8Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a country be born in one day? Can a nation be born in a moment? When Zion went into labor, she also gave birth to her children.
9"Do I bring a mother to the moment of birth and not let her deliver?" asks the LORD. "Do I cause a mother to deliver and then make her unable to have children?" asks your God.
10All who love Jerusalem, be happy and rejoice with her. All who mourn for her, be glad with her.
11You will nurse and be satisfied from her comforting breasts. You will nurse to your heart's delight at her full breasts.
12This is what the LORD says: I will offer you peace like a river and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream. You will nurse and be carried in Jerusalem's arms and cuddled on her knees.
13As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you. You will be comforted in Jerusalem.
14When you see it, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like new grass. The power of the LORD will be made known to his servants, but he will condemn his enemies.
15The LORD will come with fire and with his chariots like a thunderstorm. He will pay them back with his burning anger and punish them with flames of fire.
16The LORD will judge with fire, and he will judge all people with his sword. Many people will be struck dead by the LORD.
17People make themselves holy and prepare themselves for their garden rituals. They go into the garden and devour pork, disgusting things, and mice. "They will come to an end at the same time," declares the LORD.
18Because of their actions and their thoughts, I am coming to gather the nations of every language. They will come and see my glory. 19I will set up a sign among them and send some of their survivors to the nations: to Tarshish, Put and Lud, Meshech, Rosh, Tubal, Javan, and to the distant coastlands who have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will tell about my glory among the nations. 20They will bring all your relatives from every nation like a grain offering to the LORD. "They will come on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules and camels to my holy mountain, Jerusalem," declares the LORD. They will come like the people of Israel who bring their grain offerings in clean dishes to the LORD's temple. 21"I will make some of them priests and Levites," declares the LORD.
22"The new heaven and earth that I am about to make will continue in my presence," declares the LORD. "So your descendants and your name will also continue in my presence.
23From one month to the next and from one week to the next all people will come to worship me," declares the LORD.
24Then they will go out and look at the corpses of those who have rebelled against me. The worms that eat them will not die. The fire that burns them will not go out. All humanity will be disgusted by them.
