A day is coming when the new king from the royal line of David will be a symbol to the nations. They will gather in his royal city and give him honor.

Listen, everyone who lives on earth! Look for a signal flag to be raised on the mountaintops! Listen for the blowing of the bugle!

From east to west everyone will fear him and his great power. He will come like a rushing river, like a strong wind.

People of Jerusalem, go out of the city And build a road for your returning people! Prepare a highway; clear it of stones! Put up a signal so that the nations can know

They sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to break open its seals. For you were killed, and by your sacrificial death you bought for God people from every tribe, language, nation, and race.

When that day comes, a trumpet will be blown to call back from Assyria and Egypt all the Israelites who are in exile there. They will come and worship the LORD in Jerusalem, on his sacred hill.

I will tell the north to let them go and the south not to hold them back. Let my people return from distant lands, from every part of the world.

"I will make a highway across the mountains and prepare a road for my people to travel.

My people will come from far away, from the north and the west, and from Aswan in the south."

The Sovereign LORD, who has brought his people Israel home from exile, has promised that he will bring still other people to join them.

I would have destroyed them completely, so that no one would remember them.

The Lord has said, "I will bring your enemies back from Bashan; I will bring them back from the depths of the ocean,

The LORD is restoring Jerusalem; he is bringing back the exiles.

Even from distant Ethiopia my scattered people will bring offerings to me.

The Jewish authorities said among themselves, "Where is he about to go so that we shall not find him? Will he go to the Greek cities where our people live, and teach the Greeks?

From James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: Greetings to all God's people scattered over the whole world.