¹² Go, proclaim this message toward the north:^(A)

¹⁴ “Return,^(A) faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband.^(B) I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion. ¹⁵ Then I will give you shepherds^(C) after my own heart,^(D) who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.

³⁷ I will surely gather^(A) them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger^(B) and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety.^{(C) 38} They will be my people,^(D) and I will be their God. ³⁹ I will give them singleness^(E) of heart and action, so that they will always fear^(F) me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them. ⁴⁰ I will make an everlasting covenant^(G) with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire^(H) them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me.^(I)

¹¹ In that day^(A) the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant^(B) of his people from Assyria,^(C) from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt,^(D) from Cush,^[a](E) from Elam,^(F) from Babylonia,^[b] from Hamath^(G) and from the islands^(H) of the Mediterranean.^(I)

¹⁶ “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary^(A) for them in the countries where they have gone.’

¹⁷ “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.’^(B)

¹⁸ “They will return to it and remove all its vile images^(C) and detestable idols.^{(D) 19} I will give them an undivided heart^(E) and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone^(F) and give them a heart of flesh.^{(G) 20} Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.^(H) They will be my people,^(I) and I will be their God.^(J)

³⁴ I will bring you from the nations^(A) and gather^(B) you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand^(C) and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.^{(D) 35} I will bring you into the wilderness^(E) of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment^(F) upon you. ³⁶ As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord.^{(G) 37} I will take note of you as you pass under my rod,^(H) and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.^{(I) 38} I will purge^(J) you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.^(K)

¹⁷ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁸ “Son of man, the people of Israel have become dross^(A) to me; all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace.^(B) They are but the dross of silver.^{(C) 19} Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you have all become dross,^(D) I will gather you into Jerusalem. ²⁰ As silver, copper, iron, lead and tin are gathered into a furnace to be melted with a fiery blast, so will I gather you in my anger and my wrath and put you inside the city and melt you.^{(E) 21} I will gather you and I will blow^(F) on you with my fiery wrath, and you will be melted inside her.^{(G) 22} As silver is melted^(H) in a furnace, so you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the Lord have poured out my wrath^(I) on you.’”^(J)

²² “Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name,^(A) which you have profaned^(B) among the nations where you have gone.^{(C) 23} I will show the holiness of my great name,^(D) which has been profaned^(E) among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,^(F) declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy^(G) through you before their eyes.^(H)

²⁴ “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.^(I)