Friday 23 July 2010

14“Return, backsliding children,”says the Lord, “for I am a husband to you.I will take one of you from a city,and two from a family,and I will bring you to Zion.15I will give you shepherds according to my heart,who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.16It will come to pass,when you are multipliedand increased in the land in those days,”says the Lord, “they will no longer say,‘the ark of the Lord’s covenant!’It will not come to mind.They won’t remember it.They won’t miss it, nor will another be made.17At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘The Lord’s Throne;’and all the nations will be gathered to it,to the Lord’s name, to Jerusalem.They will no longer walk after the stubbornness of their evil heart.

10“Hear the Lord’s word, you nations,and declare it in the distant islands. Say,‘He who scattered Israel will gather him,and keep him, as a shepherd does his flock.’

11For the Lord has ransomed Jacob,and redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.12They will come and sing in the height of Zion,and will flow to the goodness of the Lord,to the grain, to the new wine, to the oil,and to the young of the flock and of the herd.Their soul will be as a watered garden.They will not sorrow any more at all.

13Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance,the young men and the old together;for I will turn their mourning into joy,and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

18“Hear, then, the parable of the farmer.19When anyone hears the word of the Kingdomand doesn’t understand it,the evil one comes and snatches awaythat which has been sown in his heart.This is what was sown by the roadside.20What was sown on the rocky places,this is he who hears the wordand immediately with joy receives it;21yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while.When oppression or persecution arises because of the word,immediately he stumbles.22What was sown among the thorns,this is he who hears the word,but the cares of this ageand the deceitfulness of riches choke the word,and he becomes unfruitful.23What was sown on the good ground,this is he who hears the word and understands it,who most certainly bears fruit and produces,some one hundred times as much,some sixty, and some thirty.”