Israel’s Restoration

³² “‘When you say, “Let’s be like the nations, like the clans of other countries, serving wood and stone,”^(A) what you have in mind will never happen.^{(B) 33} As I live—the declaration of the Lord God—I will reign over you with a strong hand, an outstretched arm,^(C) and outpoured wrath. ³⁴ I will bring you from the peoples and gather you from the countries where you were scattered,^(D) with a strong hand, an outstretched arm,^(E) and outpoured wrath. ³⁵ I will lead you into the wilderness of the peoples^(F) and enter into judgment with you there face to face. ³⁶ Just as I entered into judgment with your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt,^(G) so I will enter into judgment with you. This is the declaration of the Lord God. ³⁷ I will make you pass under the rod^(H) and will bring you into the bond of the covenant. ³⁸ I will purge you of those who rebel and transgress against me.^(I) I will bring them out of the land where they live as foreign residents, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

³⁹ “‘As for you, house of Israel, this is what the Lord God says: Go and serve your idols, each of you. But afterward you will surely listen to me, and you will no longer defile my holy name with your gifts and idols.^{(J) 40} For on my holy mountain, Israel’s high mountain—the declaration of the Lord God—there the entire house of Israel, all of them,^(K) will serve me in the land. There I will accept them and will require your contributions and choicest gifts,^(L) all your holy offerings. ⁴¹ When I bring you from the peoples and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, I will accept you as a pleasing aroma. And I will demonstrate my holiness through you in the sight of the nations.^{(M) 42} When I lead you into the land of Israel, the land I swore to give your ancestors, you will know that I am the Lord.^{(N) 43} There you will remember your ways and all your deeds by which you have defiled yourself,^(O) and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil things you have done.^{(P) 44} You will know that I am the Lord,^(Q) house of Israel, when I have dealt with you for the sake of my name^(R) rather than according to your evil ways and corrupt acts. This is the declaration of the Lord God.’”

Fire in the South

⁴⁵ The word of the Lord came to me: ⁴⁶ “Son of man, face the south and preach against it. Prophesy against the forest land in the Negev,^{(S) 47} and say to the forest there, ‘Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Lord God says: I am about to ignite a fire in you, and it will devour every green tree and every dry tree in you. The blazing flame will not be extinguished, and every face from the south to the north will be scorched by it. ⁴⁸ Then all humanity will see that I, the Lord, have kindled it.^(T) It will not be extinguished.’”

⁴⁹ Then I said, “Oh, Lord God, they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just composing parables?’” ^(U)

²¹ “‘But the children rebelled against me.^(A) They did not follow my statutes or carefully keep my ordinances—the person who does them will live by them. They also profaned my Sabbaths. So I considered pouring out my wrath on them and exhausting my anger against them in the wilderness.

¹⁸ For Christ also suffered^(A) for sins once for all,^(B) the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God.^(C) He was put to death in the flesh^[a](D) but made alive by the Spirit,^{[b] 19} in which^[c] he also went and made proclamation to the spirits^(E) in prison ²⁰ who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah^(F) while the ark was being prepared. In it a few—that is, eight people^[d](G)—were saved through water. ²¹ Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not as the removal of dirt from the body,^(H) but the pledge^[e] of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,^(I)