⁵ And now, what do I have here,” declares the Lord, “seeing that My people have been taken away without reason?” Again the Lord declares, “Those who rule over them howl, and My ^(A)name is continually reviled all day long.

²⁰ When they came to the nations where they went, they ^(A)profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the ^(B)people of the Lord, yet they have left His land.’ ²¹ But I had ^[a]concern for My ^(C)holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.

Israel to Be Renewed for His Name’s Sake

²² “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “It is ^(D)not for your sake, house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. ²³ And I will ^(E)vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the ^(F)nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I show Myself holy among you in their sight. ²⁴ For I will ^(G)take you from the nations, and gather you from all the lands; and I will bring you into your own land. ²⁵ Then I will ^(H)sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your ^(I)filthiness and from all your ^(J)idols. ²⁶ Moreover, I will give you a ^(K)new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the ^(L)heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ And I will ^(M)put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and ^[b]follow My ordinances. ²⁸ And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be ^(N)My people, and I will be your God. ²⁹ Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I ^(O)will not ^[c]bring a famine on you. ³⁰ Instead, I will ^(P)multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. ³¹ Then you will ^(Q)remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your wrongdoings and your abominations. ³² I am not doing this ^(R)for your sake,” declares the Lord God; “let that be known to you. Be ashamed and humiliated for your ways, house of Israel!”

³³ ‘This is what the Lord God says: “On the day that I cleanse you from all your wrongdoings, I will populate the ^(S)cities, and the ^(T)places of ruins will be rebuilt. ³⁴ The desolated land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. ³⁵ And they will say, ‘This desolated land has become like the ^(U)Garden of Eden; and the waste, desolated and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’ ³⁶ Then the nations around you that are left will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolated; I, the Lord, have spoken, and I ^(V)will do it.”

³⁷ ‘This is what the Lord God says: “This too I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them: I will increase their people like a flock. ³⁸ Like the ^(W)flock ^[d]for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so will the waste cities be filled with ^(X)flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”’”