18 And yet Yahweh is waiting to show favour to you all,

so he takes action to show you mercy

because Yahweh is a god of justice.

Those who wait for him to rescue them will be blessed,

19 because people will live in Tsiyon (Zion)—in Yerushalem (Jerusalem).

You certainly won’t weep anymore because at the sound of your crying out, he’ll show favour to you.

As soon as he hears, he’ll answer you.

20 My master will give you distress for your food

≈ and oppression for your water,

and your teacher will no longer hide himself,

so you’ll see him will your own eyes.

21 Your ears will hear a command coming from behind you saying,

‘That’s the right way to go,’

so you’ll be guided whether you go to the right or to the left.

22 Then you all will desecrate your silver-plated idols

≈ and your gold-sheathed images.

You’ll throw them away like a menstrual rag

≈ and you’ll say, ‘You piece of filth!’

23 Then he’ll give you rain for the seed that you’ve planted in the ground,

→ and the soil will produce plenty of food,

≈ and your livestock will graze in wide pastures at that time.

24 The bulls and the male donkeys that till the ground

→ will eat human-quality grain that’s been properly winnowed.

25 On every high mountain and every substantial hill,

there’ll be streams flowing with water,

at the time of much slaughter when fortified towers are defeated.

26 The light from the moon will be like the light from the sun,

and the sun’s light will be seven times brighter

at the time when Yahweh bandages up his people’s fracture

and when he heals their severe wound.