I am the Lord your God; follow my statutes, observe my regulations, and carry them out.

and say to them: “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose Israel I swore ¹  to the descendants ²  of the house of Jacob and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I swore ³  to them, “I am the Lord your God.”

They will know that I am the Lord; my threats to bring this catastrophe on them were not empty.’ ¹ 

When all this comes true – and it certainly will ¹  – then they will know that a prophet was among them.”

I myself will feed my sheep and I myself will make them lie down, declares the sovereign Lord.

But those in Jerusalem ¹  will view it as a false omen. They have sworn solemn oaths, ²  but the king of Babylon ³  will accuse them of violations ⁴  in order to seize them. ⁵ 

Because they used to minister to them before their idols, and became a sinful obstacle ¹  to the house of Israel, consequently I have made a vow ²  concerning them, declares the sovereign Lord, that they will be responsible ³  for their sin.

“Therefore say: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Although I have removed them far away among the nations and have dispersed them among the countries, I have been a little ¹  sanctuary for them among the lands where they have gone.’

tell them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to take the branch of Joseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and I will place them on the stick of Judah, ¹  and make them into one stick – they will be one in my hand.’ ² 

I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and bring you out with all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them fully armed, a great company with shields of different types, ¹  all of them armed with swords.

I saw that she was defiled; both of them followed the same path.

The sticks you write on will be in your hand in front of them.

He said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them.

They were haughty and practiced abominable deeds before me. Therefore when I saw it I removed them.

Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them: ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.

“‘Be ready and stay ready, you and all your companies assembled around you, and be a guard for them. ¹ 

The nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile due to their iniquity, ¹  for they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies; all of them died by the sword.

so that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all you have done in consoling them.

“Assyria is there with all her assembly around her grave, ¹  all of them struck down by the sword. ² 

“‘For this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out.