‘ Stay in this land. Then I will build you up. I will not tear you down. I will plant you. I will not pull you up by the roots. I have decided to stop bringing trouble on you.

‘你们若仍住在这地，我就建立你们，必不拆毁，栽植你们，并不拔出，因我为降与你们的灾祸后悔了。

‘你们若仍留在这地，我就建立你们，必不拆毁；栽植你们，必不拔出；因我为所降与你们的灾祸感到遗憾。

‘你们若仍留在这地，我就建立你们，必不拆毁；栽植你们，必不拔出；因我为所降与你们的灾祸感到遗憾。

‘如果你们留在这地方，我必扶持你们，决不毁灭你们；我必栽培你们，决不铲除你们。因为我为降在你们身上的灾祸而难过。

‘你们若决意住在这地，我就建立你们，必不拆毁；栽植你们，必不拔除；因我为那已经降在你们身上的灾祸回心转意。

『你們若仍住在這地，我就建立你們，必不拆毀，栽植你們，並不拔出，因我為降與你們的災禍後悔了。

『你們若仍留在這地，我就建立你們，必不拆毀；栽植你們，必不拔出；因我為所降與你們的災禍感到遺憾。

『你們若仍留在這地，我就建立你們，必不拆毀；栽植你們，必不拔出；因我為所降與你們的災禍感到遺憾。

『如果你們留在這地方，我必扶持你們，決不毀滅你們；我必栽培你們，決不剷除你們。因為我為降在你們身上的災禍而難過。

‘你們若決意住在這地，我就建立你們，必不拆毀；栽植你們，必不拔除；因我為那已經降在你們身上的災禍回心轉意。

你們若死心塌地地住在這地，我就建立你們，必不傾覆；栽植你們，必不拔除；因為對降禍與你們、我改變了心意了。

如爾仍居斯土、我必建爾而不毀之、植爾而不拔之、昔我降災於爾、今回厥意焉、

昔我降災、今不復行、如爾仍居於斯土、我必建造爾、栽植爾、不毀爾邦國、不拔爾根株。

如爾仍居於斯地、我必建造爾、不復拆毀、栽植爾、不復拔除、我降災於爾、我已悔之、

‘ If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you.

If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I relent of the disaster that I did to you.

‘ Stay here in this land. If you do, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you. For I am sorry about all the punishment I have had to bring upon you.

‘ If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will rebuild and not demolish you, and I will plant and not uproot you, because I relent concerning the disaster that I have brought on you.

‘ If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will build you up and not tear you down, and I will plant you and not uproot you; for I will relent of the disaster that I have inflicted on you.

‘ If you will still remain in this land, then I will build you and not pull you down, and I will plant you and not pluck you up. For I relent concerning the disaster that I have brought upon you.

If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.

‘ If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will rebuild and not demolish you, and I will plant and not uproot you, because I relent concerning the disaster that I have brought on you.

If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull[ you] down, and I will plant you, and not pluck[ you] up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.

‘ If you will just stay in this land, I will build you up. I will not tear you down. I will firmly plant you. I will not uproot you. For I am filled with sorrow because of the disaster that I have brought on you.

‘ If you will still live in this land, then I will build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I grieve over the distress that I have brought on you.

Then the nations that remain around you will know that I have rebuilt what was once destroyed. I have planted again the fields that were once empty. I have spoken. And I will do this. I am the Lord.”

I watched over Israel and Judah to pull them up by the roots. I tore them down. I crushed them. I destroyed them. I brought horrible trouble on them. But now I will watch over them to build them up and plant them,” announces the Lord.

My eyes will watch over them. I will be good to them. And I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up. I will not tear them down. I will plant them. I will not pull them up by the roots.

The Lord will come to the aid of his people. He’ll show tender love to those who serve him. He will know when their strength is gone. He’ll see that no one at all is left.

I will bring Judah and Israel back from the places where they have been taken. I will build up the nation again. It will be just as it was before.

So the Lord had pity on them.“ I will let them continue for now,” the Lord and King said.

God saw what they did. He saw that they stopped doing what was evil. So he took pity on them. He didn’t destroy them as he had said he would.

He prayed to the Lord. Here is what Jonah said to him.“ Lord, isn’t this exactly what I thought would happen when I was still at home? That is what I tried to prevent by running away to Tarshish. I knew that you are gracious. You are tender and kind. You are slow to get angry. You are full of love. You are a God who takes pity on people. You don’t want to destroy them.

So the Lord had pity on them.“ I will let them continue for now,” he said.

The Lord continues,“ People of Ephraim, how can I give you up? Israel, how can I hand you over to your enemies? Can I destroy you as I did the town of Admah? Can I treat you like Zeboyim? My heart is stirred inside me. It is filled with pity for you.

Don’t just tear your clothes to show how sad you are. Let your hearts be broken. Return to the Lord your God. He is gracious. He is tender and kind. He is slow to get angry. He is full of love. He won’t bring his judgment. He won’t destroy you.

God will save Zion. He will build the cities of Judah again. Then people will live in them and own the land.

Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live in the land and enjoy its food.

The angel reached his hand out to destroy Jerusalem. But the Lord stopped sending the plague. So he spoke to the angel who was making the people suffer. He said,“ That is enough! Do not kill any more people.” The angel of the Lord was at Araunah’s threshing floor. Araunah was from the city of Jebus.

Then the Lord took pity on his people. He didn’t destroy them as he had said he would.

Did King Hezekiah or anyone else in Judah put Micah to death? Hezekiah had respect for the Lord and tried to please him. And the Lord didn’t judge Jerusalem as he said he would. He didn’t bring on it the trouble he said he would bring. But we are about to bring horrible trouble on ourselves!”

Suppose I announce that something will happen to a nation or kingdom. Suppose I announce that it will be pulled up by the roots. And I announce that it will be torn down and destroyed.But suppose the nation I warned turns away from its sins. Then I will not do what I said I would. I will not bring trouble on it as I had planned.But suppose I announce that a nation or kingdom is going to be built up and planted.And then it does what is evil in my eyes. It does not obey me. Then I will think again about the good things I had wanted to do for it.

The Lord will build Zion again. He will appear in his glory.

“‘ After this I will return and set up again David’s fallen tent. I will rebuild what was destroyed. I will make it what it used to be.

Because they were his people, he remembered his covenant. Because of his great love, he felt sorry for them.

When the Lord gave them a leader, he was with that leader. The Lord saved the people from the power of their enemies. He did it as long as the leader lived. The Lord felt very sorry for the people. They groaned because of what their enemies did to them. Their enemies treated them badly.

The Lord appeared to Isaac and said,“ Do not go down to Egypt. Live in the land where I tell you to live.Stay there for a while. I will be with you and give you my blessing. I will give all these lands to you and your children after you. And I will keep my word that I gave to your father Abraham.