12 The Lord will open for you his abundant storehouse,(A) the sky, to give your land rain in its season and to bless all the work of your hands.(B) You will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow.

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18 I will open rivers on the barren heights,(A)
and springs in the middle of the plains.
I will turn the desert into a pool
and dry land into springs.(B)
19 I will plant cedar, acacia, myrtle, and olive trees
in the wilderness.(C)
I will put juniper, elm, and cypress trees together
in the desert,
20 so that all may see and know,
consider and understand,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,(D)
the Holy One of Israel has created(E) it.

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God’s Response to His People

18 Then the Lord became jealous for his land(A) and spared his people.(B) 19 The Lord answered his people:

Look, I am about to send you
grain, new wine, and fresh oil.(C)
You will be satiated with them,
and I will no longer make you
a disgrace among the nations.(D)

20 I will drive the northerner far from you(E)
and banish him to a dry and desolate land,
his front ranks into the Dead Sea,(F)
and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea.(G)
His stench will rise;
yes, his rotten smell will rise,(H)
for he has done astonishing things.

21 Don’t be afraid, land;(I)
rejoice and be glad,
for the Lord has done astonishing things.(J)
22 Don’t be afraid, wild animals,
for the wilderness pastures have turned green,(K)
the trees bear their fruit,
and the fig tree and grapevine yield their riches.
23 Children of Zion,(L) rejoice and be glad
in the Lord your God,(M)
because he gives you the autumn rain[a]
for your vindication.[b](N)
He sends showers for you,
both autumn and spring rain(O) as before.
24 The threshing floors will be full of grain,(P)
and the vats will overflow
with new wine and fresh oil.

25 I will repay you for the years
that the swarming locust ate,(Q)
the young locust, the destroying locust,
and the devouring locust—
my great army that I sent against you.
26 You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied.(R)
You will praise the name of the Lord your God,(S)
who has dealt wondrously with you.(T)
My people will never again be put to shame.(U)
27 You will know that I am present in Israel(V)
and that I am the Lord your God,
and there is no other.(W)
My people will never again be put to shame.(X)

God’s Promise of His Spirit

28 After this(Y)
I will pour out my Spirit(Z) on all humanity;(AA)
then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your old men will have dreams,
and your young men will see visions.
29 I will even pour out my Spirit
on the male and female slaves in those days.(AB)
30 I will display wonders
in the heavens and on the earth:(AC)
blood, fire, and columns of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood(AD)
before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.(AE)
32 Then everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved,(AF)
for there will be an escape
for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
as the Lord promised,(AG)
among the survivors the Lord calls.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:23 Or the teacher of righteousness
  2. 2:23 Or righteousness

13 Look, the days are coming—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
when the plowman will overtake the reaper(A)
and the one who treads grapes,
the sower of seed.
The mountains will drip with sweet wine,
and all the hills will flow with it.(B)
14 I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel.[a](C)
They will rebuild and occupy ruined cities,(D)
plant vineyards and drink their wine,
make gardens and eat their produce.(E)
15 I will plant them on their land,
and they will never again be uprooted
from the land I have given them.(F)
The Lord your God has spoken.

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Footnotes

  1. 9:14 Or restore my people Israel from captivity

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