²⁰ But the Lord selected you and brought you out of Egypt’s iron furnace^(A) to be a people for his inheritance, as you are today.

⁴ which I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt,^(A) out of the iron furnace.’^(B) I declared, ‘Obey me, and do everything that I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God,’^(C)

¹⁸ ‘Son of man, the house of Israel has become merely dross to me.^(A) All of them are copper, tin, iron, and lead inside the furnace;^(B) they are just dross from silver. ¹⁹ Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: Because all of you have become dross, I am about to gather you into Jerusalem. ²⁰ Just as one gathers silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin into the furnace to blow fire^(C) on them and melt them, so I will gather you in my anger and wrath, put you inside, and melt you. ²¹ Yes, I will gather you together and blow on you with the fire of my fury, and you will be melted within the city. ²² As silver is melted inside a furnace, so you will be melted inside the city. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have poured out my wrath on you.’^(D)

⁷ so that the proven character of your faith^(A) – more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire^(B) – may result^(C) in praise, glory, and honour^(D) at the revelation of Jesus Christ.^(E)