18. Look up! Look all around you! All of your children are gathering together and coming to you.” The Lord says, “On my life, I promise you this: Your children will be like jewels that you tie around your neck. Your children will be like the necklace that a bride wears.
19. “You are destroyed and defeated now. Your land is useless. But after a short time, you will have many people in your land. And those who destroyed you will be far, far away.
20. You were sad for the children you lost, but they will tell you, ‘This place is too small! Give us a bigger place to live!’
21. Then you will say to yourself, ‘Who gave me all these children? I was sad and lonely. My children were taken away. They were gone. So who gave me these children? Look, I was the only one left. Where did all these children come from?’”
22. This is what the Lord GOD says: “Look, I will wave my hand to the nations. I will raise my flag for everyone to see. Then they will bring your children to you. They will carry your children on their shoulders, and they will hold them in their arms.
23. Kings will be their teachers. The daughters of kings will care for them. The kings and their daughters will bow down to you. They will kiss the dirt at your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord, and anyone who trusts in me will not be disappointed.”
24. If a strong soldier takes a prisoner, can you set him free? If a powerful soldier guards someone, can the prisoner escape?
25. Here is the Lord’S answer: “The prisoners will escape. Those captured by the strong soldier will be set free. That’s because I will fight your battles, and I will save your children.
26. Those people hurt you, but I will force them to eat their own bodies. Their own blood will be the wine that makes them drunk. Then everyone will know that the Lord saved you. Everyone will know that the Powerful One of Jacob saved you.”