Ezekiel 36:16-23

International Standard Version

Israel’s Past Punishments

¹⁶ This message came to me from the Lord: ¹⁷ “Son of Man, when the house of Israel was living on their own land, they defiled it with their lifestyles^[a] and behavior; they were as disqualified to be with me as a menstruating woman is to you.^{[b] 18} So I poured out my anger on them because of all the bloodshed throughout the land and because they had defiled it with their idolatry. ¹⁹ Then I scattered them among the nations, dispersing them to other lands, just as their lifestyles and behavior deserved. That’s how I judged them. ²⁰ Nevertheless, when they arrived in those nations, they continued to profane my holy name. It was said about them, ‘These are the Lord’s people, even though they’ve left his land.’ ²¹ I’ve been concerned about my holy reputation,^[c] which the house of Israel has been defiling throughout all of the nations where they’ve gone.”

The Coming Renewal of Israel

²² “Therefore tell the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “I’m not about to act for your sake, you house of Israel, but for the sake of my holy reputation, which you have been defiling throughout all of the nations where you’ve gone. ²³ I’m going to affirm^[d] my great reputation that has been defiled among the nations (that is, that you have defiled in their midst), and those people will learn that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I affirm my holiness in front of their very eyes.