3 I, the lord, will watch over it,watering it carefully.Day and night I will watch so no one can harm it.
4 My anger will be gone.If I find briers and thorns growing,I will attack them;I will burn them up—
5 unless they turn to me for help.Let them make peace with me;yes, let them make peace with me.”
6 The time is coming when Jacob’s descendants will take root.Israel will bud and blossomand fill the whole earth with fruit!
7 Has the lord struck Israelas he struck her enemies?Has he punished heras he punished them?
8 No, but he exiled Israel to call her to account.She was exiled from her landas though blown away in a storm from the east.
9 The lord did this to purge Israel’s wickedness,to take away all her sin.As a result, all the pagan altars will be crushed to dust.No Asherah pole or pagan shrine will be left standing.