“Then this message came to me from the Lord. ‘Son of man, the people still left in Jerusalem are talking abut you and your relatives and all the people of Israel who are in exile. They are saying, ‘Those people are far away from the Lord, so now He has given their land to us!’
‘Therefore, tell the exiles, ‘ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile. I, the Sovereign Lord, will gather you back from the nations where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel once again.
When the people return to their homeland, they will remove every trace of their vile images and detestable idols. And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, so they will obey My decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be My people and I will be their God. But s for those who long for vile images and detestable idols, I will repay them fully for their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.!'” (vv. 14-21, NLT)