in the land where they are held prisoner and direct their prayers toward the land you gave to their ancestors, your chosen city, and the temple I built for your honor,<n id="2" />

He said through them,<n id="1" /> &#8216;Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and stop doing the evil things you are doing.<n id="2" /> If you do, I will allow you to continue to live here in the land that I gave to you and your ancestors as a lasting possession.<n id="3" />

I for my part will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians<n id="1" /> whenever they come to us. You for your part go ahead and harvest the wine, the dates, the figs,<n id="2" /> and the olive oil, and store them in jars. Go ahead and settle down in the towns that you have taken over.&#8221;<n id="3" />