Go into your houses, my people, and shut the door behind you. Hide yourselves for a little while until God's anger is over.

The LORD says to Jerusalem, "Foreigners will rebuild your walls, And their kings will serve you. In my anger I punished you, But now I will show you my favor and mercy.

His anger lasts only a moment, his goodness for a lifetime. Tears may flow in the night, but joy comes in the morning.

And this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble.

But do not forget one thing, my dear friends! There is no difference in the Lord's sight between one day and a thousand years; to him the two are the same.

When that day comes, the Lord will once again use his power and bring back home those of his people who are left in Assyria and Egypt, in the lands of Pathros, Ethiopia, Elam, Babylonia, and Hamath, and in the coastlands and on the islands of the sea.

On that day, from the Euphrates to the Egyptian border, the LORD will gather his people one by one, as threshing separates the wheat from the chaff.

He will take care of his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs together and carry them in his arms; he will gently lead their mothers.

Do not be afraid---I am with you! "From the distant east and the farthest west I will bring your people home.

I will tell the north to let them go and the south not to hold them back. Let my people return from distant lands, from every part of the world.

The Sovereign LORD, who has brought his people Israel home from exile, has promised that he will bring still other people to join them.

Look around you and see what is happening: Your people are gathering to come home! Your sons will come from far away; Your daughters will be carried like children.

I know their thoughts and their deeds. I am coming to gather the people of all the nations. When they come together, they will see what my power can do

then the LORD your God will have mercy on you. He will bring you back from the nations where he has scattered you, and he will make you prosperous again.

Save us, O LORD our God, and bring us back from among the nations, so that we may be thankful and praise your holy name.

I will take you from every nation and country and bring you back to your own land.

"The time is coming," says the LORD, "when I will gather together the people I punished, those who have suffered in exile.

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and stone the messengers God has sent you! How many times I wanted to put my arms around all your people, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not let me!

This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head.