God Will Be Gracious

Because the LORD is a God of justice, He waits to be gracious and promises that Zion's weeping will end when He answers her cry. Though He has given the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, their Teacher will no longer hide, their ears will hear the guiding word behind them, and in response they will defile and cast away their idols as something unclean.

T¹⁸herefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you; ¹⁹O people in Zion who dwell in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will surely be gracious when you cry for help; when He hears, He will answer you. ²⁰The Lord will give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, but your Teacher will no longer hide Himself — with your own eyes you will see Him. ²¹And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.” ²²So you will desecrate your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away like menstrual cloths, saying to them, “Be gone!”

The chapter then describes the outward fruit of that grace in rich agricultural abundance, well-fed animals, streams on the heights, and a healed creation under intensified light. These blessings arrive on the day when the LORD binds up the brokenness of His people and heals the wounds He has inflicted, making clear that divine striking and divine restoration belong to the same faithful hand.

²³Then He will send rain for the seed that you have sown in the ground, and the food that comes from your land will be rich and plentiful. On that day your cattle will graze in open pastures. ²⁴The oxen and donkeys that work the ground will eat salted fodder, winnowed with shovel and pitchfork. ²⁵And from every high mountain and every raised hill, streams of water will flow in the day of great slaughter, when the towers fall. ²⁶The light of the moon will be as bright as the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter— like the light of seven days— on the day that the LORD binds up the brokenness of His people and heals the wounds He has inflicted.

Finally the Name of the LORD comes from afar in fiery wrath, His breath like an overflowing torrent that sifts the nations and drives them toward destruction, while His people sing as on a festival night and go up with glad hearts to the Rock of Israel. At His majestic voice Assyria is shattered, each stroke of judgment is met with music among the redeemed, and Topheth stands long prepared for the king, its fire kindled by the breath of the LORD like a torrent of brimstone.

²⁷Behold, the Name of the LORD comes from afar, ²⁸His breath is like a rushing torrent ²⁹You will sing ³⁰And the LORD will cause His majestic voice to be heard ³¹For Assyria will be shattered at the voice of the LORD; ³²And with every stroke of the rod of punishment ³³For Topheth has long been prepared;