11 There will be sounds of joy and gladness and the happy sounds of brides and bridegrooms. There will be the sounds of people bringing to the Temple of the Lord their offerings of thanks to the Lord. They will say,‘Praise the Lord All-Powerful,because the Lord is good!His love continues forever!’They will say this because I will again do good things for Judah, as I did in the beginning,” says the Lord.
12 This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: “This place is empty now, without people or animals. But there will be shepherds in all the towns of Judah and pastures where they let their flocks rest.
13 Shepherds will again count their sheep as the sheep walk in front of them. They will count them in the mountains and in the western hills, in southern Judah and the land of Benjamin, and around Jerusalem and the other towns of Judah!” says the Lord.
14 The Lord says, “The time is coming when I will do the good thing I promised to the people of Israel and Judah.
15 In those days and at that time,I will make a good branch sprout from David’s family.He will do what is fair and right in the land.
16 At that time Judah will be saved,and the people of Jerusalem will live in safety.The branch will be named:The Lord Does What Is Right.”
17 This is what the Lord says: “Someone from David’s family will always sit on the throne of the family of Israel.