Ezekiel 36:22-38

New American Standard Bible 1995

Israel to Be Renewed for His Name’s Sake

²² “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “It is ^(A)not for your sake, O 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 I will ^(B)vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the ^(C)nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. ²⁴ For I will ^(D)take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. ²⁵ Then I will ^(E)sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your ^(F)filthiness and from all your ^(G)idols. ²⁶ Moreover, I will give you a ^(H)new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the ^(I)heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ I will ^(J)put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. ²⁸ You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be ^(K)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 ^(L)will not ^[a]bring a famine on you. ³⁰ I will ^(M)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 ^(N)remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. ³² I am not doing this ^(O)for your sake,” declares the Lord God, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!”

³³ ‘Thus says the Lord God, “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the ^(P)cities to be inhabited, and the ^(Q)waste places will be rebuilt. ³⁴ The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. ³⁵ They will say, ‘This desolate land has become like the ^(R)garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’ ³⁶ Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I, the Lord, have spoken and ^(S)will do it.”

³⁷ ‘Thus says the Lord God, “This also I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them: I will increase their men like a flock. ³⁸ Like the ^(T)flock ^[b]for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so will the waste cities be filled with ^(U)flocks of men. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”’”