Ezekiel 36:16-38

16Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17“Son of man, when the house of Israel was living on their own land, they 1defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like 2the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. 18Therefore I 3poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. 19I also 4scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the lands. 5According to their ways and their deeds I judged them. 20When they came to the nations where they went, they 6profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the 7people of the Lord, yet they have left His land.’ 21But I had 8concern for My 9holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.

22“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “It is 10not 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. 23And I will 11vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the 12nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I show Myself holy among you in their sight. 24For I will 13take you from the nations, and gather you from all the lands; and I will bring you into your own land. 25Then I will 14sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your 15filthiness and from all your 16idols. 26Moreover, I will give you a 17new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the 18heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27And I will 19put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and 20follow My ordinances. 28And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be 21My people, and I will be your God. 29Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I 22will not 23bring a famine on you. 30Instead, I will 24multiply 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. 31Then you will 25remember 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. 32I am not doing this 26for 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 27cities, and the 28places of ruins will be rebuilt. 34The desolated land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. 35And they will say, ‘This desolated land has become like the 29Garden of Eden; and the waste, desolated and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’ 36Then 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 30will 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. 38Like the 31flock 32for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so will the waste cities be filled with 33flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”’”