I will do this in order to capture the hearts of the house of Israel, who have alienated themselves from me on account of all their idols.’p>

&#8220;Son of man, offer a riddle,<n id="1" /> and tell a parable to the house of Israel.

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;See how each of the princes of Israel living within you has used his authority to shed blood.<n id="1" />

Yet you say, &#8216;The behavior of the Lord is not right.&#8217; House of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his behavior.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

I will multiply your people<n id="1" /> &#8211; the whole house of Israel, all of it. The cities will be populated and the ruins rebuilt.

I was concerned for my holy reputation<n id="1" /> which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they went.p>

Then, when my sanctuary is among them forever, the nations will know that I, the <sc>Lord,sc> sanctify Israel.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

I will turn you around and drag you along;<n id="1" /> I will lead you up from the remotest parts of the north and bring you against the mountains of Israel.

For seven months Israel<n id="1" /> will bury them, in order to cleanse the land.

Then the house of Israel will know that I am the <sc>Lordsc> their God, from that day forward.

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;This will be their inheritance: I am their inheritance, and you must give them no property in Israel; I am their property.<n id="1" />

They may eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, and every devoted thing in Israel will be theirs.

All the people of the land will contribute<n id="1" /> to this offering for the prince of Israel.

This is the land which you will allot to the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions, declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>.p>

But the house of Israel is unwilling to listen to you,<n id="1" /> because they are not willing to listen to me,<n id="2" /> for the whole house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted.<n id="3" />p>

My hand will be against the prophets who see delusion and announce lying omens. They will not be included in the council<n id="1" /> of my people, nor be written in the registry<n id="2" /> of the house of Israel, nor enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>.p>

For there on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>, all the house of Israel will serve me, all of them<n id="1" /> in the land. I will accept them there, and there I will seek your contributions and your choice gifts, with all your holy things.

&#8220;Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds<n id="1" /> of Israel; prophesy, and say to them &#8211; to the shepherds: &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not shepherds feed the flock?

In a good pasture I will feed them; the mountain heights of Israel will be their pasture. There they will lie down in a lush<n id="1" /> pasture, and they will feed on rich grass on the mountains of Israel.

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Therefore say to the house of Israel, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: It is not for your sake that I am about to act, O house of Israel, but for the sake of my holy reputation<n id="1" /> which you profaned among the nations where you went.