Ezekiel 36:20–38

²⁰When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned my holy name,^l because it was said about them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, yet they had to leave his land in exile.’ ²¹Then I had concern for my holy name,^m which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they went.

²²“Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: It is not for your sake that I will act,ⁿ house of Israel, but for my holy name,^o which you profaned among the nations where you went. ²³I will honor the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am the Lord—this is the declaration of the Lord God—when I demonstrate my holiness through you in their sight.^p

²⁴“ ‘For I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and will bring you into your own land.^{q 25}I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean.^r I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.^{s 26}I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;^t I will remove your heart of stone^C and give you a heart of flesh.^{u 27}I will place my Spirit within you^v and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.^{w 28}You will live in the land that I gave your ancestors;^x you will be my people, and I will be your God.^{y 29}I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will summon the grain and make it plentiful, and I will not bring famine on you.^{z 30}I will also make the fruit of the trees and the produce of the field plentiful, so that you will no longer experience reproach among the nations on account of famine.

³¹“ ‘You will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good,^aa and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and detestable practices.^{ab 32}It is not for your sake that I will act^ac—this is the declaration of the Lord God—let this be known to you. Be ashamed and humiliated because of your ways, house of Israel!

³³“ ‘This is what the Lord God says: On the day I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the ruins will be rebuilt.^{ad 34}The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of everyone who passes by. ³⁵They will say, “This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden.^ae The cities that were once ruined, desolate, and demolished are now fortified and inhabited.” ³⁶Then the nations that remain around you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt what was demolished and have replanted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken and I will do it.^af

³⁷“ ‘This is what the Lord God says: I will respond to the house of Israel and do this for them:^ag I will multiply them in number like a flock.^{A 38}So the ruined cities will be filled with a flock of people, just as Jerusalem^ah is filled with a flock of sheep for sacrifice^B during its appointed festivals. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’ ”