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to those who were in Bethel, and to those who were in Ramoth of the Negev, and to those who were in Jattir,

And the Philistines also had raided the cities of the Shephelah and of the Negev of Judah, and had captured Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, and Soco with its towns, Timnah with its towns, and Gimzo with its towns, and they settled there.

Restore our captivity, O Yahweh,As the streams in the Negev.

The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea.As whirlwinds in the Negev sweep on,It comes from the wilderness, from a fearsome land.

The cities of the Negev have been closed up,And there is no one to open them;All Judah has been taken away into exile,Wholly taken away into exile.

And they will come in from the cities of Judah and from all around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the Shephelah, from the hill country, and from the Negev, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings, and frankincense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the house of Yahweh.

Men will buy fields for money, sign and seal deeds, and call in witnesses in the land of Benjamin, in the surroundings of Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negev; for I will return their fortunes,' declares Yahweh."

In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, in the cities of the Negev, in the land of Benjamin, in the surroundings of Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, the flocks will again pass under the hands of the one who numbers them,' says Yahweh.

"Son of man, set your face toward Teman and speak, dripping out words, against the south and prophesy against the forest land of the Negev

and say to the forest of the Negev, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh: thus says Lord Yahweh, "Behold, I am about to kindle a fire in you, and it will consume every green tree in you, as well as every dry tree; the blazing flame will not be quenched, and the whole surface from south to north will be scorched by it.

Then those of the Negev will possess the mountain of Esau,And those of the Shephelah, the Philistine plain;And they will possess the territory of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria,And Benjamin will possess Gilead.

And the exiles of this military force of the sons of Israel,Who are among the Canaanites as far as Zarephath,And the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad,Will possess the cities of the Negev.

Are not these the words which Yahweh called out by the hand of the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and at ease along with its cities around it, and the Negev and the Shephelah were inhabited?'"