I love Zion,
so I will continue to speak for her.
I love Jerusalem,
so I will not stop speaking.
I will speak until goodness shines like a bright light,
until salvation burns bright like a flame.
Then all nations will see your goodness.
All kings will see your honor.
Then you will have a new name
that the Lord himself will give you.
You will be like a beautiful crown that the Lord holds up,
like a king’s crown in the hand of your God.
You will never again be called ‘The People God Left.’
Your land will never again be called ‘The Land God Destroyed.’
You will be called ‘The People God Loves.’
Your land will be called ‘God’s Bride,’
because the Lord loves you,
and your land will be his.
As a young man takes a bride and she belongs to him,
so your land will belong to your children.
As a man is happy with his new wife,
so your God will be happy with you.
Jerusalem, I put guards on your walls.
They will not be silent.
They will keep praying day and night.
Guards, keep praying to the Lord.
Remind him of his promise.
Don’t ever stop praying.
Don’t give him any rest until he rebuilds Jerusalem
and makes it a place that everyone on earth will praise.
The Lord made a promise and guaranteed it by his own power.
And he will use that power to keep his promise.
The Lord said, “I promise that I will never again give your food to your enemies.
I promise that they will never again take the wine you make.
Whoever gathers the food will eat it and praise the Lord.
Whoever gathers the grape will drink the wine in the courtyards of my Temple.”
Come through the gates!
Clear the way for the people!
Prepare the road!
Move all the stones off the road!
Raise a flag as a sign for the nations!
Listen, the Lord is speaking
to all the faraway lands:
“Tell the people of Zion,
‘Look, your Savior is coming.
He is bringing your reward to you.
He is bringing it with him.’”
His people will be called “The Holy People,”
“The Saved People of the Lord.”
And you, Jerusalem, will be called “The City God Wants,”
“The City God Is With.”