May there be plenty of grain in the land; may the hills be covered with crops, as fruitful as those of Lebanon. May the cities be filled with people, like fields full of grass.

"I, the LORD, say that the time is coming when I will fill the land of Israel and Judah with people and animals.

Though I have scattered them among the nations, yet in far-off places they will remember me. They and their children will survive and return home together.

And Saul approved of his murder. That very day the church in Jerusalem began to suffer cruel persecution. All the believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout the provinces of Judea and Samaria.

But Saul tried to destroy the church; going from house to house, he dragged out the believers, both men and women, and threw them into jail.

From James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: Greetings to all God's people scattered over the whole world.

From Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ--- To God's chosen people who live as refugees scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.

You were chosen according to the purpose of God the Father and were made a holy people by his Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be purified by his blood. May grace and peace be yours in full measure.

Gomer had a second child---this time it was a daughter. The LORD said to Hosea, "Name her 'Unloved,' because I will no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them.

As for you Gentiles, you disobeyed God in the past; but now you have received God's mercy because the Jews were disobedient.

For God has made all people prisoners of disobedience, so that he might show mercy to them all.

But you are the chosen race, the King's priests, the holy nation, God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light.

At one time you were not God's people, but now you are his people; at one time you did not know God's mercy, but now you have received his mercy.

The people of Israel will become like the sand of the sea, more than can be counted or measured. Now God says to them, "You are not my people," but the day is coming when he will say to them, "You are the children of the living God!"

At that time many nations will come to the LORD and become his people. He will live among you, and you will know that he has sent me to you.

And I will test the third that survives and will purify them as silver is purified by fire. I will test them as gold is tested. Then they will pray to me, and I will answer them. I will tell them that they are my people, and they will confess that I am their God."

This is what he says in the book of Hosea: "The people who were not mine I will call 'My People.' The nation that I did not love I will call 'My Beloved.'

And in the very place where they were told, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called the children of the living God."

Even though they call me their God and claim that they are my people and that they know me,

Today you have acknowledged the LORD as your God; you have promised to obey him, to keep all his laws, and to do all that he commands.

He will make you greater than any other nation that he has created, and you will bring praise and honor to his name. You will be his own people, as he promised."

All nations will remember the LORD. From every part of the world they will turn to him; all races will worship him.

Ambassadors will come from Egypt; the Ethiopians will raise their hands in prayer to God.

You are my God, and I give you thanks; I will proclaim your greatness.

My lover is mine, and I am his. He feeds his flock among the lilies

"One by one, people will say, 'I am the LORD's.' They will come to join the people of Israel. They each will mark the name of the LORD on their arms and call themselves one of God's people."

LORD, you are the one who protects me and gives me strength; you help me in times of trouble. Nations will come to you from the ends of the earth and say, "Our ancestors had nothing but false gods, nothing but useless idols.

Then they will be my people, and I will be their God.

Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to worship the LORD Almighty and to pray for his blessing.

In those days ten foreigners will come to one Jew and say, 'We want to share in your destiny, because we have heard that God is with you.' "

Then the LORD will be king over all the earth; everyone will worship him as God and know him by the same name.

Then all of the survivors from the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go there each year to worship the LORD Almighty as king and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters.

People from one end of the world to the other honor me. Everywhere they burn incense to me and offer acceptable sacrifices. All of them honor me!

Or is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not the God of the Gentiles also? Of course he is.

and to enable even the Gentiles to praise God for his mercy. As the scripture says, "And so I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to you."

And again, "Praise the Lord, all Gentiles; praise him, all peoples!"

All those people speak about how you received us when we visited you, and how you turned away from idols to God, to serve the true and living God

and to wait for his Son to come from heaven---his Son Jesus, whom he raised from death and who rescues us from God's anger that is coming.

I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne: "Now God's home is with people! He will live with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God.

He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain. The old things have disappeared."